Gerlach records hat trick in MSU win

Mavericks score six goals; complete sweep of UNO

By Shane Frederick
Free Press

MANKATO — While his teammates were holding the Spirit of the Maverick trophy, Adam Gerlach was holding his son, Joey, after Saturday's men's hockey game between Minnesota State and Nebraska-Omaha."It's going to be a great memory," said Gerlach, after his final game at Midwest Wireless Civic Center. "I got a little emotional. I didn't think I was going to get emotional."

It wasn't just that it was Gerlach's last game in Mankato. He scored his first career hat trick in Minnesota State's 6-4 victory. The senior also assisted on a goal for a six-point series to close out the regular season.

Gerlach, who, last summer, considered not returning for his final season for family reasons, said he got emotional after he scored his third goal.

"I've waited for years," he said. "I'm not a scorer. What a better time than tonight."

Gerlach's play of late has helped break the dam that was holding back MSU's offense earlier in the season. He scored twice in MSU's 6-2 win Thursday in Omaha, Neb., and now has a career-high 21 points on the year.

Minnesota State has won four of its last six games and has scored 28 goals over the final three weekends heading into the WCHA playoffs.

"Adam's very stable," coach Troy Jutting said. "He's a man. He has a wife and a son. He shows up to the rink every day as a man. And I think, more than anyone, he realizes the great situation that he's in."

Gerlach led a trio of goal-scoring seniors Saturday.

Jake Brenk scored the game-winning goal at 2:51 of the third period, and captain Brad Thompson added to his career-high with his 11th goal of the season.

Sophomore David Backes also scored for MSU, and junior Jeff Marler had three assists. Sophomore goaltender Chris Clark stopped 35 shots, including 30 in the first two periods.

Nebraska-Omaha led 4-3 going into the third period. But Gerlach tied the game with his second goal just 56 seconds into the final frame and Brenk put MSU ahead when he skated the puck around the zone, turned and fired past goalie Chris Holt at 2:51.

"We're scoring goals now," Brenk said. "I don't know what's different. Something's going right, and I like it."

Gerlach completed the hat trick on a power-play goal at 13:50. Backes and Brenk assisted on the play.

It was the first time this season that MSU won a game when trailing at the start of the third period.

"Scoring the goals is the real key heading into the playoffs," Jutting said. "You can feel the confidence on the bench and in the locker room."

Minnesota State (13-17-6) finished in eighth place in the WCHA and will travel to third-place Minnesota Friday for the first game of the best-of-three first round of the conference tournament.

"I feel like our team has always had scoring power, and now we're getting some goals," Gerlach said.

With the win, Minnesota State won the Spirit of the Maverick traveling trophy for the third year in a row. MSU has not lost to Nebraska-Omaha since the 2001-02 season, going 6-0-1 since then.

Nebraska-Omaha 1-3-0-4

Minnesota State 1-2-3-6

First Period

Scoring

1. UNO-Nikiforuk 12 (Parse 29, Thomas 24) 8:49
2. MSU-Gerlach 8 (Marler 9, Johns 13) ppg 18:30

Penalties

• Lefley, UNO (tripping) 1:58
• Brownlee, MSU (tripping) 9:55
• Clark, MSU (roughing) 10:58
• Lefley, UNO (slashing the goaltender) 17:17
• Peto, MSU (obstruction-holding) 19:07

Second Period

Scoring

3. UNO-Sanford 1 (unassisted) ppg 2:23
4. MSU-Backes 17 (Morin 17, Clark 1) ppg 4:36
5. MSU-Thompson 11 (Gerlach 11, Marler 10) 6:53
6. UNO-Thomas 1 (Bagron 3) 7:32
7. UNO-Hacker 13 (Sanford 6, Phillips 11) 19:27

Penalties

• Thompson, MSU (hooking) 19:30
• Sanford, UNO (hooking) 2:58
• Toll, MSU (tripping) 17:50

Third Period

Scoring

8. MSU-Gerlach 9 (Wagner 9, Marler 11) :56
9. MSU-Brenk 5 (McKelvie 6, Toll 1) 2:51
10. MSU-Gerlach 10 (Backes 22, Brenk 11) ppg 13:50

Penalties

• Thomas, UNO (charging the goaltender) 12:54
• Davis, UNO (roughing) 18:35
• Marler, MSU (roughing) 18:35

Summaries

Shots on goal

• UNO 19-16-5-40
• MSU 11-11-15-37

Penalties

• UNO 5 for 10 minutes
• MSU 6 for 12 minutes

Power-play opportunities

• UNO 2 for 5
• MSU 3 for 4

Goalie saves

• UNO-Holt 10-9-12-31
• MSU-Volp 1-x-x-1, Clark 17-13-5-35
  Clark replaced Volp at 1:00 of first period

Attendance

• 3,318

Referee

• Brad Albers

Assistant referees

• Tony Lancette
• Craig Martin