Macy, Fisher Lead Mavericks In Split at Wayne State

by Dan Myers
Issue date: 11/14/06 Section: Womens Sports

The Minnesota State women's hockey team went to Detroit this weekend with one goal in mind: come home with a pair of wins against Wayne State. The goal looked more than attainable after a 6-1 win Friday night at City Sports Ice Arena. But the Warriors fought back in a big way using a flurry of goals late in the first period to gain the split.

Wayne State was the better team in the first period both nights, but the key to the series was goaltending. Junior Britni Kehler started Friday and stopped all 13 shots put on net in the opening 20 minutes. In Game 2, the Warriors had 15 shots on goal in the first, getting to Maverick freshman net minder Katerina Geertsen three times in the process. The start was Geertsen's first as a collegian, and the Rock Rapids, Alta. Native stood tall until a goal at 16:09 opened the floodgates for WSU. Fifty one seconds later, it was 2-0, and just a minute and a half later, the Warriors had staked themselves a 3-0 advantage.

"I think we came out on Saturday taking them too lightly," Kehler said. "We were not prepared."

After Wayne State took a 4-0 lead just over four minutes into the second period, the Mavericks were finally able to get on the board at 6:42. But it took just seven seconds to end Geertsen's afternoon, and any hopes of a Maverick comeback.

"I'm almost 100 percent sure it was nerves," said MSU head coach Jeff Vizenor. "It was a tough situation for her, them scoring the first goal and getting a fluky second goal. I think it just got tighter and tighter for her."

With Kehler in the game, WSU extended their lead to 6-1 just over nine minutes into the second frame. But the Mavericks persisted.

Their work paid off when Lindsay Macy scored a pair of pretty goals on consecutive shifts to once again narrow the Warrior lead to three. The goals put the Mavericks back in the game and gave them the shot in the arm needed to continue any hopes of a comeback.

"I honestly believed we were going to win the game," Vizenor said. "The way we were playing and the momentum we had after those two goals ... I kept saying we were gonna win the game. But give Wayne State credit, they slowed the game down so we couldn't gain any more momentum."

Wayne State added a seventh goal at 16:32 of the second, ending the scoring.

The loss was especially disappointing for the Mavericks considering their performance Friday. Maggie Fisher scored a pair of goals in the 6-1 win. She got help from Macy and freshman Christina Lee, who each added a goal. Senior defenseman Sammy Miller had a goal and an assist.

"This is a series we should have swept," Kehler said. "That was our goal going in but nobody played well enough to do that."

MSU continues its road trip this weekend when it travels to Duluth for a WCHA series at Minnesota-Duluth. Face-off is scheduled for 7:37 p.m. Friday from the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center. Saturday's game gets underway at 7:07 p.m.

UMD swept the Mavericks earlier this season at All Seasons Arena, and the Bulldogs are unbeaten in their last 12 games against the Mavericks, posting a 10-0-2 record during that span.

Dan Myers is the Reporter Sports Editor