Several Michigan Tech hockey players celebrate during the Huskies’ Great Lakes Invitational semifinal game played against Miami (Ohio) on Sunday. From left are Isaac Gordon, an partially hidden unidentified player, Joe Prouty, Stiven Sardarian and Reid Andresen. (Photo courtesy MTU)

GRAND RAPIDS — The Michigan Tech hockey team advanced to the championship game of the Great Lakes Invitational by defeating Miami (Ohio) 5-2 in the one of the semifinals on Sunday at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids.

The Huskies, who improved to 11-6-2, were to take on national No. 3 Michigan State (13-4) on Monday night in the 59th annual GLI, with the consolation game between Miami (10-7-2) and Ferris State (4-15) to precede it.

MTU and Ferris are members of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, MSU is from the Big 10 and Miami is out of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.

Tech and Michigan State met in the finals of the 2023 GLI when the Huskies won in a shootout after a 3-3 overtime tie. Miami and Ferris met to open this season in early October in Ohio, with the RedHawks prevailing 6-4 and 3-1.

The Spartans took out Ferris 5-2 in Sunday’s other GLI semifinal.

In the MTU-Miami game, Stiven Sardarian rolled up three points as five players each scored a goal for Tech. Goals by Sardarian and teammate Tom Leppa came in the final 2 1/2 minutes into empty nets.

“Really, it was a 3-2 game,” Tech coach Bill Muckalt said. “Their goalie was awesome on some really quality looks we had.

“These games are really important for us if we have any aspirations to be in the national tournament. The history of this tournament is a big deal for our team. This is a tournament that can springboard your team into the second half of the season.”

The RedHawks opened the scoring just before the midpoint of the first period by Michael Quinn, who took a shot from the high slot through traffic that beat MTU netminder Owen Bartoszkiewicz.

But the Huskies tied it exactly six minutes later, with 4:13 left in the opening period, when Joe Prouty put home his own rebound with assists going to Sardarian and Isaac Gordon.

Tech then took its first lead 2:05 into the middle period when Carson Birnie finished off a centering feed from Tom Leppa. For Birnie, it was just his second goal of the season, but also his second goal in the last two games as he also scored the final goal of a 5-2 Huskies’ win at Ferris on Dec. 13.

Miami retied it less than 3 1/2 minutes after that when Ryan Smith scored, making it 2-2, then the goal-scoring flurry culminated in MTU’s Jack Anderson potting the game-winner 13 seconds before the midpoint of the second, finishing off a passing play from Sardarian and Reid Daavettila.

Anderson also got his second goal of the season, while Sardarian notched his nation-leading 20th assist.

Now with the Huskies protecting a 3-2 lead, no more goals would be scored until the late empty-netters, Sardarian’s a full length-of-the-ice tally with 2:11 left and Leppa’s unassisted.

Bartoszkiewicz stopped 26 shots to get the goaltending win, his 11th this season and 21st of his career, while RedHawks goalie Matteo Drobac had 28 stops at his end.

Both teams were perfect on their penalty kill, MTU 4 of 4 and Miami 2 of 2.

Story contents based on Michigan Tech University Sports Information press release reviewing the game. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.