From left, Northern Michigan University’s Ryan Ouellette and Tanner Latsch, Michigan State’s Griffin Jurecki and the Wildcats’ Jakub Lewandowski wait for a faceoff in the NMU defensive zone during a Great Lakes Invitational semifinal game played at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids on Sunday. (Photo courtesy NMU)

MARQUETTE — The Northern Michigan University fought valiantly, but in the end a 3-to-1 ratio of shots on goal was just too much for the Wildcats to overcome against the No. 1 team in the country.

The Wildcats fell 2-0 to Michigan State in a semifinal at the Great Lakes Invitational held at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids on Sunday evening.

Northern actually got the game’s first score, but Aidyn Hutchinson’s goal was reviewed and disallowed. Hutchinson crashed the net and found the loose change around the crease to beat MSU netminder Luca Di Pasquo. Spartans head coach Adam Nightingale challenged the goal, and it was determined the puck was kicked into the net as the game was back to square.

There was another mad scramble in the crease not a minute later, this time at the NMU end. Northern’s Ryan Ouellette made the save, but the puck lay loose behind him. Everyone crashed the net, and the ‘Cats were able to cover up.

MSU followed that up with a goal of its own that would also be called back before scoring its only two goals about two minutes apart near the middle of the first period.

A shot was fired from the right faceoff dot low to the far pad of Ouellette with Mikey DeAngelo crashing the net to the far post. The rebound came out and DeAngelo was determined to have used his skate to kick the puck in, and the game remained scoreless.

Ouellette made 41 saves — a nifty .953 saves percentage — in 55 minutes of play before exiting late in the third period, earning himself the second-star-of-the-night honors. Ethan Barwick entered in relief and stopped all five shots he faced.

For only the second time in program history, neither team was whistled for a single penalty; the only other time both NMU and its opponent went an entire game without an infraction was on November 24, 1978, in a 4-1 loss to Bowling Green.

Northern blocked 23 shots to the Spartans’ seven, led by NMU’s Rasmus Larsson and Tynan Ewart each having four.

Di Pasquo posted a 15-save shutout in his third start of the season, filling in for Trey Augustine who is representing the USA in the IIHF World Junior Championships in Canada, as Augustine earned the game’s first star.

Third-star Karsen Dorwart scored the game-winning goal, his first of that kind and fourth goal overall this season. Isaac Howard scored his team-leading 10th tally, and former Wildcat Joey Larson and Austin Oravetz registered assists.

NMU faced familiar Upper Peninsula foe Michigan Tech in the third-place game Monday afternoon after the Huskies lost 4-3 in overtime to Western Michigan. MSU and WSU were facing off at 7 p.m. Monday for the GLI championship.

On the Spartans’ actual goals, just about two minutes after the second disallowed goal, Ouellette stopped a one-timer and also the followup rebound from Larson in a dangerous area in the slot.

But the third try landed right to Dorwart on the side of the net. He elevated his shot to beat the outstretched Ouellette, and the game had its first legal goal.

Barely more than two minutes later, Howard forechecked the neutral zone against three Wildcats, with the puck taking a Spartan bounce over a Wildcat defender’s stick, with the MSU forward streaking in all alone against the netminder. The team leader in goals beat Ouellette over the glove hand to extend the MSU lead to two.

The second period started fast, first with a Wildcat breakaway. A mistimed MSU drop pass was intercepted by Hutchinson, who walked in all alone. His wrist shot and follow-up rebound were saved, MSU collected the rebound, and the Spartans had a 2-on-1 the other way. Ouellette made a strong push to the glove side to deny Stramel on the initial attempt followed by Howard’s rebound.

The Wildcats found another breakaway, this time it was Ewart springing Danny Ciccarello down the right side. Di Pasquo was aggressively on top of his crease and made the left-shoulder save from the wrist shot.

As the ‘Cats were breaking out of the zone, Ewart blew a tire and Savage had a breakaway from the hashmarks in. The right-handed shooter made a move to his backhand, but Ouellette stayed with him to make the glove save.

NMU had an odd-man rush with Matthew Romer and Zach Michaelis against an MSU defender. Romer slid the puck to Michaelis in-tight against the netminder, who made the positional save from close quarters.

Hutchinson made a great play to intercept a D-to-D pass across the blue line, and he walked in with another breakaway. The MSU defenders would catch up and tie him up, but he was able to get a backhand shot off to force the netminder to stay sharp.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.