Grand Forks, ND – Minnesota State University came
into this series as one of the hotter teams in the WCHA. Coming into the
game the Mavericks had gone an impressive 6-3-1 in their last ten
games.
While they started the season with a dismal 3-13 record and are currently the 11th
-placed
team in the WCHA standings. But the Mavericks aren’t as bad as their
record shows as the start of their season was decimated by a rash of
injuries. Those players have returned and the Mavericks have improved as
the season has gone along, going 9-8-1 in their last 18 games.
The North Dakota Fighting Sioux have been hot themselves 6-3-1 in the
last 10 games, making tonight’s game a contest of two in-form teams.
The Mavericks are led offensively by a pair of prolific freshman
players in Jean-Paul Lafontaine (Oxford, MI) and Matt Leitner (Los
Alamities, CA). This dynamic duo lead the team in points, but tonight
the duo would be held to just a single point.
The Mavericks came out of the gates fast and were on the scoreboard
early, with Leitner scoring the first goal at the 01:37 mark of the
first period.
The early marker against didn’t rattle the Fighting Sioux.
As the season has progressed, this year’s Fighting Sioux hockey team
have become accustomed to giving up the first goal of the game. If
anything it’s been a recurring theme.
The Fighting Sioux have given up the first goal in 20 out of 33 games
that they have played this season. But by the same token, the Fighting
Sioux have a record of 8-3-2 at Ralph Englestad Arena when giving up the
first goal of the game.
“It’s not the first time that we have given up the first goal in the
first five minutes or so of the game,” UND forward Michael Parks said.
“A couple months ago we wouldn’t have responded the way we did tonight,
but we have matured quite a bit as a group, and we came out and
responded really well to giving that first one early.”
After the Maverick’s first goal, the Fighting Sioux would score three
unanswered goals of their own, and would not surrender the lead the
rest of the game.
The second period was a little less dramatic than the first period as
both teams had some good chances and the Mavericks appeared to have
more jump in their step. Both goalies played well and gave neither team
anything.
The Mavericks would outshoot the Fighting Sioux 9-7 in the second
period and would get many great chances that were repelled by Fighting
Sioux junior goalie Aaron Dell. With the win tonight, Dell was able to
record his 44th
win of his career tying him for 10
th all-time at UND.
“He [Dell] played great,” junior forward Danny Kristo said of his
goalie’s performance. “He made three or four saves that could have been
goals.
“Awesome for him. He has been sick and battling injuries for the last
two weeks, so he came in to night and played good. Everyone is happy
for him.”
The third period was more action packed, as both teams were able to
light the lamp and give the home team fans something to cheer about and
the Fighting Sioux were able to gut out a 4-2 win.
Fighting Sioux head coach Dave Hakstol was pleased with his team’s effort.
“I thought our ability to answer back after giving up the first one early in the game was very important,” Hakstol said.
“We got a couple of grinding goals down low on the crease, after
that. Once they [Mavericks] made it a one-goal game in the third period,
we had a couple of guys that made a big play to extend it to a two goal
lead again.”
With the loss tonight, the Mavericks dropped to 12-21-2, 8-17-2 WCHA record. The Mavericks remain in 11th
place of the WCHA standings and they travel to Minnesota Duluth for the first round of the WCHA playoffs.
With the win, the Fighting Sioux secured fourth place in the WCHA
standings and will play the ninth-placed team in the first round of the
WCHA playoffs, the Fighting Sioux improve to 19-12-3, 15-11-1 WCHA.
The same two teams play tomorrow night.
