Williams starts strong

Bridgeport Sound Tigers

Former Minnesota State goaltender Stephon Williams is off to a great start as a pro, winning his first two starts with the AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

On Saturday, he stopped 30 of 32 shots in a 3-2 victory over the Syracuse Crunch, and, as he had done with the Mavericks so many times, he "stole the show." On Monday, he defeated former teammate Eriah Hayes and the Worcester Sharks, stopping 31 of 32 shots (including three by Hayes) in a 4-1 victory.

In both games, Williams received a little offensive support from another former Maverick, forward Kael Mouillierat, who scored a goal each night.

Read my column about Williams' ability to make memories in Tuesday's Free Press.

Yep, he'll definitely be missed at Minnesota State. Now, it will be Cole Huggins' chance to do what Williams did last year, and that's to rebound from a sophomore slump and regain the form of his rookie season.

As for the possibility of other early departures, I'm hearing that, as of now, the Mavericks' other underclassmen are planning to return for next year.

Meanwhile, another new pro, Zach Palmquist, made his pro debut on Friday and had an assist and was +2 in the Iowa Wild's 6-0 victory over the Rochester Americans. Iowa will play the Texas Stars tonight (Tuesday) in Des Moines.