University of St. Thomas Athletics
No. 6-ranked Mavericks erupt in third frame, blitz Men's Hockey
11/4/2022 9:54:00 PM | Men's Hockey
Mendota Heights, Minn. - No. 6-ranked Minnesota State erupted for five goals in a 9:57 span of period three to claim a 7-2 win over Tommie Men's Hockey in CCHA play Friday night at Saint Thomas Ice Arena.
The Mavericks (6-3 overall, 3-0 CCHA), last season's NCAA runners-up, used goals from five different players and had a 37-16 advantage in shots on goal, including a 12-3 edge in period three.
MSU led 2-0 with two goals in the game's opening eight minutes.
St. Thomas (2-7, 1-2) answered with Cooper Gay's first collegiate goal -- a short-handed tally -- midway through period one. The game stayed at 2-1 until Gay scored again with 6:01 left in period two for a 2-2 tie.
But Minnesota State quieted the sellout crowd as it found the back of the net over and over in the opening stretch of the third period. With 11:30 to go, MSU had pushed its lead to 6-2. The Mavs converted two power-play goals and one 5-on-5 situation in its five-goal third-frame output.
Tommie freshman Aaron Trotter had 27 saves and played better than the stat sheet would suggest. He made several slick saves in the opening 40 minutes to keep the Purple in the thick of the contest.
Quoting Coach Rico Blasi:
"(The Mavericks) are a top-ranked team for a reason. They deserve all the credit for how they finish games. That's the confidence and the winning culture that (Coach Mike Hastings) has created there. They made us pay for our mistakes there in the third period. You can't take dumb penalties (like we did), but you can't take penalties against them any time, and certainly when you are trying to get back into the game.
"We'll dissect the game tonight, but I was happy with our effort, especially in the first two periods for sure. We got a little but out of sorts. Give them all the credit, that's why they are in first place.
"(Cooper Gay) is just another young guy stepping up, and that bodes well for our future. I thought we had a great chance when it was 2-2 to make it 3-2, but their goaltender came up and made a huge save (on our shot). But give full credit to Mankato, they are a great team."
Next Up
These teams close out the weekend series Saturday night in Mankato with a 6:07 p.m. puck drop.
Did You Know?
Gay was playing in just his fourth college game and joined a short list of Toms to record a two-goal game.
The Toms had their third sellout crowd of the season, with 961 as the announced crowd. That's a program record in the 20-year run at the STA rink to have multiple sellout games.
The Mavs are 7-0 vs. the Tommies in the last two seasons, outscoring St. Thomas 44-8 in those games. That includes a 19-1 advantage in third-period scoring.
Lucas Wahlin was held off the scoring sheet Friday to end a six-game streak with at least one point.
The Mavericks (6-3 overall, 3-0 CCHA), last season's NCAA runners-up, used goals from five different players and had a 37-16 advantage in shots on goal, including a 12-3 edge in period three.
MSU led 2-0 with two goals in the game's opening eight minutes.
St. Thomas (2-7, 1-2) answered with Cooper Gay's first collegiate goal -- a short-handed tally -- midway through period one. The game stayed at 2-1 until Gay scored again with 6:01 left in period two for a 2-2 tie.
But Minnesota State quieted the sellout crowd as it found the back of the net over and over in the opening stretch of the third period. With 11:30 to go, MSU had pushed its lead to 6-2. The Mavs converted two power-play goals and one 5-on-5 situation in its five-goal third-frame output.
Tommie freshman Aaron Trotter had 27 saves and played better than the stat sheet would suggest. He made several slick saves in the opening 40 minutes to keep the Purple in the thick of the contest.
Quoting Coach Rico Blasi:
"(The Mavericks) are a top-ranked team for a reason. They deserve all the credit for how they finish games. That's the confidence and the winning culture that (Coach Mike Hastings) has created there. They made us pay for our mistakes there in the third period. You can't take dumb penalties (like we did), but you can't take penalties against them any time, and certainly when you are trying to get back into the game.
"We'll dissect the game tonight, but I was happy with our effort, especially in the first two periods for sure. We got a little but out of sorts. Give them all the credit, that's why they are in first place.
"(Cooper Gay) is just another young guy stepping up, and that bodes well for our future. I thought we had a great chance when it was 2-2 to make it 3-2, but their goaltender came up and made a huge save (on our shot). But give full credit to Mankato, they are a great team."
Next Up
These teams close out the weekend series Saturday night in Mankato with a 6:07 p.m. puck drop.
Did You Know?
Gay was playing in just his fourth college game and joined a short list of Toms to record a two-goal game.
The Toms had their third sellout crowd of the season, with 961 as the announced crowd. That's a program record in the 20-year run at the STA rink to have multiple sellout games.
The Mavs are 7-0 vs. the Tommies in the last two seasons, outscoring St. Thomas 44-8 in those games. That includes a 19-1 advantage in third-period scoring.
Lucas Wahlin was held off the scoring sheet Friday to end a six-game streak with at least one point.
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