Hoping for a crowd

Minnesota State's last game, against Minnesota, drew a crowd of 5,134. The final home series of the season, against North Dakota on March 8-9, ought to bring in a bunch of people. What about this weekend against Michigan Tech?

It's a crucial series between a pair of teams that will continue to be conference rivals after this season, and Mavericks coach Mike Hastings is hoping the fans appreciate that.

"The student body can be a difference-maker," he said, "and I've been witness to what the Verizon Wireless Center can become. We need that place to be full."

As of Wednesday afternoon, about 100 free student tickets remained for each game. There are 1,100 free tickets for MSU students, but once those are gone, students can purchase tickets at a discounted price. For this series, those tickets are $8.

Minnesota State has averaged, 3,606 fans this season, a bump of about 400 per game from last year.

The ninth-ranked Mavericks are coming off a sweep at Minnesota Duluth and are tied for fifth place in the WCHA standings. The top six spots earn home ice for the first round of the league playoffs.

UPDATE: Minnesota State announced late Wednesday afternoon that an additional 200 student tickets will be made available for the games. They will be distributed from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday

Hayes, Blueger earn honors

Two Minnesota State players instrumental in their team’s series sweep at Minnesota Duluth last weekend earned Western Collegiate Hockey Association awards on Tuesday.

Senior forward Eriah Hayes was named Offensive Player of the Week, and freshman center Teddy Blueger was named Rookie of the Week.

Hayes had a four-goal, three-assist weekend, including a hat trick and an assist on Saturday. Blueger had four points in the 4-2 and 5-1 wins, including both game-winning goals.

Hayes ranks second on the Mavericks in scoring with 28 points. His 16 goals are a team high, and his 10 power-play goals lead the nation. Blueger is MSU’s top-scoring freshman; he now has 17 points.

Minnesota State is now ranked ninth in the nation and will host Michigan Tech on Friday and Saturday.

North Dakota freshman goalie Zane Gothberg was the WCHA’s Defensive Player of the Week.

Mavericks now ninth

Minnesota State moved into ninth place in this week's U.S. College Hockey Online rankings. The Mavericks are up two spots from last week. In the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll, MSU is 10th.

According to Minnesota State sports information, the Mavericks highest ranking was eighth, which they reached during the 2002-03 season.

Mavericks 5, Bulldogs 1

Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...

1. Purple Hayes — again: If Eriah Hayes isn't the WCHA offensive player of the week come Tuesday something's very wrong with the league. Hayes had a hat trick of power-play goals and an assist on Saturday and finished the weekend and series sweep with seven points (4 goals, 3 assists). He's back to the national lead in power-play goals with 10 and has 16 in all. Matt Leitner, who assisted on all three goals, now has 20 power-play points (second in the country) and a team-leading 33 in all. The Mavericks were 3 for 6 on the power play. Jean-Paul LaFontaine had two assists.

2. Great start: Minnesota State grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first period after scoring three in the third period on Friday. Zach Lehrke got things started with a breakaway goal less than 4 minutes into the game. Bryce Gervais flipped the puck high in the air out of the defensive zone, and Lehrke caught it with his glove across the ice at the red line. He tossed the puck down, slipped between two defensemen and was free. A couple of nifty moves, and Lehrke slipped the puck between goalie Aaron Crandall's pads. Teddy Blueger and Hayes added to the lead with a pair of goals 1:49 apart in the final four minutes of the frame.

3. Killer instinct: The power play was great, and the penalty kill was very good. The Mavericks had to kill off more than normal and allowed one goal on seven penalties. Goalie Stephon Williams stopped 34 shots for the game, with 12 shots hitting him when Duluth had the man advantage. The Mavericks also blocked 14 shots. Although the Mavericks led 4-1, coach Mike Hastings said a turning point was a one-minute 5x3 kill before the third period was half over. "All of a sudden momentum is on their side," Hastings said. "Five on threes are so big either way. If you kill them your team elevates, and if the other team scores that team elevates."

Read The Free Press game story here.

Around the WCHA: Michigan Tech 6, Alaska Anchorage 1 ... North Dakota 5, Nebraska Omaha 2 ... Wisconsin 3, Bemidji State 2 ... St. Cloud State 4, Minnesota 3 ... Colorado College 6, Denver 5 (OT)

WCHA standings
1. St. Cloud State (31 points)
2. North Dakota (28)
3. Nebraska Omaha (26)
    Minnesota (26)
5. Denver (25)
    Minnesota State (25)
    Wisconsin (25)
8. Colorado College (20)
9. Minnesota Duluth (19)
10. Michigan Tech (16)
11. Bemidji State (13)
12. Alaska Anchorage (10)

MSU at Minnesota Duluth — Game 2 live blog

Lines are posted below the live chat:

