With Gophers on Horizon, Men's Hockey Ties UNO

After non-conference tie and weekend off, Mavericks may have healthy team on the ice for first time this season

by Dan Myers
Issue date: 11/28/06 Section: Mens Sports

For a good portion of Minnesota State's men's hockey match-up against Nebraska-Omaha, MSU found themselves trailing by two goals, meandering their way through the first half of yet another non-conference game. The team was coming off a disheartening sweep at Colorado College and was looking forward to a long Thanksgiving holiday to lick its wounds and prepare for this week's match-up against No. 1 Minnesota.

Trailing 3-1 with just over five minutes to go in the second period, Mick Berge scored his team leading seventh goal to make it 3-2.

Berge's hold on the goal scoring lead lasted only a minute, however, as Travis Morin scored his seventh just 1:01 later to tie the gaame at three.

"We came out flat and did not play very hard," said Mavericks head coach Troy Jutting. "But we got better."

Better enough for the MSU to take a 4-3 lead five and a half minutes into the third on a goal by Kael Mouillierat. But the seesaw battle wasn't over as Scott Parse - a Hobey Baker Award finalist last season - tied the game for UNO four minutes later. The goal was one of two even strength tallies for Omaha on the night, who also scored a pair of power play goals en route to a 2-for-5 night with the man advantage.

Perhaps more important for MSU was its injury status at the end of last Tuesday's game. Brian Kilburg played in his first game action in three weeks because of a bruised knee. Mouillierat was questionable after a wrist injury at CC put him in doubt. Still missing were blue liners Chad Brownlee and Nick Canzanello. Jutting said Brownlee was skating Wednesday and hopes the senior captain will be in the lineup Friday at Mariucci Arena.

"We miss Chad a lot," Jutting said. "Not only on the ice, but off the ice. And he was playing very well when he got injured."

His leadership role off the ice, according to Jutting, is unquestioned. On a team full of freshmen and leaders by example, Brownlee is a major leader in the young Maverick dressing room.

"We have a quiet team. Chad is not a real vocal guy, but he is doing it because he is a captain, and he understands that it is part of the job," Jutting said.

Canzanello should be in the lineup this weekend as well, and barring any injuries in practice this week, Jutting will have a full complement of Mavericks for the first time this season.

Still missing, however, is the consistent goalie play that sparked MSU's hot finish last season.

Sophomores Mike Zacharias and Dan Tormey have both struggled early this season. After recovering from a leg injury that cost him the first month of the season, Zacharias has started three games and has been the better of the two. His goals against is nearly a goal lower than Tormey's and his save percentage is .887, compared to Tormey's .850.

But that doesn't mean Jutting has made up his mind in regards to this weekend.

"I will be watching those two very closely this week," Jutting said. "That won't be a decision I make until Thursday or Friday."

Friday's game at Minnesota will face-off at 7:07 p.m. from Mariucci Arena. Both teams will then travel to Mankato for Saturday's series finale at Midwest Wireless Civic Center, which also gets underway shortly after seven.

Dan Myers is the Reporter Sports Editor