Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...
1. Nothing's easy: One night after a dominating performance over Alaska Anchorage, Minnesota State overcame being down 1-0 and a late charge that turned a three-goal lead into a one-goal lead. But the Mavericks hung on to win and sweep the WCHA series. "You gotta feel good about two wins, for sure," said Jake Jaremko, the freshman forward, who had a goal and an assist (and now has 10 goals and 29 points for the year). "Any time you get two wins in this league, you gotta take a step back and be proud of that." It was MSU's fifth win in a row, the first time this season they have been on that long of a streak.
2. Fresh faces: Jaremko is well on his way to winning WCHA Rookie of the Year, but the wasn't the only freshman to shine on Saturday (or the weekend). Dallas Gerads had a goal and an assist for a three-point weekend. "He’s a guy, who, as a coach, you appreciate because he doesn’t cheat the game," coach Mike Hastings said of Gerads. "He does the little things. He’ll play physical. He’s responsible with it. He’s not reckless." Rookie defenseman Connor Mackey did yeoman's work, playing extra minutes after Daniel Brickley was lost for the game an injury (read my gamer, linked below, for an update on Brickley). "I thought Mackey did a pretty good job coming in cold and having to step right into that role," Hastings said. Jaremko's rookie linemate, Reggie Lutz, finished with two assists.
3. Where they stand: Saturday's win guaranteed MSU an upper-division finish in the WCHA, which means home ice for the first round of the league playoffs. Obviously, they're shooting for a MacNaughton Cup. They're currently in second place (thanks to Bowling Green's loss to Michigan Tech), one point behind league-leading Northern Michigan. The Wildcats, however, do have a chance to extend their lead on Sunday, when they close out a series at Alabama Huntsville. Meanwhile, the Mavericks moved up to No. 5 in the Pairwise after the game.
Read my game story here.
Around the WCHA: Northern Michigan 4, Alabama Huntsville 3 ... Michigan Tech 4, Bowling Green 0 ... Lake Superior State 2, Bemidji State 0 ... Ferris State at Alaska (late)
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