Mavs drop to 14th

No surprise the Mavericks drop to 14th after getting swept by the Huskies. St. Cloud State moves up to 17th and Wisconsin is starting to creep up, now at 16th.

And in last weeks poll on here, two of 10 people were right saying Mick Berge would lead the Mavericks in points over the weekend. Berge had three assists and was tied for the weekend lead with Kael Mouillierat, who had three goals. Mouillierat wasn't on the poll because his availability was uncertain at the beginning of the week. Probably a good guess that both guys would have gave up all their points to at least get 0ne W. Nice to see Mouillierat scoring some goals after being out, though.

Big week on the way

By now I'm sure everyone knows the Huskies won convincingly Saturday night at the National Hockey Center. And now, the Mavericks have a big rebound series this weekend with Denver at home. The Reporter won't come out for a while now, but I'll still try to update some things this week and next weekend. And I'll be at both Denver games this weekend for some updates.

Huskies 4, Mavericks 2

Aaron Marvin added the only goal ofthe third period, making it a 4-2 final in favor of the Huskies. MSU outshot SCSU 12-8 in the period but couldn't convert on a five-on-three midway through the period to help bring them back. The Mavericks and Huskies finish the series Saturday in St. Cloud.

Read Friday night's recap here.

Huskies 3, Mavericks 2 -- End of 2nd

Garrett Roe put the Huskies on the board at 14:26 of the second and added another at 16:50 on a power play. Kael Mouillierat answered a minute later when he scored from the doorstep on a pass from Andy Sackrison to tie it again at three. SCSU then took the lead heading into the break with a goal by Jordy Christian in the final minute. Four goals in the last six minutes of the second period could lead to an exciting final frame...

Mavericks 1, Huskies 0 -- End of 1

Kael Mouillierat scored the period's only goal at 6:26 of the first period. Zach Harrison had the puck in the corner and passed to Ben Youds on the blue line. Youds shot toward the net and Mouillierat put it over Jase Weslosky's right shoulder on a deflection from the slot. This is Mouillierat's first game back after missing the previous five. SCSU was 0-3 on the power play and MSU was 0-1.

MSU vs. SCSU Pregame

The lines shuffled a big for the Mavericks, and Tyler Thompson is out with Justin Jokinen and Adam Mueller in. Andy Sackrison and Kael Mouillierat are also back in the lineup after missing games dues to injury.

Minnesota State
Irwin - Bruess - Wiley
Gaulrapp - Galiardi - Louwerse
Mueller - Harrison - Berge
Mouillierat - Sackrison - Jokinen

Davis - Kilburg
Canzanello - Friesen
Boe - Youds

Zacharias
Tormey
Lee

St. Cloud State

Swanson - Marvin - Novak
Christian - Roe - Lasch
Olson - Oslund - Ryan
Mosey - LeBlanc - Volpei

Carlisle - Raboin
Lauridsen - Barta
Zabkowicz - Hepp

Weslosky
Dunn

Weekend Preview

Just less than six hours now until the puck drops tonight at the Alltel Center with the first game of the home-and-home series vs. the Huskies. Kael Mouillierat will be back in the lineup tonight, after missing the last five games and Andy Sackrison has been cleared to play. Jerad Stewart, however, will be out this weekend.

Jutting said earlier in the week that all or zero of those three forwards might be in the lineup, but it looks like it will be two.

I'll post the line charts when I get to the rink. See ya there. Oh yeah, forgot my MSU prediction to match the ones below. The Mavericks have been very good against St. Cloud State in the past, and I think will be OK again. MSU sweep.

Other WCHA matchups
No. 8 Denver at Michigan Tech
The Pioneers are coming off a 4-1 victory against No. 10 Air Force last weekend, but travel to Houghton, Mich., still looking for their first road win (0-3). The Huskies, however, were swept by Bemidji State last weekend and went winless in the month of November (0-8-1). With Tech struggling to score goals and Denver not, I'm going to look past Denver's away record and say it will be fine this weekend.
Prediction: Denver sweep

No. 15 Alaska-Anchorage at Wisconsin
Despite the Seawolves' unpredictable start to the season, they happen to be running into a very good Wisconsin team that's playing its best hockey of the season right now. The Badgers have won seven of their last nine after a winless October. UAA was off last weekend after splitting with Colorado College the series before in Anchorage. The Seawolves have earned some quality wins this season but with how the Badgers are playing as of late, I have to go with the Badgers.
Prediction: Wisconsin sweep

