Mavericks tie Team USA

Enticing exhibition

By Shane Frederick
Free Press Staff Writer

MANKATO — It was a chance to see the future of college hockey

But Minnesota State's exhibition game against the U.S. Under-18 National Team Sunday also gave the Mavericks an opportunity to find out a few things about their immediate future.

Namely the health of Brock Becker's left foot.

Becker played for the first time since Jan. 14 and scored two goals, including the game-tying goal with 51?2 minutes to play in the third period. The game ended in a 5-5 stalemate before an announced crowd 2,257 at Midwest Wireless Civic Center.

"Every day it gets better," said Becker, who returned to practice a week ago. "Friday and Saturday, it was tough to watch. But when I got the call for Sunday, I barely slept last night."

Although it was an exhibition, it was against a team loaded with top Division I prospects.

Fifteen of the players are already committed to some of the nation's elite college programs. So far, four are bound for Minnesota and three will attend Michigan.

Arguably the best of the bunch, center Phil Kessel, who scored one goal Sunday, has yet to pick a school.

"They've got some great players," Becker said. "No one player stood out, but every player would be able to play in our league. ... They didn't play like 17-year-olds with men. They played like men."

Team USA has played 17 games against Division I teams this season, winning seven of them, including a 4-3 victory over Michigan State on Jan. 28. On Saturday, the Nationals lost to Minnesota 7-5.

Minnesota State coach Troy Jutting opted to rest David Backes and Kyle Peto. With Travis Morin recuperating from a stomach virus, the Mavericks' top three scorers were in street clothes.

With the lineup changes, MSU got to see a little of its future, too.

Freshman forward Joel Hanson scored a shorthanded goal and had an assist, and rookie defenseman Mark Hinz assisted on two power play goals.

Seniors Adam Gerlach and Brad Thompson had the other MSU goals.

"I was pleased," Jutting said. "(Team USA) is a very, very good team, very skilled. And this was our third game in 21?2 days."

The Mavericks led 3-2 after Hanson scored at 1:11 of the second period. But Team USA scored three goals, including two by Luke Popko, in a five-minute span to go ahead 5-3.

Thompson cut the deficit to one, deflecting in a Ryan Carter shot during a power play at 16:53 of the middle period.

Becker scored the tying goal at 14:30 of the third, chasing down a loose puck, turning it into a mini-breakaway and beating goalie Joe Palmer, who turned 17 Saturday, between the legs.

"Brock looked good," Jutting said. "He showed what we've been missing the last five weeks."

The Mavericks outshot Team USA 46-36.

Goaltender Kyle Nixon, making his first start since Oct. 29, made 31 saves, including four in overtime.

The Mavericks will return to Western Collegiate Hockey Association play Friday when they host Denver at the Civic Center.

Becker said he was glad to get in a warmup game before the Mavericks' final WCHA games of the season.

"It's a game of the mind," Becker said. "It allowed me to get my mind and my body ready."

Minnesota State 2-2-1-0-5

Team USA 2-3-0-0-5

First Period

Scoring

1. MSU-Becker (Hinz, Hanson) ppg 16:14
2. USA-Kessel (Mueller, Gentile) 17:07
3. MSU-Gerlach (unassisted) shg 18:30
4. USA-Lawson (Gerbe, Stoa) ppg 19:45

Penalties

• Linder, MSU (cross-checking) 1:26
• J. Johnson, USA (roughing) 2:23
• Kessel, USA (slashing) 8:23
• McCormick, MSU (slashing) 13:33
• Gentile, USA (cross-checking) 15:56
• Johns, MSU (holding) 18:21
• Carter, MSU (interference) 19:15

Second Period

Scoring

5. MSU-Hanson, MSU (unassisted) shg 1:11
6. USA-Popko (Mercier, Fraser) 6:40
7. USA-Stoa (Lawson, Mueller) 9:05
8. USA-Popko (unassisted) shg 11:36
9. MSU-Thompson (Carter, Hinz) ppg 16:53

Penalties

• J. Johnson, USA (interference) 3:09
• Sweatt, USA (cross-checking) 7:43
• Sutter, MSU (slashing) 7:43
• E. Johnson, USA (high sticking) 10:09
• Mueller, USA (holding) 12:44
• Hinz, MSU (tripping) 13:27
• Brownlee, MSU (roughing) 14:17
• Stoa, USA (interference) 15:09
• Gerbe, USA (cross-checking) 18:36

Third Period

Scoring

10. MSU-Becker (unassisted) 14:30

Penalties

• Wagner, MSU (roughing) 5:49
• Fraser, USA (cross-checking) 10:59
• Mitera, USA (hooking) 16:55
• Fraser, USA (cross-checking) 20:00

Overtime

Scoring

• None

Penalties

• Thompson, MSU (obstruction-hooking) 1:12
• J. Johnson, USA (roughing) 5:00

Summaries

Shots on goal

• USA 12-13-7-4-36
• MSU 19-15-10-2-46

Penalties

• USA 13 for 26 minutes
• MSU 9 for 18 minutes

Power-play opportunities

• USA 1 for 7
• MSU 2 for 11

Goalie saves

• USA-Palmer 17-13-9-2-41
• MSU-Nixon 10-10-7-4-31

Attendance

• 2,257