Mavericks 3, Falcons 2 (OT)

Photo by Pat Christman

Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...

1. What. A. Game: The Mavericks pulled off the miracle win, scoring two late goals with an extra attacker to tie the game and then won it in overtime on a Nick Rivera goal. I don't think I've ever heard the Verizon Center so loud as when Connor Mackey tied it with a bomb of a shot with 55.9 seconds remaining in regulation. "It was awesome," said Jake Jaremko, who scored the Mavericks' first goal. Official attendance was 5,327, the fourth-largest in MSU history. It was a jam-packed arena. Another comment from Rivera about the crowd: "That’s something you've got to take pride in. We try to do our best to make it a hard place to play. (The fans) step up night in and night out. They're the reason it's hard to play in this building. ... They’re bringing the energy."

2. Playing with poise: The Falcons really frustrated the Mavericks for most of the game with their stellar defense. "I thought we took away time and space and played hard, which is who we are when we're playing our best," BG coach Chris Bergeron said. But when MSU pulled their goalie, they weren't panicked, even if they were in desperation mode. "It's something I think the guys are more than comfortable doing," MSU coach Mike Hastings said. "It's something consistently that we work on. I think at that time it’s really important to play with poise. It's easy for a coach to tell you to do that. It’s another thing for an athlete to go and do it."

3. Appreciate that game: Already, the social media is blowing up with speculation about the NCAA Tournament field, which will get announced at 6 p.m. Sunday. That's to be expected. The consensus seems to be that the Mavericks will be the top seed at Providence and play ... wait for it ... Providence. And there will be much gnashing of teeth about that. But for now, enjoy that game and, if you were there, that atmosphere, as well as that championship.

Read my game story here.