Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...
1. Record night: You can read more about Dryden McKay in my gamer, but he's worth mentioning here, too. A dozen shutouts in less than two seasons and eight in one year are pretty impressive, no matter how good a team is defensively in front of him. McKay was tested. He came up with a nice toe save early in the game, took a hard shot off the noggin in the second period and held off a good push by the WCHA's third-place team late in the game, including the final 2 minutes with an extra attacker.
2. Spoonman: Jared Spooner scored the only goal of the game, his third of the weekend. The goal was announced for Walker Duehr (who also had an excellent weekend) and wasn't changed until the third period. Spooner went hard to the net, as he so often does, and tipped in Duehr's shot. Dallas Gerads had the other assist. That trio ended up with eight points in the series — four goals and four assists. Duehr had three assists. "I liked the way our whole team played," coach Mike Hastings said.
3. Break time: The Mavericks will be off next week, a deserved respite after a tough stretch. Minnesota State has played seven straight weekends since their last break (a week in which everyone traveled for the holidays), going 11-2-1. MSU has an 11-point lead atop the WCHA standings over idle Bemidji State, which, along with third-place NMU (18 points back), has two games in hand. Northern Michigan hosts Bemidji State next weekend while the Mavericks are off. "First of all, get some rest," Hastings said about the bye. "We’ve got some guys that are on the mend, and they’re close to being ready to get back into it. Not quite there." That could mean the countdown is on for Marc Michaelis' return.
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