Mavericks 2, Lakers 2 (MSU wins in 3x3 play)

Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...

1. Late arrival: Minnesota State couldn't get much going for 47 minutes against a defensive-minded Lake Superior State team hellbent on not getting swept Saturday. When the Lakers went up 2-0, it seemed like it might as well have been an 8-0 lead. However, it woke up the Mavericks, who got goals from defensemen Ian Scheid and Daniel Brickley in the third period to tie the game. Scheid's goal came at 7:08, 62 seconds after the Lakers' second goal. Brickely tied it at 10:18. The defensive partners assisted on each other's goal. Coach Mike Hastings said players credited Ryan Schwalbe's work to screen goalie Gordon Defiel on Scheid's goal

2. Extra point is good: For the second week in a row, Parker Tuomie secured an extra point for the Mavericks in the league standings. The freshman forward scored the winning shootout goal last weekend at Michigan Tech, and Saturday, scored in 3-on-3 play. Stats after the first overtime are not official, but the goal was a big one for the Mavericks and for Tuomie, who appears to be heating up. Fellow freshman Marc Michaelis assisted on Brickely's goal and now has 20 assists and 31 points, both of which lead the team and the WCHA. Another rookie, Josh French, also had a solid game, his second straight for the Mavericks.

3. Movin' on up: The extra point slid Minnesota State into sole possession of third place in the league standings, one ahead of Bowling Green, with two games in hand. They also moved 10 points ahead of Lake Superior State and Ferris State, who are now tied for fifth place. "Enormous," Hastings said. "Playing at home, you gotta take advantage of it. It wasn’t six points, but it was pretty close and it wasn’t easy, as it never is in our league right now. … It’s tough to get five or six in a weekend. So we’ll take them, we’ll bank them; we’ve got to get better this week."

Read my game story here.



Around the WCHA: Ferris State 5, Bowling Green 0 ... Michigan Tech 4, Alabama Huntsville 4 (Tech wins in shootout) ... Minnesota 4, Bemidji State 0