Robbie Nowinski had a hat trick and recorded his 200th career point, but the Arizona club hockey team was still unable to defeat Michigan State, which completed a sweep in a 6-5 shootout victory at the Tucson Convention Center this weekend.

“”You just can’t beat the referees … it’s unbelievable … I think they were pretty inconsistent,”” said head coach Leo Golembiewski. “”I’m not blaming the referees, but the bottom line is we played our hearts out and we came up short.””

With 12:12 remaining in the third period, the Icecats maintained a comfortable 5-3 lead and looked poised for victory. But with several costly penalties in the final six minutes, Michigan State found a way to tie the game with 3:44 remaining in the period.

“”It’s tough when the ref takes our best defenseman out the game with five minutes left in the game,”” Nowinski said. “”Usually in the last five minutes of a hockey game you’re able to do what you want.””

The Icecats lost defenseman Austin Capobianco with six minutes left in the third period after he was ejected from the game. Capobianco argued with an official over a tripping penalty called against him.

With both teams unable to score in the overtime period, the game would be decided in a shootout.

As Michigan State scored the first goal in the shootout, it was up to Nowinski to score and extend the shootout. Though Nowinski had made all the plays throughout the game, he was unable to score, as he was stuffed in the front of the net.

In the first period Arizona started off with great intensity, which resulted in a 4-1 lead going into intermission. Also in that first period, one of Arizona’s leading goal scorers, Jordan Shupan, left the game with an apparent dislocated shoulder and did not return.

“”That’s a huge loss … He is second in points and he was tearing it up,”” Nowinski said.

Golembiewski said the Icecats were without junior forward Cody Morin and freshmen defenseman Nick Bach due to academic reasons, and senior forward Matt Conover was out with a nagging knee injury.

“”The guys who don’t play as much really need to step up, if we’re going to go anywhere this year,”” Nowinski said.