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Minnesota State University, Mankato
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Page address: https://web.mnsu.edu/sports/bluelineclub/news/html/lucky_puckers.html

Lucky Puckers

MSU men's hockey struggles to capitalize as the fortunate UMD Bulldogs earn three points

by Brad Wheeler
December 06, 2005

The Mavericks hockey team might have dinging sounds going off in their heads after this weekend’s series against the Bulldogs from Minnesota-Duluth. That dinging sound is the puck almost going into the net and then hitting the crossbar or one of two goal posts.

Minnesota State didn’t have any puck-luck Friday when they lost to UMD in overtime. As the third period wore down and the two teams were tied, MSU had many chances to take the lead and earn a victory.

“I thought the last 10 minutes of the game, we played great,” MSU head coach Troy Jutting said. “But, we had four or five great chances and we couldn’t score. That will usually come back to get you.”

One of those chances was David Backes’ when he fanned on a back-door attempt from winger Jeff Marler. The next was when Austin Sutter found himself with a chance and hit the post. As Ryan Carter went for a hat trick, he looked like he found it — but his shot bounced off the crossbar. Even with 4.2 seconds left in regulation, Backes passed the puck to the front of the net and a Maverick tipped it — almost winning the game as regulation ended.

The teams went to overtime and UMD found a little luck themselves. When a Bulldog defenseman tried to get a shot on net, it was blocked by Carter. Unfortunately for MSU, it fell right into the lap of Matt McKnight who tapped the puck as it went off the post and redirected it into the MSU net. McKnight had a goal and two assists as UMD won in overtime 4-3.

“It just hit my stick,” McKnight said. “I was in the right place at the right time. I can’t say I planned it. I just got lucky.”

MSU had the lead early in the game when they found themselves on a five-on-three power play and Travis Morin scored 3:22 into the game. UMD tied it in the first and dominated the second period, outshooting MSU 19 to 9 and scoring two goals.

“Unfortunately, we made a mistake in the first period and they took advantage of it,” Jutting said. “And we didn’t have a great second period either.”

Sophomore Ryan Carter did have two goals for MSU but it wasn’t enough Friday night. The next night MSU came out buzzing. After the first 6:00 of play, MSU led the shots 8-1. But again, missed opportunities came back to hurt the Mavericks as they tied UMD 2-2.

“If we scored when we should have in the first period, then the game would be a lot different,” Jutting said. “But instead we gave them life.”

MSU forward Rob Rankin found himself all alone with the goalie and deked him. Rankin actually beat the goalie through the legs but the puck managed to go wide anyway. Defenseman Brian Kilburg hit the post with shots from the point twice in the first 10 minutes.

Despite all those chances, it was UMD who led 1-0 after the first period when the Bulldogs scored with 24.3 seconds left on the clock.

In the second period MSU got a beautiful goal from Brock Becker on the power play. Backes found Becker on the back door and Becker beat the goaltender. Finally, in the third period, MSU got some of that puck-luck back when Jon Kalinski tried for a wrap-around goal and was denied only to have the puck trickle over the goalie’s shoulder and bounce across the goal-line.

But halfway through the period, UMD tied the game 2-2 when McKnight got his second goal of the weekend. With 43 seconds left in overtime, MSU went on the power play but didn’t have the time to set anything up before the game ended.

“I told them to run our regular power play,” Jutting said. “But when you only have that much time you try to force things.”

MSU picked up one point in a series where they needed more. The Mavericks will have to bounce back Tuesday at home against Notre Dame in a nonconference game.

“You look at last night and we probably should have won that game and then we tied tonight and you realize it could have been a three-point weekend,” Jutting said. “But we don’t have time to start feeling sorry for ourselves.”

 

Brad Wheeler is a Reporter staff writer

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