Mavericks 4, Seawolves 0

Pat Christman/The Free Press

Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...

1. Outcome in doubt: For nearly two periods, the Mavericks could not solve UAA goaltender Olivier Mantha. The freshman, who just might be handed the title of the WCHA's best rookie goalie (one held by MSU's Cole Huggins and Stephon Williams the last two seasons), stopped 49 of 53 shots and kept the Mavericks off the board until 4:55 remained in the second period. He stopped 20 shots in the first period. That goal was a greasy put-back by Teddy Blueger after a Brad McClure steal and shot. "The way the first goal was scored was the way I thought they'd have to be scored," MSU coach Mike Hastings said.

2. Closing time: Blueger's goal gave the Mavericks a slim 1-0 lead to start the third period. But they hardly gave the Seawolves a sniff the rest of the way, outshooting UAA 17-2 in the third period (33-5 in the second and third combined) and building up their lead with power-play goals by Bryce Gervais and Zach Palmquist and a 4-on-4 tally by Zach Stepan. Gervais now has 20 goals; he's the fourth player in Hastings' three seasons to score 20. The others were Johnny McInnis (21) and Jean-Paul Lafontaine (20) last year and Eriah Hayes (20) two years ago. With the pace Gervais is on, it seems like matching Shane Joseph's D1-era high of 29 is a possibility.

3. Packing them in: Really nice crowd of 4,870, just shy of a sellout, I'm told. Hastings applauded them as he left the rink after the game and raved about the full arena during postgame. Good night for autograph night (and thanks to Williams for taking a couple minutes to talk before going out to sign). If my late-night math is correct, the Mavericks are averaging 3,857 per game this season with two hugely anticipated games against Michigan Tech coming in three weeks. That average is the best at the Verizon Wireless Center since MSU had 3,880 per game in 2009-10. The all-time best was 4,552 in '08-09.

Read my game story, which features a quiet but well-deserved shutout by Williams, here.

Around the WCHA: Michigan Tech 2, Bemidji State 1 ... Bowling Green 3, Ferris State 2 ... Minnesota Duluth 6, Northern Michigan 3 ... Lake Superior at Alaska (late)

MSU vs. Alaska Anchorage — Game 2 live blog

Follow the action or join the conversation during tonight's game between the Mavericks and the Seawolves. Click the blog post title above or go here for more.

Mavericks 5, Seawolves 2

Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...

1. Alive for five: For the third time in three games, all home games, Minnesota State has scored five goals. They're second in the nation in scoring average with 3.79 per game. Only Michigan (4.22) has scored more. Five different players scored goals, and, as I point out in my gamer (link below), nine different players have accounted for the last 15 goals. Bryce Gervais, who had the first goal on Friday, has four in that span and 19 for the season. Matt Leitner, Michael Huntebrinker and Brett Knowles each have two of those. The most impressive goal against the Seawolves might have been defenseman Casey Nelson's cannon shot from the right point, a one-timer of a Brad McClure pass, that gave MSU a 3-1 lead early in the second period.

2. Special teams play: Each team scored a pair of power-play goals, with MSU finishing 2 for 4 and UAA going 2 for 6. Each team also had some 5x3 time to work with. Mavericks coach Mike Hastings admitted that he was a little nervous when his team didn't take advantage of the situation and extend a 3-1 lead to 4-1 early in the second period. That kept a Seawolves team desperate for league points hanging around. Later in the second, MSU had to kill off a minute of its own two-man disadvantage and did so successfully. Anchorage put 10 of its 25 shots on goalie Stephon Williams when it was on the power play.

3. Holding their own: The Mavericks' win kept them four points ahead of Michigan Tech atop the league standings. Tech won again on Friday, beating Bemidji State at home. There's no shaking the Huskies, it seems, and all signs still point to quite the showdown later this month. Each team has three games between now and then, of course, including Saturday night. The fans aren't waiting, though, as 3,955 came out to see Friday's game. And why not? With this team averaging 4.38 goals per game at home, it's giving folks in Mankato quite a show.

Deep thought: Made these quick tonight so I can get to the annual media game (wish me luck).

Read my Free Press gamer here.

