GRAND RAPIDS — The players on the Michigan hockey team didn’t travel to the NCAA Midwest Regionals for this.

They didn’t take the ice at Van Andel Arena to see their three-goal lead evaporate into the tension-filled air, their national title hopes obliterated by four unanswered goals from the Tigers of Colorado College. They didn’t pour out blood, sweat and tears all season long only to be denied a trip to the Frozen Four for the second straight season. And they certainly didn’t plan on Saturday’s game being the swan song for Michigan’s 10 seniors.

But that’s exactly what happened in the Wolverines’ heartbreaking 4-3 loss to Colorado College on Saturday night, just a day after ousting Wisconsin in an impressive 4-1 win. The defeat knocked Michigan out of the NCAA Tournament and ended its season earlier than senior captain Eric Nystrom would have liked.

“It’s ridiculous,” Nystrom said. “I’m so upset. I’m so pissed that we lost this game tonight that I can’t even talk about it without wanting to throw this microphone across the room.”

Despite first-period power play goals by juniors Jeff Tambellini and Brandon Kaleniecki and Nystrom’s own score 1:32 into the second frame, the Wolverines seemed to become somewhat complacent midway through the game. Rather than attacking the net and holding the puck in the Tigers’ zone, much of the last 30 minutes of play saw Michigan reacting to, rather than assertively countering, Colorado College’s persistent and methodical comeback.

“We couldn’t put that team away,” Michigan coach Red Berenson said. “I thought their goalie really played well in the last half of the game. And their team came back and got the goals they needed. Sometimes the ugly goals are the goals that kill you.”

Until Saturday, Michigan hadn’t blown a three-goal lead since 1987. So when the Wolverines led the Tigers 3-0 with 18:28 left in the second period, many Michigan fans had already begun celebrating.

But the players knew the game wasn’t over, and Colorado College remained focused. The Tigers’ comeback began with Marty Sertich’s goal 6:13 into the second. With Colorado College on a two-man advantage, Sertich, the nation’s leading scorer, beat Michigan goalie Al Montoya glove side on a rebound from Lee Sweatt’s right-slot blast. Sertich was waiting in the low right circle, and when the puck bounced off Montoya’s left pad, the high-scoring forward capitalized to put the Tigers on the board.

But it may have been the Tigers’ second goal of the night that broke the Wolverines’ spirits. With Sweatt in the penalty box and Michigan on the power play, Colorado College was able to mount a shorthanded rush into the offensive zone. After Montoya saved defenseman Mark Stuart’s shot, forward Trevor Frischmon scooped up the rebound and put the puck past Montoya low to the glove side with 4:33 left in the second period.

As the Tigers climbed back into the game, the strongly pro-Michigan crowd became a non-factor and the arena fell ominously silent as the final chapter in the Wolverines’ season unfolded in tragic fashion.

Colorado College tied the game 4:24 into the third period on forward Joey Crabb’s wrist shot from the left slot. The puck appeared to have been tipped by Frischmon’s raised stick before it found its way past Montoya’s glove side to the back of the net. After the goal was reviewed, the officials upheld the call since it was unclear whether or not the puck was illegally tipped by Frischmon. The call remained a point of contention between the teams even after the game.

“To me, it looked like a high stick,” Montoya said. “It hit the stick, obviously, but it might not have been over the net.”

Said Nystrom: “They’ve got video replay, and the camera doesn’t lie, I guess. But I thought it got tipped down with a high stick. They went to replay, and the goal stood, and that was the difference.”

But Frischmon told a different story.

“I don’t think it did (hit my stick),” Frischmon said. “I didn’t feel it hit my stick at all. But when you looked at the replay, it kind of looked like it might have. It was a great shot by (Crabb).”

Junior Andrew Ebbett nearly regained the lead for Michigan at the 10:30 mark of the third, but his wide-angle shot from the left side of the net passed through the crease just in front of the posts.