Minnesota-Duluth at No. 5 Colorado College
The Bulldogs haven't been on the road for quite some time and the Tigers have lost just one game in Colorado Springs this season. UMD has been playing well lately, coming off a 5-1 win against St. Cloud State in Duluth on Saturday.
Prediction: Split

Nonconference
North Dakota at Harvard
The Fighting Sioux shouldn't have a problem in this series, but if they do, they're going to be in trouble.
Prediction: North Dakota sweep

Wednesday update

Not too much to report tonight. Andy Sackrison and Kael Mouillierat both practiced today, but Jerad Stewart didn't. Jutting said all three might play or all three might not. We'll find out tomorrow.

Tomorrow's Reporter will have a Gameday, along with small blurbs about the other WCHA games this weekend.

Here's another preview

No. 11 Minnesota State (8-3-3, 5-3-2 WCHA) vs. St. Cloud State (8-6-0, 3-5-0 WCHA) (home-and-home)

7:07 p.m. Friday, Alltel Center

7:37 p.m. Saturday, National Hockey Center — St. Cloud

By looking at stats, both teams are virtually identical. Both have scored 49 goals, MSU has given up two more (36), both kill penalties at 81 percent and their power-play success is just 1.2 percent different. MSU - 17.2; SCSU - 16.

Last season the Mavericks had a pair of 5-3 wins against the Huskies in another home and home series and played a physical style of hockey that made SCSU look overmatched. The main key to the game, however, might be stopping Ryan Lasch and Garrett Roe from scoring. Roe is off to a very good start, with seven goals and 21 points on the season, but Lasch is still stuck with just one goal, which came in the Huskies' second game of the season.

Dan Dunn and Jase Weslosky have both been good in net this year, with Dunn owning a 2.35 GAA and Weslosky at 2.38. Weslosky will most likely start Friday, and is a big reason St. Cloud State isn't struggling more than it is already.

BOTTOM LINE: The Mavericks need to finish. Twice at home this season they've had games slip away at the end. It's not even a stretch to say they would be in first place in the WCHA right now if not for a late-period downfall.

I'll give a quick preview of the other conference games Thursday or Friday, and an update on some injuries if I can. Otherwise, I'll be at the Alltel Center Friday for pregame and ingame coverage.

Mavericks drop

Despite a win and tie against nonconference opponent Bowling Green last weekend the Mavericks dropped from No. 10 to No. 11 in the polls. The team that jumped the Mavericks, however, was Air Force, who lost for the first time last weekend to Denver after beating Colorado College the night before.

MSU plays three of its next four games at home, hosting St. Cloud State Friday and playing in St. Cloud Saturday. The Mavericks host Denver the following weekend.

I'll be back Wednesday afternoon or night to update this weekend's matchup, and see if a couple injured forwards will be back in the lineup.

Minnesota State 5, Bowling Green 2

Four Minnesota State juniors scored goals as the Mavericks edged Bowling Green 5-2 Saturday in a nonconference matchup in Bowling Green, Ohio. Jason Wiley, Jerad Stewart, Trevor Bruess and Kurt Davis all scored goals and Geoff Irwin added an empty-netter. Mick Berge had two assists and Mike Zacharias made 25 saves in net. Davis extended his scoring streak to 14 games, tied for the longest in MSU's DI era.

Notes: With October and November now in the books, the Mavericks wrapped up the first two months of the season with eight wins after getting nine total wins in the last three seasons combined during those months. Some of the success has to do with a couple underclassmen, Read About It Here, though it's a few days old the point's still the same....MSU still hasn't lost on the road (4-0-3) and plays in a WCHA home-and-home series this weekend vs. St. Cloud State. Friday's game will be in Mankato....Keep voting on the polls, of the 27 who voted on the last one, only four said MSU would have a three-point weekend (technically not a three-point weekend because the games were nonconference, but it's just an easier way to say a win and a tie...17 people thought MSU would sweep). I'll think of something else to vote for and put it up in a day or so, along with some updates later in the week.

Mavericks 2, Bowling Green 2

Mick Berge scored his third goal of the season on a power play at 10:25 of the first and Geoff Irwin gave the Mavericks a 2-0 lead at 6:58 of the second. Kai Kantola then scored two second-period goals, one on a power play, to tie the game. