Just 71 seconds later, Logan Pietila was awarded an opportunity to make up for that miss, and this time, he did not. The fifth-year center was chosen by the Huskies (18-14-6) to take a penalty shot as a Mavericks’ defender closed his hand on the puck in the crease while short-handed. Logan Pietila swung out left and then, upon returning to the middle, beat Mavericks netminder Alex Tracy with a wrist shot to tie the game at 3-3.

The Huskies’ most clutch playoff performer then was awarded one more goal with just over nine seconds left in regulation when he fired a shot from near the right point.

While the shot missed the net, the puck rebounded back over net and out into the crease where Jordan Power tried to bat the puck out of the air. The puck bounced off Power’s arm, then off Tracy’s helmet and into the net with 9.1 seconds left.

With the win, the Huskies advance to the CCHA’s Mason Cup final against the Bemidji State Beavers on Friday.

Michigan Tech center Logan Pietila fires a shot during a CCHA semifinal game against Minnesota State Saturday at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton. Pietila scored the game’s final two goals to lift the Huskies to a 4-3 win. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

Special teams, in Huskies coach Joe Shawhan’s mind, made all the difference in the game.

“There’s a lot of resiliency within our group,” he said. “Special teams were incredible for us. The penalty kill was outstanding, and that starts, obviously, with the goaltending. Then the power play, and getting enough pressure to force a penalty shot, then, obviously, Logan made that.

“It took a long time to get the lead in the game, but when we finally got it, there wasn’t a whole lot of time left for anything to happen.”

With the two goals he scored Saturday, Logan Pietila pushed his career-high point total to 29, and tied his career high for goals at 13.

“I don’t know, it kind of happens quick, just in the moment,” said Logan, when asked about the penalty shot goal. “(I) just try to stay who I am, not try to change too much. I’ve done that move a couple of times in practice. Just looked up my spot, I saw it open, and made the shot.”

The Huskies trailed three different times in the game, 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2, but each time, they found a way to answer. Shawhan was proud of the way his team kept finding a way to dig a little deeper, especially in front of the energetic crowd at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena.

“The crowd felt different,” he said. “The crowd actually, to me, felt similar to that Bowling Green game, that double-overtime game or whatever it was a few years ago, when we won the championship. It felt like that.

“I felt electricity in the building, and I think the guys fed off that, too.”

After his twin brother put the Huskies ahead for good, Blake Pietila admitted that he could hardly believe what he was seeing.

“I got chills after the penalty shot goal, and then after we technically won,” he said. “I mean I had to bear down for nine seconds, but yeah, I got the chills.”

For the first six minutes of the game, the Huskies seemed to be in control of the contest. They tested Tracy over and over again, with the best chance coming off the stick of freshman winger Henry Bartle just 2:55 in. He had received a pass in the slot from senior center Blais Richartz and he made a move to his forehand before trying to stuff one home.

Then, almost as quickly as the Huskies had seized control early, the Mavericks (18-15-4) took control of the scoreboard. Fifth-year winger Lucas Sowder buried a wrist shot that bounced off of alternate captain Blake Pietila’s shoulder and into the net at 7:08.

“I think tight league, tight teams, the one goal aside doesn’t surprise me,” said Mavericks coach Luke Strand. “The way it all transpires maybe does for everybody. It’s hockey, but I thought it was going to be close, and it was very close.”

For Blake Pietila, Sowder’s tally was one he was going to have to shake off quickly, because in each of the previous two seasons, the Huskies have given up multiple goals in succession to find themselves out of reach.

“Yeah, it’s frustrating for sure, but like coach said, you have to have a short memory, so just try not to let them get to two,” said Blake. “Keep our team in the game when I can, and be there when they need me. They did their job tonight, so it’s really fun playing behind them.”

Looking for a way back into the game, the Huskies got it three minutes into the middle frame. Freshman center Max Koskipirtti got the puck in the left circle, but could not find an avenue to the net he liked, so he looked to his right, where junior winger Jack Works was crashing the net. Koskipirtti passed the puck across the slot, but out of reach of Works’ stick. Works turned his right foot and the puck bounced off of it and into the net. The play was reviewed, but not overturned, allowing the Huskies to even things.

A little over six minutes later, the Mavericks regained the lead when Will Hillman batted a rebound off a shot from Tyler Haskins past Blake Pietila.

The Huskies were awarded a power play with just 25 seconds left in the second period, but it took nearly all of the advantage into the third period before they struck. Sophomore winger Kash Rasmussen one-timed a pass from Koskipirtti that deflected off a Mavericks’ defenseman and past Tracy at 1:33.

Adam Eisele regained the lead for the Mavericks again at 5:57 when he fired a shot over Blake Pietila’s glove and under the crossbar, setting up the game’s final 14 minutes of play.

Blake Pietila made 29 saves to earn his 17th win of the season.

UP NEXT

Michigan Tech will face the Beavers at the Sanford Center in Bemidji, Minnesota, at 8:07 p.m. Friday.