Around the WCHA: Bowling Green 2, Ferris State 1 ... Michigan Tech 3, Bemidji State 1 ... Minnesota Duluth 3, Northern Michigan 1 ... Alaska 3, Lake Superior State 1

MSU vs. Alaska Anchorage, Game 1 live blog

To join the conversation during tonight's Minnesota State-Alaska Anchorage game, click the blog post title above or go here.

Friday Morning Skate

For the first time in its D1 history, Minnesota State will play homes games as the nation's No. 1 team (MSU was ranked third last week and No. 1 for a pair of road series before that). The Mavericks will take on Alaska Anchorage, and both teams believe there are important points on the line.

For MSU, it is trying to stay atop the WCHA standings with a four-point cushion over Michigan Tech. For UAA, it is trying to get out of the league basement and to a spot where it can secure a spot in the conference playoffs (this year, with Alaska Fairbanks' NCAA sanctions, the league's last-place team is out of the postseason).

For more on what's at stake this weekend, including an injury update, read the Freep's College Hockey Gameday here.

Minnesota State's depth has been well-documented this season, but that depth goes beyond scoring. There has been a lot of praise for the "leadership group," a collection of players, Mike Hastings said, that goes beyond one player and goes beyond just the players "with the badges."

One of those players with a letter on his sweater is Chase Grant. The Oklahoma City native likely wouldn't be in his current position if not for the happy accident of a certain person living in his family's neighborhood 20 years ago.

A player who is not officially a captain continues to lead the way on the scoring charts. Check out my column in praise of Matt Leitner, who recorded his 150th career point last weekend.

Going around the WCHA ...

Ferris State at Bowling Green: Two teams that know each other well are trying to get back on track a bit when they meet for the first of four games against each other. The Bulldogs have lost four in a row to Minnesota State and eight of their last 10, while the Falcons have won just two of their last seven.

Bemidji State at Michigan Tech: It's Winter Carnival weekend in Houghton. Always a fun time. And this should be a fun series with the fifth-ranked Huskies hosting the red-hot Beavers, who have four straight non-losses against top-10 teams.

Lake Superior State at Alaska: I keep calling the postseason-ineligible Nanooks the most dangerous team in the WCHA, a talented team that could play spoiler down the stretch. But Alaska is in a six-game winless streak that includes four-straight losses. Could the Lakers cure what ails them?

Northern Michigan at Minnesota Duluth: This is the final nonconference series of the weekend for the WCHA, and it's a tough one for the Wildcats, who have to play the nation's seventh-ranked team. Northern Michigan is, however, coming off its first series sweep since mid-October.

Read Jack Hittinger's and my USCHO column on the WCHA and compare your weekend predictions to ours.

Palmquist gets league honor

Mavericks senior defenseman Zach Palmquist was named the WCHA's defensive player of the week for his play in MSU's swep over Ferris State over the weekend. Palmquist had three assists and was +1 in the 5-1 victories.

The Minnesota State women's team, meanwhile, won its first WCHA game of the season on Monday, beating St. Cloud State 5-1. Nicole Schammel had a hat trick and an assist and was named the women's league's rookie of the week.

Back on top

Minnesota State men’s returned to the top of the U.S. College Hockey Online rankings on Monday, following its weekend sweep of Ferris State.

It’s the third time in four weeks that the Mavericks are ranked No. 1.

Minnesota State (21-5-1, 17-2-1 in WCHA), which was ranked third in the country last week, has won seven of its last eight games and is unbeaten in 11 of its last 12.

North Dakota slipped from No. 1 to No. 2, and the top five was rounded out with Boston University, Nebraska Omaha and Michigan Tech. Here are the rankings:

1. Minnesota State (20 first-place votes)

2. North Dakota (14)

3. Boston University (16)

4. Nebraska Omaha

5. Michigan Tech

6. Harvard

7. Minnesota Duluth

8. T-Bowling Green

8. T-Miami

10. Denver

11. Boston College

12. UMass-Lowell

13. Providence

14. Michigan

15. Yale

16. Quinnipiac

17. Vermont

18. Merrimack

19. Robert Morris

20. Colgate

Others receiving votes: Penn State, St. Lawrence, Minnesota, Dartmouth, Bemidji State, St. Cloud State, Western Michigan, Canisius.

Michigan Tech and Bowling Green are the other WCHA teams in the rankings. Bemidji State also received votes.

The Mavericks will host a WCHA series against Alaska Anchorage on Friday and Saturday.