Mavericks 5, Beavers 3

Photo by Trevor Cokley

Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...

1. Teddy Hockeygame: Teddy Blueger is the subject of my Free Press game story, but he has to be mentioned here, too. His hat trick, which included a pair of power-play goals 59 seconds apart in the first period, led the Mavericks to the win and series sweep over a relentless Bemidji State team. He's shooting the puck more, so much so that he leads the team in shots on goal, and is showing more and more confidence as a player. He finished the weekend with five points, just as his linemate, Bryce Gervais, did. Seems like one of those two will be the WCHA offensive player of the week. Question is, which one?

2. Margo moves up: Dylan Margonari was overshadowed a bit by Blueger and Gervais, but he was another junior forward who had a rock-solid weekend, finishing with three points and showing off his dangerous speed. His offensive-zone faceoff win and shot on goal in the first period led directly to rookie Brad McClure's first-period goal. (McClure's fourth of the season). "You know what, Dylan had a good weekend," coach Mike Hastings said. "I think Dylan's healthy. I think when he's healthy his mind gets right. It's hard to play when you're not 100 percent. I thought he did a real good job, preparing of the weekend, and to see him get some success that should help him down the road. I thought he was real good both nights."

3. Gotta close: The Beavers kept themselves in the game, just as they did on Friday night, with some late-period goals. That's certainly an area, the Mavericks hope to clean up as they go forward. Phil Brewer made it 3-1 with 2.5 seconds left in the first period, and Graeme McCormack scored on the power play with 1:42 left in the second, making it 3-2. Fortunately for MSU, Blueger completed his hat trick with 25.9 seconds left in the period. Bemidji State even added their third goal with 10.5 seconds left in the game. One area where the Mavericks were able to close things out in the third period was on the penalty kill. They were called for three penalties in the final 8:27 and kept the Beavers' power play off the board. But that's fire they don't want to keep playing with.

Deep thought: Some folks were wondering about Brett Stern's 10-minute misconduct that put him in the penalty box for a good chunk of the second period. No real details other than it was something he said to the official.

Around the WCHA: Michigan Tech 3, Alaska Anchorage 1 ... Northern Michigan 2, Ferris State 0 ... Alabama Huntsville 3, Air Force 3 (OT) ... Bowling Green 3, Alaska 2