Huskies 6, Mavericks 4

Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...

1. Trouble with the kill: The Mavericks were leading 2-1 midway through the second period, and suddenly things turned in a hurry. Minnesota State boasted the nation's fourth best penalty kill going into the game but allowed essentially three power-play goals (one came just as MSU's Blake Thompson stepped out of the box) in a four-goal rally over the final 11:11 of the second period. MSU coach Mike Hastings said his team allowed the Huskies to possess the puck too much in those situations. The Mavericks lost faceoffs and couldn't clear. Officially, St. Cloud State was 3 for 4 on the power play.

2. Williams' troubles continue: Stephon Williams got the start in goal and looked good early. However, he ended up allowing five goals on 15 shots before getting the hook for Cole Huggins. Huggins allowed one goal. St. Cloud State did a good job taking away Williams' vision, setting up screens, and getting tips and deflections. Hastings called them quality opportunities. (See the game story below.) The Huskies' third goal came as Williams was being bumped in the crease. The refs reviewed the play and let the goal stand. Hastings said afterward that the refs said Matt Leitner didn't let the Huskies player out of the crease. Williams is now 4-6-0 with a .856 save percentage and a 3.59 goals-against average.

3. Nonconference woes: Minnesota State not only finished 0-2 at the North Star College Cup, but they concluded their non-WCHA schedule with a 2-6-0 record. There were some tough games along the way: at Providence, at Minnesota and this weekend's games (the two wins were at home against UConn). But that mark was all but flipped last year, which helped them in the Pairwise rankings. As of the end of their game, the Mavericks were 24th in the Pairwise. There's a lot of hockey left in the season, but they're going to have to stay on task atop the WCHA the rest of the way and, perhaps, win the Final Five if they want to get to the NCAAs.

Read the game story here.

Around the WCHA: Ferris State 3, Michigan Tech 0 ... Bowling Green 6, Lake Superior 2 ... Bemidji State at Alaska (late) ... Northern Michigan at Alaska Anchorage (late)