Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...
1. Saturday night special: As coach Mike Hastings hints at in my game story (linked below), Saturday nights are rarely carbon copies of Friday nights in college hockey. Indeed, before the game, a few people asked me if it would be another blowout. I said it was doubtful. I figured it would be closer, and it was. Kudos to Anchorage for its defensive play. The Seawolves seemed content to keep the game scoreless as long as possible. Marc Michaelis' power-play goal with 41 seconds left in the second period was the turning point.
2. Speaking of defense: The Mavericks were pretty good in their end, too, even with a bit of a different lineup than they've used pretty much all season. That's because Riese Zmolek was out with a foot injury suffered when he blocked a shot with his skate on Friday. Zmolek, who was wearing a boot as he watched from the stands, said he's OK, just sore. No word on how long he's expected to be out. Wyatt Aamodt played in Zmolek's stead, and freshman Colby Bukes played for the first time this season. He was listed as the extra skater on the line chart.
3. Don't forget Dryden: Dryden McKay recorded his third shutout of the season and the seventh of his career, making 20 saves. He only had to make a couple of tough stops, but the Mavericks know they have someone very steady between the pipes. After allowing just one goal on the weekend, McKay's season save percentage is up to .951 right now. In 12 games this season, Minnesota State has allowed just 14 goals while scoring 46. The competition stiffens next weekend when the Mavericks go to Minnesota Duluth for a pair of games.
Read my game story here.
Around the WCHA: Michigan Tech 3, Northern Michigan 2 ... Bemidji State 7, Alabama Huntsville 0 ... Lake Superior State 3, Bowling Green 1 ... Ferris State at Alaska (late)
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