MANKATO, Minn. – It could have been a deflating moment for most hockey teams.
Up 2-0 going into the final frame and in control for much the game, Minnesota State had allowed Bowling Green to creep back into the game in the third period.
The Falcons scored early to cut it to 2-1 before Austen Swankler’s game-tying goal with less than a minute left in regulation completed a comeback that had, in the first two periods at least, seemed unlikely.
But the Mavericks, perhaps motivated by losing both games last weekend at St. Cloud State, were undaunted.
Brendan Furry scored the game-winning goal with 59.5 seconds remaining in the 3-on-3 overtime, powering Minnesota State to a 3-2 win over the Falcons in their CCHA game Friday night at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center.
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“I think we knew when there’s a late goal like that, there’s always a little bit of that deflation, but I don’t think there was anything to it,” said Furry, a senior captain. “Coach was just looked at us and was like, it’s not going to be easy, you just have to go out and win this game, find a way. I think our guys responded really well.”
Furry, who had been without a goal in the Mavericks’ first six games of the season, finally found the scoresheet with just under a minute to go in the extra period. His wrist shot from the right circle found its way through the five-hole of Bowling Green goaltender Christian Stoever.
Stoever, who had been so instrumental in keeping the Falcons in the game and earning them the extra conference point, thought he had covered the puck. Instead, it had trickled between his legs and rolled ever-so-slowly over the goal line.
Mavericks get the second point in OT off of Furrys first goal of the season #rollmavs😈 pic.twitter.com/hjYLV6Sw9a
— Minnesota State Hockey (@MinnStMHockey) October 29, 2022
“For me, to see him finally find a seeing-eye single that finds a way to go through him, I’m sure he’ll take that, because he’s had a few that have hit some posts, and he’s had some tough times, so hopefully he can build on that,” Minnesota State head coach Mike Hastings said of Furry, who scored 13 goals last season and was selected as the CCHA's preseason player of the year.
"I know the guys were pretty excited for me. It's cool to see their excitement and feed off that,” Furry said.
The Mavericks (4-3-0, 1-0-0 CCHA) had to battle to give Furry his chance, however. Although they had a 2-0 lead through two periods and were dominating shots on goal 17-7, only two made it past Stoever.
The first was Ondrej Pavel’s greasy goal off Lucas Sowder’s rebound late in the first period. Stoever had made the initial save but was on the ground and being screened by Ryan Sandelin, so he couldn’t see Pavel skate in behind the slot to take the shot. Stoever could only watch the puck go in.
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Minnesota State, which increased its lead in the second period when Tanner Edwards slid his own rebound past Stoever almost four minutes into the middle frame. Edwards took a shot from the left circle that was blocked but came back to him. He tripped as he went for the rebound but the puck found its way in the net and the sophomore from Anchorage, Alaska, celebrated his first goal of the season from his backside.
Stoever made 29 saves for the Falcons (2-5-0, 1-2-0 CCHA).
“I thought he played well, and again, I thought they defended really well. They didn't give us a whole lot of opportunities on second and third [opportunities],” Hastings said. “Just listening to what [BG head coach Ty Eigner] had talked about going into their off week, they wanted to do that and they did a good job of that. We did just enough.”
The Falcons found their way back into it in the third period. Adam Pitters scored a hard-working goal early in the third to get the Falcons on the board. The senior center’s initial shot from the high slot was kicked away by MSU goaltender Adam Tracy, but the puck came right back to him. Pitters outmuscled a few yellow-shirted defenders and took another shot that found its way past the MSU goalie and into the net.
BG’s momentum was sustained by a few power play opportunities – the last of which they scored on. Connor Gregga went to the box at the 17:12 mark and Swankler managed to score with seconds left on their man advantage.
Swankler’s goal – which fired up the Falcons bench and silenced the Mankato home crowd – could have turned the momentum even further. Instead, it was the Mavericks who took control in the overtime.
“You try and turn the page in a hurry, and I thought we did,” Hastings said. “I want to give the guys credit there. At that time it seems like it’s slipped away a little bit, but we found a way to go out and got an opportunity on the power play and found a way to get it done.”
“We had the puck, I believe, the entire overtime,” Furry added. “It’s just belief in the group. It’s just the little step we took tonight knowing that we’re going to have to win close hockey games all year, especially at the most important times.”
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GAME SUMMARY
Bowling Green 0-0-2-0–2
Minnesota State 1-1-0-1–3
FIRST PERIOD:
Scoring: 1, MSU, Pavel (Sowder, Sandelin), 17:33.
Penalties: BGSU, Coyle (cross-checking), 8:33; MSU, Livingstone (hooking), 13:05.
SECOND PERIOD:
Scoring: 2, MSU, Edwards (Livingstone, Bellini), 13:59.
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Penalties: BGSU, Krieger (tripping), 14:10.
THIRD PERIOD:
Scoring: 3, BGSU, Pitters (Krieger, Lellig), 3:29; 4, BGSU, Swankler (Malmstrom, Burke), 19:05, PP.
Penalties: BGSU, Lellig (holding), 6:28; MSU, Pavel (holding), 11:48; BGSU, S.Schneider (holding), 14:19, MSU, Gregga (cross-check), 17:12.
OVERTIME
Scoring: 5, MSU, Furry (Sowder), 4:01.
Penalties: BGSU, Barber (slashing), 0:22.
SUMMARIES:
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Shots on goal: BGSU 3-4-8-0–15; MSU 8-9-8-7–32. Penalties-minutes: BGSU 5-10; MSU 3-6. Power plays: BGSU 1-for-3; MSU 0-for-5. Goalie saves: BGSU, Stoever 29; MSU, Tracy 13.
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