MSU 3, Minnesota Duluth 1

The Mavericks defeated the fifth-ranked Bulldogs 3-1 despite getting outshot 28-5 in the third period. More, including Freddy's three thoughts of the game, to come -- but after the annual media hockey game.

Freddy's three thoughts of the game:

1. Special team: The Mavericks scored on their first two power plays (goals by Eriah Hayes and Channing Boe) and killed off four of their own penalties against a highly skilled power play team. Those ended up being the difference in the game. All of the game's goals were scored in the first period. Following Hayes' and Boe's goals, the two teams added a one even-strength goal apiece. Duluth's Mike Connolly made it 2-1 with his 20th goal of the season (second in the WCHA), and late in the period, Mankato native Corey Leivermann put back the puck after Chase Grant hit a post during a rush.

2. Hold on tight! Minnesota State hung on for dear life in the third period, getting outshot 28-5 and killing off a pair of back-to-back penalties. Goalie Austin Lee stopped everything in the frame, although few of the shots seemed to be high-quality, and finished with 40 saves. Lee has allowed just four goals in the last three game. He was aided by a defense that kept the Bulldogs to the outside and blocked nine shots in the final period. Tyler Elbrect showed some guts by going the ice several times to disrupt plays and one time appeared to block a shot with his face!

3. What does it mean? The Mavericks are in a tie with St. Cloud State for ninth place in the WCHA standings with 20 points (the same number they finished with last year), three points out of sixth place. They're two points behind eighth-place Alaska-Anchorage, which beat Nebraska-Omaha 3-2 last night. MSU and UAA each have three games remaining, while everyone else in the league has five left. There were some interesting results around the league last night. Besides MSU's and UAA's wins, Colorado College and Bemidji State tied 5-5, St. Cloud State and North Dakota tied 3-3, Minnesota defeated Wisconsin 5-2 and Michigan Tech snapped its 26-game winless streak by winning at Denver!

Read the box score here. See a Free Press photo gallery from the game here. Read more from Bulldogs beat writer Kevin Pates here.