MINNESOTA STATE
21-Grant   18-Leitner   22-McInnis
26-Margonari   23-Blueger   25-Hayes
24-Knowles   12-LaFonatine   8-Gaede
9-Geravis   29-Zuck   19-Lehrke

16-Elbrecht   17-Mosey
7-Palmquist   4-Buchanan
2-Nelson   28-Jutzi

35-Williams
30-Cook

Scratches: Burkemper, Herndon*, Karembelas, Knoll, Stern*, Thauwald

* = on trip

MINNESOTA DULUTH
11-Farley   13-Cameranesi   17-Seidel
25-J.Crandall   23-Young   18-Basaraba
20-Danberg   15-Hendrickson   14-Flaherty  
10-DeLisle   27-Decowski   26-Krause

8-Olson   7-Welinski
16-Smith   5-Casto
28-Bergman   4-Corrin

31-A.Crandall
36-McNeely
30-Fons

Referees: Scott Bokal, Timm Walsh. Linesmen: Sterling Egan, Brandon Polich

Mavericks 4, Bulldogs 2

Clint Austin/Duluth News-Tribune

Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...

1. Purple Hayes: Minnesota State senior forward and co-captain Eriah Hayes said this week that he needed to get his game going, and he did that in a big way on Friday night with a goal, two assists and just an all-around dominant effort against the Bulldogs, a team MSU hasn't beaten in Duluth since Jan. 28, 2006. Coach Mike Hastings said last week's break came at a good time and that Hayes used the time off well. His center, freshman, Teddy Blueger, also had a goal and two assists. "You need your best players to be your best players," Hastings said.

2. Third period's a charm: The Mavericks trailed 2-1 after two period and dominated the final period. They outshot the Bulldogs 22-7 and scored three goals, one from Zach Lehrke, one from Blueger and one from Hayes. It was the second game in a row that Duluth had a lead in the third period, only to give up three goals. Denver did it last week in a span of about 90 seconds. MSU took a little more time and killed off a key penalty midway through the period when they held a slim 3-2 lead. The Mavericks have scored 89 goals this season; 36 have come in the third period (40%).

3. Freshmen come through: Rookie Dylan Margonari, who started the season hot, scored the game's first goal. It was his first in 11 games. He now has six goals and seven assists. Blueger's three-point game gives him 16 (4, 12) for his first college season season. Jon Jutzi, Bryce Gervais and Brett Knowles each had an assist, and goaltender Stephon Williams stopped 26 of 28 shots, including 12 of 13 in the second period and six on the penalty kill, for his 14th win of the season.

Deep thought: Two of MSU's goals went to video review and were confirmed as goals. After what happened against Wisconsin and Minnesota, the Mavericks had to hope their replay luck would change. It did, however, each review seemed to take three minutes or more. Is there not a time limit to making a decision? Hayes said his goal did go in off his skates as he stopped behind the goalie, but he didn't kick in the puck.

Read my Free Press game story here and the Duluth News-Tribune account here.

Around the WCHA: Alaska Anchorage 5, Michigan Tech 4 ... North Dakota 2, Nebraska Omaha 1 ... Bemidji State 2, Wisconsin 2 (OT) ... Minnesota 4, St. Cloud State 2 ... Colorado College 1, Denver 1 (OT)

WCHA standings
1. St. Cloud State (29 points)

2. Nebraska Omaha (26)

    Minnesota (26)

    North Dakota (26)

5. Denver (25)

6. Minnesota State (23)

    Wisconsin (23)

8. Minnesota Duluth (19)

9. Colorado College (18)

10. Michigan Tech (14)

11. Bemidji State (13)

12. Alaska Anchorage (10)

MSU at Minnesota Duluth — Game 1 live blog

Lines are posted below the live chat ...



MINNESOTA STATE
21-Grant   18-Leitner   22-McInnis
26-Margonari   23-Blueger   25-Hayes
24-Knowles   12-LaFonatine   8-Gaede
9-Geravis   29-Zuck   19-Lehrke

16-Elbrecht   27-Stern
7-Palmquist   4-Buchanan
2-Nelson   28-Jutzi

35-Williams
30-Cook

Scratches: Burkemper, Herndon*, Karembelas, Knoll, Mosey*, Thauwald

* = on trip

MINNESOTA DULUTH
25-J.Crandall   21-Herbert   17-Seidel
11-Farley   13-Cameranesi   18-Basaraba
24-Sampair   15-Hendrickson   26-Krause  
10-DeLisle   20-Danberg   23-Young

8-Olson   7-Welinski
16-Smith   5-Casto
6-Johnson   28-Bergman

36-McNeely
31-A.Crandall
30-Fons

Referees: Scott Bokal, Timm Walsh. Linesmen: Sterling Egan, Brandon Polich