Men's Hockey Earns Split In Home-and-Home With SCSU

Mavericks allow three power-play goals in first period Friday, but hold SCSU to 0-for-10 in win Saturday

by Dan Myers
Issue date: 10/24/06 Section: Mens Sports

At the end of the first period during Friday's men's hockey match-up between No. 16 St. Cloud State and Minnesota State, the Mavericks found themselves in a position they did not want to be in. Not only were the Mavs trailing 3-0, they had allowed three power-play goals. A Travis Morin goal just over a minute into the second period was the only sign of a rally, but the Mavericks had dug themselves too deep of a hole as the Huskies took the series opener 4-2.

Fortunately for the Mavs, they had a chance at redemption the very next night. And after they overcame a slow start to the game, MSU came out hard in the third period to earn the split, winning a 4-2 duel of their own at the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.

It was the power play, in fact, that was the key to both games. In Friday's game one, SCSU used two power-play just over a minute apart to bury MSU early.

But the story was different Saturday.

After scoring all four of its goals with the man advantage in game one, SCSU was 0-for-10 Saturday. MSU scored a pair of power-play goals each night.

"I think we really turned it around after that first period Friday," said MSU head coach Troy Jutting. "They took advantage of some small mistakes. They got one more power-play goal, but it was a scramble goal, not like the first period."

The Huskies took the momentum to their place for Saturday's rematch, and used it to gain a 1-0 advantage just 3:39 into the contest on a goal by Andrew Gordon. The early lead worried Jutting at first for a pair of reasons: He wasn't sure how his young team would respond to the pressure of falling behind in a hostile atmosphere, and perhaps most important, was the goalie on the other end of the rink, SCSU's Bobby Goepfert, is an All-American.

"It's a tough place to play, especially when they score early," Jutting said. "But I was extremely pleased with how we responded."

"Actually, with the younger team, we don't really know what to think. We just go out there and play as hard as we can," said sophomore forward Mick Berge, who scored a pair of goals Saturday. 'I don't think we ever thought we were going to lose that game."

Joel Hanson's power-play goal tied the score at one at the 13 minute mark of the second period, but as luck would have it, SCSU scored shortly thereafter on a Nate Raduns goal. Raduns left the penalty box and received a long pass from Matt Stephenson. Raduns came in on MSU goalie Dan Tormey and slipped the puck short side for the goal at 16:06.

"That goal could have broken our backs," Jutting said.

But it didn't.

Just over a minute later, Berge tied the game again, this time on MSU's fourth power-play goal of the series.

"I just tried to beat my guy and put it in the top of the net," Berge said. "Somehow it just found its way."

An aggressive start to the third period earned Matt Tyree his first goal as a Maverick just 3:59 into the final frame. Just 37 seconds later Berge struck again, this time rifling a rebound shot past Goepfert and giving the Mavericks an important insurance goal.

"To come back and win a game, on the road, in this league," Jutting said, "that's a tough thing to do. Especially with a younger team."

Dan Myers is the Reporter Sports Editor