Michigan Tech goaltender Patrick Munson (30) reacts after allowing the winning goal during first overtime play of an NCAA college hockey regional tournament game against Notre Dame, Friday, March 23, 2018, in Bridgeport, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Michigan Tech has been in the same position for the last six weeks.

The Huskies needed to win. 

Each shift, each game, starting with the WCHA quarterfinals into the semifinals and last weekend’s conference championship meant there was little room for mistakes, or, in the case of Friday afternoon’s East Regional Semifinal with Notre Dame, rotten luck.

Michigan Tech’s run through the postseason ended Friday night. A shot from Notre Dame’s Jordan Gross found its way through a screen and by Michigan Tech goaltender Packy Munson to give the Fighting Irish a 4-3 win in the first East Regional Semifinal. The goal came at 16:24 of the first and only overtime.

The Huskies’ season ends with a first-round NCAA tournament loss for the third time in the last four seasons. They haven’t won an NCAA tournament game since 1981 when they advanced to the Frozen Four.

“It’s hard, obviously, being a senior and having so many chances in the NCAA tournament and not winning a game in three appearances,” senior Joel L’Esperance said. “It’s tough.”

Despite the defeat, Michigan Tech’s seniors leave the program as one of the most successful classes in the program’s recent history. As a group, the seniors won one WCHA regular-season title and two conference tournaments to go along with their 97 total wins and three NCAA tournament appearances. They helped MTU win at least 20 games in four straight seasons for the first time since the 1972-73 through 1975-76 stretch.

“When you play the right way, you don’t take shortcuts,” Michigan Tech coach Joe Shawan said. “And our guys played that way. They laid it on the line. They got better as the year went on. They got better as the game went on. I love our team. We’re gonna miss the seniors. They helped us through a big transition. They’ve been part of a lot of wins here at Michigan Tech.”

The transition Shawhan mentioned was, of course, his own. In his first season as Michigan Tech’s head coach, replacing Mel Pearson who left after six seasons for Michigan, Shawhan guided the Huskies to 22 wins and got it within a goal of an NCAA tournament win.

In the minutes leading up to Gross’ game-winning goal, the Huskies controlled play, pinning Notre Dame deep in its own end for minutes. Chance after chance came for the Huskies. And then, as the puck slid back to the point, it all fell apart. 

Matt Auk’s stick exploded just as the puck arrived. 

Notre Dame’s Cam Morrison collected the puck and skated in alone on Munson, racing past Auk and Mitch Meek. 

Munson made the initial save, swatting the rebound into the corner. Within seconds, the puck had found its way back to Gross at the blue line. His quick wrist shot found its way through a screen, off a body and past Munson to clinch the win for Notre Dame.

“We had a great shift for an extended period of time,” Shawhan said. “We were able to change our lines a few times during the shift without the puck leaving the zone.

“All of a sudden, a stick breaks. It comes down the other end. Now, our guys left out there have to race back, and now they’re a little tired. And Jordan Gross makes a play. It looked like the puck was deflected.”

Munson, a senior who spent time with two other programs (Denver and Vermont) prior to his one year in Houghton, kept the Huskies alive earlier in the period. He made eight saves in the extra session, allowing the Huskies to take control of the extra session. He finished the game with 28 saves.

“We got good pressure on them,” L’Esperance said. “We got the puck in their end. We didn’t allow them to change throughout the overtime, so they had tired guys on the ice for a while. We had good pressure on them, but we couldn’t capitalize.”

The Huskies’ season nearly ended earlier after Gross’ first goal of the game put Notre Dame up, 3-2, at 6:19 of the third period. 

Notre Dame goaltender Cale Morris, the national leader in save percentage entering the game (.945), kept the Huskies quiet, brushing aside shot after shot, to keep his team ahead as it searched for an equalizer.

With just 1:06 left to play in regulation, the Huskies created the chance they needed to extend the game and their season. 

Junior Jake Jackson’s wrist shot from the face-off circle beat Morris to the crossbar and ricocheted into the net to force the overtime.

The goal gave Michigan Tech another chance and sent the several hundred Huskies’ fans in attendance into a frenzy, which lasted the remainder of the game. Nearly two dozen Michigan Tech students, along with the school’s pep band, endured a nearly 24-hour bus ride to attend the game. They arrived in Bridgeport at 8:30 Friday morning after leaving campus at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday.

“Our community, our support is unbelievable,” Shawhan said. “They follow us to Alaska, Arizona, any place we got there. We have some of the best support in college hockey. I wasn’t surprised to see the whole contingent today. Our band is second to none. Our administration is second to none. They give us everything we need. Our supporters are a member of our team. That’s the way we look at it. They’re that important.”

Joel L’Esperance opened the game’s scoring early in the second period. A Seamus Donohue outlet pass found L’Esperance racing through the neutral zone. He fought a pair of back-checking Notre Dame defensemen, kicked a lagging puck to his stick and beat Morris over the goaltender’s left shoulder. 

The lead was short-lived, however. Notre Dame scored twice in the next 3:24 to take the lead. The second period ended with the Huskies trailing, 2-1. The middle 20 minutes gave them confidence despite the deficit. They outshot the Fighting Irish, 17-6, for the period.

For the game, the Huskies outshot Notre Dame, 39-32.