Ascending The Ranks

MSU women's hockey catapults to No. 10 after earning three points at Ohio State

by Dan Myers
November 01, 2005

Maverick forward Felicia Nelson wasn’t sure if she would play in last weekend’s women’s hockey WCHA match-up with the No. 9 Ohio State Buckeyes. But after a four-goal weekend where Nelson also added an assist, the Buckeyes knew the freshman sensation had not only played, but was the vital cog in MSU’s first-ever three-point weekend against OSU.

Nelson had been questionable all week after an injury she sustained two weeks ago against North Dakota. After playing a solid first few shifts, Nelson hit the ice with a dislocated kneecap. The tendons that keep her kneecap in place had been torn and there was also cartilage damage. The injury is still painful for Nelson, who said her kneecap actually moves while she plays.

“I was just hoping to get some playing time,” Nelson said. “I had no idea that I would have scored four goals or anything. But I’m happy it happened.”

The Mavericks were led Friday night by Nelson, who scored both MSU goals en route to a 2-2 tie. Both teams went without a goal through the first period, and Nelson’s second period tally was sandwiched between a pair of Hayley Klassen goals for Ohio State, who led 2-1 after two. But it was Nelson’s third period goal — with under a minute left and an empty Maverick net — which gave MSU the tie and the momentum heading into Saturday’s Game 2.

“Our players weren’t satisfied with a tie that first night, because even though we had to score that late goal to tie it, they knew that we dominated throughout the third period and overtime,” said MSU head coach Jeff Vizenor. “They knew that we could play better, and we did on Saturday.”

Nelson netted a pair of goals on Saturday as well, but this time was aided by three other teammates with the goal scoring load, as MSU blew past Ohio State 6-2.

The Mavericks led most of the way and jumped to an early 1-0 lead on a goal by junior Alycia Wilson, her first of the season. OSU tied the game six minutes later, but the Mavericks took the lead right back. Less than a minute after the Buckeyes’ equalizer, Maggie Fisher tallied her sixth goal of the season.

Nelson pounded in the game-winner at 13:25 of the second period, giving the Mavs a 3-1 advantage. OSU’s Amber Bowman — who also scored the first OSU goal of the game — ripped home her second of the contest at 16:22. But that was as close as Ohio State would get.

Sophomore Brittany Mackley scored her first goal of the season at 6:28 of the final frame. Fisher added a power-play goal with under nine minutes to play before Nelson wrapped up the scoring just 31 seconds later. Overall, the Mavericks went 2-15 on the power-play for the weekend, an improvement considering MSU’s four-percent conversion rate entering the weekend.

“(Nelson) worked really hard and did what she had to do,” Fisher said, who along with Nelson and fellow South St. Paul-alum Amanda Stohr formed an all SSP line that was vital to the six-goal explosion on Saturday. “She is an awesome player.”

The Mavericks again were backstopped by the goalie rotation of junior Laura Brennan and sophomore Brit Kehler. Brennan started Friday and stopped 24 shots. Kehler improved to 4-1-0 on Saturday by halting 24 shots of her own.

With their success in Columbus, Minnesota State (4-2-1 overall, 3-1-1 WCHA) debuted for the first time this season in the national rankings. The No. 10 Mavericks will travel to Bemidji this weekend looking to improve on their third place standing in the WCHA and win a pair of conference games on the road for the first time since last November, when MSU beat the Beavers 5-3 and 4-2 at John Glas Fieldhouse in Bemidji, site of Friday and Saturday’s match-ups. Face-off for game one is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. with the series wrapping up with a matinee affair on Saturday at 2:05 p.m.