In a dramatic turnaround that college hockey fans live for, No. 1 Michigan State overcame an early 2-0 deficit against Wisconsin to win the game 3-2 in overtime. On Saturday, a tenacious Spartans team kept at it with Isaac Howard delivering the knockout blow three minutes into the extra period, as reported by WILX.

Bouncing back from a Friday night setback, the Spartans showed no signs of letting up despite trailing. A power play goal by Charlie Stramel seemed to inject new life into the team, as they then dominated play and outshot Wisconsin 17-8 in the second stanza. The kicker, scoring from his knees, Howard managed to get the puck to Stramel, who shuffled it to Matt Basgall, ultimately returning it to Howard for the game-winning goal, according to a Detroit News recap.

The victory over Wisconsin shouldn't be taken lightly, coming from a deficit, Michigan State found their groove relying on their stars. Stramel not only contributed that pivotal power play goal but also an assist on the winner. Howard matched his teammate's score sheet impact with a goal and an assist to his name too. This climactic win pushes the Spartans into their final pre-holiday break series on a high note, reports WILX.

Over on the Wisconsin side, it was a night of solemn reflections. Hawked a significant lead, the Badgers couldn’t keep the Spartans at bay, which led to their third home overtime loss this season. "We had some opportunities on our stick to finish," Badgers coach Mike Hastings lamented in a statement obtained by Badgerextra. Wisconsin captain Owen Lindmark, finally, broke his power-play goal drought which spanned over six seasons, giving the team an early lead they could eventually not defend.

The Badgers also celebrated Joe Pavelski Night, honoring the NHL veteran and Wisconsin alumnus. Pavelski's presence, however, could not inspire the Badgers to hold their ground. The team did have its moments though, asserting a degree of power-play prowess with goals in recent games, including one from Lindmark that started off the scoring in this encounter. Fitzgerald also found the net, along with contributing an assist on the night. Despite these efforts and special day, the team couldn't bring it home, and as Fitzgerald told Badgerextra, "He came up with a big save."