ST. PAUL, Minn. (REUTERS) — Grant Potulny scored two goals and Adam Hauser made 27 saves as Minnesota held off Michigan 3-2 Thursday night in the Frozen Four semifinals.

The Gophers (31-8-4), playing in their 17th Frozen Four, will face Maine Saturday in the championship game. Maine beat New Hampshire 7-2 in the first semifinal.

An NCAA hockey tournament-record crowd of 19,234 — most of them rooting for Minnesota — watched the Gophers advance to their first title game since 1989, also in St. Paul.

Minnesota, seeking its first title since 1979, lost to Harvard in overtime in the 1989 final at the Civic Center.

Gopher goalie Adam Hauser was six minutes away from his ninth career shutout when J.J. Swistak scored to pull the Wolverines to 3-1. Michigan goalie Josh Blackburn was pulled with two minutes left, and Jed Ortmeyer scored with 1:34 remaining to make it 3-2.

Jeff Taffe scored his 34th goal and added an assist, and John Pohl had his nation-leading 50th assist for the Gophers, who beat the Wolverines for the first time in four postseason meetings.

Blackburn made 23 saves for the Wolverines (28-11-5), who were making their second straight Frozen Four appearance.

Hauser made 10 saves in the first period, and Potulny — a native of Grand Forks, N.D., and the only non-Minnesotan on the roster — capitalized on a lucky bounce and gave the Gophers a 1-0 lead.

Michigan defenseman Eric Werner tried to clear the puck from the corner, but it hit off Taffe?s skate toward the Wolverines? goal. Blackburn blocked it, but Potulny was parked outside the crease and put in the rebound.

Potulny made it 2-0 early in the second period on a tip-in of Jordan Leopold?s slap shot.

Hauser stayed tough in the second, stonewalling Michigan?s star forward Mike Cammalleri on a breakaway and making a diving glove save of Ortmeyer?s shot on a power play.

Michigan failed to score on an extended power play in the second period that included 47 seconds of a two-man advantage.