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BUFFALO, NY -- Sophomore Jordan Houtby (St. Catharines, ON/Holy Cross Secondary) had two goals, including the game winner, and sophomore A.J. Levell (Columbus, OH/Dublin Scioto) played great in net stopping 13 shots as the third-seeded Detroit Titans advanced to Sunday's MAAC Championship with a 9-8 victory over second-seeded Marist on Friday night.

Detroit (6-9) will take on top-seeded Siena (12-4) at Noon on Sunday with an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament on the line.

Along with his two goals, the MAAC LSM of the Year Houtby added six ground balls and three caused turnovers. Junior Scott Harris (Saline, MI/Saline) added two assists and a goal, while freshmen Shayne Adams (St. Catharines, ON/Denis Morris) and Alex Maini (Lynbrook, NY/Lynbrook) each tallied a goal and an assist.

The game was tied at 8-all to begin the fourth and off a face-off victory, Harris found Houtby who rifled one in between the pipes for what turned out to be the last goal of the game with 14:47 left.

Both teams had chances to score in the fourth, but the Titan defense held strong blanking the Red Foxes (8-7) in the quarter and for the last 17 minutes of the game. Marist had an opportunity to tie it with 59 seconds left, but the second team All-MAAC goalie Levell, who stopped two shots in the third from point-blank range, was able to come up with a save. The Red Foxes then turned it over twice in the last 17 seconds as the red, white and blue secured the win.

Marist, who came into the tournament averaging just 17 turnovers per game, had 26 turnovers on the night, including 16 in the first half. Detroit's defense, which is currently first in the nation in caused turnovers at 11.96 per game, had 13 in the contest and nine in the first half. UDM also dominated on the ground balls by a 31-17 margin.

Sophomore Jamie Hebden (Farmington Hills, MI/Brother Rice), the second team All-MAAC defender, had a game and career-high five turnovers with three ground balls. Levell also picked up three GB's, while sophomore Brandon Davenport (Grosse Pointe Woods, MI/GP North) was 11-of-20 on face-offs scooping up six ground balls.

It was a complete reversal at the start of the game from last week's contest between the two teams as this time Detroit scored two straight to open the game en route to a 6-1 lead. Junior Tim Lehto (Farmington, MI/North Farmington) started the Titan spurt with an unassisted goal and just over a minute later, freshman Troy Dennis (Baldwin, NY/Baldwin) also found the back of the net.

After Marist scored, Maini put on great show dodging a few defenders as he worked his way to the net and put one past the goalie. Houtby then caused a turnover fired one in with his long pole as Detroit led 4-1 after one.

After nearly five minutes of scoreless play to start the second, the MAAC Rookie of the Year Adams posted a goal and later, Harris found freshman Wes Steen (Columbus, OH/Olentangy Liberty) for a marker to put the red, white and blue up by five, 6-1, with 7:37 left in the second. Freshman Tom Masterson (London, ON/St. Thomas Aquinas CCS), who had three goals last week at Marist, then notched the seventh Titan score in the first half and UDM took a 7-4 advantage at the half.

The third period belonged to Marist as they outscored the Titans, 4-1, to knot the contest, with Harris notching the lone Detroit score.

A week after bring whistled for 11 penalties at Marist, UDM was flagged for just three, killing two of those advantages off.