The No. 8 Mavericks bounced back from a rare home loss on Friday and defeated Northern Michigan 4-1 for a CCHA series split. In a game that got bogged down by a bunch of penalties, Minnesota State kept the energy up by scoring three timely power-play goals and holding the Wildcats to one.
The Mavericks beat the Tommies 4-3 in a game that featured a hat trick, three major penalties – one of which was a game misconduct – a coach’s challenge and a goalie change.
Minnesota State scored five third-period goals to break a 2-2 tie with St. Thomas. “They’re a top team for a reason,” Tommies head coach Rico Blasi said. “They know how to close games out and we’re learning to do that."
Down 2-1, the Mavericks rallied to score the game’s next three goals, then killed off some key penalties late in the third period and skated to a 4-2 victory at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center.
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.
