Chicago Blackhawks Prospect Frank Nazar III Shines in Big Ten Tournament Title Game Loss

The Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans battled in the Big Ten Tournament championship game on Saturday night. In what was a thrilling contest, it made way for the Spartans score the golden goal for a 5-4 overtime win, after a back-and-forth fight throughout regulation.

Even though Michigan's run for three consecutive Big Ten Tournament titles fell short, Blackhawks' prospect Frank Nazar III had a big night and that was one of the main reasons why the Wolverines were able to keep the game close.

Less than a minute into the opening period, Nazar made his presence felt quickly (thanks to a great find from Josh Ernisse) by getting to the net on a rush and putting Michigan on the board for an early 1-0 lead.

Obviously, Nazar was happy to give his team the lead, however, this one had to feel good. The first-period goal by Nazar was his first goal since February 17 at Penn State. His work, however, was not done yet.

As the back-and-forth battle continued later into the night, the Wolverines saw themselves down 4-3 in the third period. Enter Nazar again. This time, he was fighting for position at the front of the net, and it was a fight he won, as a shot deflected off his skate for the equalizer.

The third-period goal from Nazar was his second of the game, and he ended his night with two points via two goals and winning 10-of-15 faceoffs. The multi-point effort was Nazar's first since January 27 against Wisconsin.

Despite the strong effort from Nazar, Michigan fell in overtime by a final of 5-4. The win for Michigan State clinched their first-ever Big Ten Tournament title, not long after they won the Big Ten regular-season title for the first time.