Houghton’s Tucker Tapani, center, shoots against Traverse City Central on Friday, Dec. 6, 2019, in Houghton, Mich. (Eddie O’Neill/Daily Mining Gazette)

HOUGHTON — After 51 minutes of hockey, it was anyone’s game.

It would come down to who want it more in overtime — the Houghton Gremlins or the visiting Traverse City Central Trojans. Or it would come down to who would get lucky and find the back of the net first.

In the end, the outcome appeared to be a combination of both.

At the 4:05 mark in the extra period, Traverse City’s Drew Swanson launched a shot from the point which went off the pads of Houghton’s goalie Matthew Ryynanen and onto the stick of freshman Hunter Folgmann who pushed it right back in to the net for his first varsity goal and a 4-3 overtime win for Traverse City.

“It was a great game,” said Trojans head coach Chris Givens. “It was a fun game to be a part of. As we headed into overtime, I told the team to not be particular about their shots but rather just keep putting the puck on net. We don’t need anything fancy just crash the nets, and it worked out.”

On the other side of the ice, Houghton head coach Corey Markham echoed a similar sentiment.

“It was a toe-to-toe battle from the start,” he said. “Our kids played hard. I am not disappointed in our kids. It was as even a game as you could get. It was a great high school hockey game.”

The Gremlins got on the board first at the 14:44 mark when freshman Camden Markham put one in unassisted past the Trojan’s goalie Grant Neuhardt.

The Trojans came back to tie it at the 9:56 mark. It was Ethan VanderRoest who lifted one past Ryynanen from the right side. With that goal, it was as if someone turned on the intensity switch on the Trojan’s bench. It was game on from there on out between these two teams.

“It was certainly the most physical and fast game we have played all year,” said Givens. “That is the way you have to play with Houghton if you want to hang in the game with them.”

The Gremlins took advantage of a power play in the last five minutes of the first to get back on top 2-1. Senior forward Tucker Tapani picked up a loose puck in front of the net and put it in.

The lead didn’t last long as the Trojans came back to tie it at two in the opening minutes of the second period. At the 13:38 mark Nick Sommerfield found himself with the puck in front of the net and slipped it past Ryynanen.

However, less than two minutes later the Gremlins were back on top when Tapani took a pass in the crease from defenseman Kade Ferrell and was able to lift it in past Neuhardt and make it a 3-2 game. But the Trojans would have the final say in the second period as Will Dawson rifled a pass from Charlie Douglass into the back of the net at the 5:39 mark. The games was now tied at three.

With the game even, Markham told his Gremlins they needed to stay strong.

“We knew the game was going to go down to the wire,” he said. “I was hoping we would get a rebound or a bounce our way in the third.”

They did stay strong having some good opportunities on two power plays in the final period buy the Trojans stayed equally strong and forced the overtime and ultimately gained the victory.

“Certainly you hate to lose any game,” Markham said. ” But I am not upset with our guys. A tie would have certainly given this game justice. It was an evenly played game and the Trojans got the last break.”

With the loss, the Gremlins fall to 3-1 on the season. They host Heartland at noon Saturday.

TC Central 1 2 0 1 — 4

Houghton 2 1 0 0 — 3

First Period — 1, Houghton, Markham, (14:49). 2, TC, VanderRoest, (9:56). 3, Houghton, Tapani (Halonen), 4:54.

Second Period — 4, TC, Sommerfield (Folgmann), 13:38. 5, Houghton, Tapani (Farrell), 12:25. 6, TC, Dawson (Douglass), 5:39.

Overtime — 7, TC, Folgmann (Lucas), 4:05.

Saves–Houghton, Ryynamen 7-8-7-3–25; TC, Neuhardt 7-8-10-2–27.

Power-play Opportunities–Houghton 1 of 5; TC 0 of 2.

Penalties-minutes–Houghton 2-4; TC 5-10.