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Minnesota State University, Mankato
Minnesota State University, Mankato

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Page address: https://web.mnsu.edu/sports/bluelineclub/news/html/fp_col_31505.html

MSU's highlights were heavy on Backes and Carter

By Shane Frederick
Free Press

The Minnesota State men's hockey season ended Saturday night at Mariucci Arena with a 5-3 loss to Minnesota in the first round of the WCHA playoffs.

The Mavericks were a much-improved team from a year ago - better defense, better goaltending, better team chemistry and just plain better to watch.

But they only increased their win total by three in one of the most competitive WCHA seasons in Minnesota State's six as a member of the conference.

Looking back on the season, here are a few awards that need to be doled out before the team heads out on spring break:

Most Valuable Maverick: With an assist Saturday, David Backes became the Mavericks' fourth 40-point scorer in three seasons. A sophomore, he has never missed a game in his college career and is the one player every opposing coach is concerned with when preparing for MSU. Former Minnesota coach Doug Woog, a Gophers TV analyst, put Backes on his All-WCHA first team and former Wisconsin coach Jeff Sauer was heard calling Backes the best forward in the league. A great student and a class act, Backes should be the Mavericks' captain next season.

Rookie of the Year: Ryan Carter made a huge splash, scoring 15 goals, second behind Backes. Expected to come in as a grinding, defensive forward, Carter made an impact all over the ice - offense, defense, power play and penalty kill. When Carter signed with Minnesota State, coach Troy Jutting compared him to B.J. Abel. Big skates to fill, but after one season, Carter hasn't disappointed.

Most Improved Maverick: Chris Clark came into his sophomore season 30 pounds lighter and determined to compete for the No. 1 goaltending job. Although none of the goalies ever won the job outright, Clark earned a spot in the regular rotation, starting 15 games. The San Mateo, Calif., native's save percentage improved from .819 in seven games last year to .897 and his goals-against decreased from 6.31 to 3.42. His 16 saves in the first period Saturday gave the Mavericks a shot at an upset of the Gophers.

Best Win: On Feb. 25, the Mavericks upset then-No. 1-ranked Denver 8-5, getting a hat trick from Carter and two goals from Backes. It was part of a strong regular-season finish for the Mavericks.

Worst Loss: Six days before the Denver win, MSU hosted St. Cloud State and had a chance to bury the Huskies in last place, only to fall 3-2. In the end, that loss prevented a seventh-place finish and, perhaps, a better matchup in the WCHA playoffs.

Best Goal (home): On Dec. 10 at the Civic Center, 72 seconds into overtime, Backes gave MSU a 4-3 win over then-No. 2-ranked Wisconsin. The puck bounced to Backes' stick in the neutral zone and he charged over the blue line. Seeing the defenseman slip. Backes bore down on Bernd Bruckler and shot the puck over the goalie's shoulder.

Best Goal (road): On Jan. 8 in Grand Forks, N.D., Backes prevented overtime by scoring with less than 3 seconds left in regulation to give MSU a 4-3 win over North Dakota. Brock Becker made the play, carrying the puck up from the goal line and sucking the Sioux defense toward him before passing a laser to a wide-open Backes at the left post. The win snapped a six-game losing streak.

MSU Nemesis: Minnesota. The Mavericks went 0-6-0 against the Gophers. That's nearly one-third of their losses. They were outscored 35-16, playing in three blow-outs and three close games. Next season, the teams will meet just once - early in the season in Minneapolis. "Then we'll be done with them," Jutting said. "Unless we play them again in the playoffs."

Shane Frederick is a Free Press staff writer. Call him at 344-6373 or e-mail sfrederick@mankatofreepress.com.

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