MCFARLAND — The Cheesemakers nearly grabbed the signature win of the program’s signature season in the regular season finale. Nearly.

Instead, Monroe fell to sixth-ranked McFarland 4-3 in overtime Feb. 11.

Already recording the highest win total in program history in both regular season play and in conference action (14-7-2 overall, 5-5-2 Badger South), the Cheesemakers took a 2-0 lead against the Spartans, which won both head-to-head contests by a single goal this campaign.

Ryan Molitor gave Monroe a 1-0 lead in the first period, and Cade Janecke smacked home a power play goal in the second to put the Cheesemakers up by a pair.

McFarland (17-4-2, 9-3-0) scored twice in a four-minute stretch in the back half of the second period to tie the game at 2. Just 52 seconds into the third period, Jared Dillon put home a pass from Janecke to give the Cheesemakers a 3-2, only for the Spartans to again tie it midway through the frame.

In the overtime, Grant Newcomer sent home a pass from Simeon Pommerening to throw the home crowd into a tizzy.

Hayden Roth and Payton Stauffacher each had assists for Monroe, while goalie Heath Bear stopped 45 of 49 shots (91.8%). McFarland outshot Monroe 49-24.

Monroe now enters the postseason in a 2-6-2 slide over its past 10 games. The skid cost the Cheesemakers a home playoff game, with Monroe earning the No. 10 seed and traveling to No. 7 Reedsburg-Wisconsin Dells (10-13-1) Feb. 18. The winner will get second-seeded Edgewood (18-4) at 6 p.m. Feb. 20 at LaBahn Arena in Madison.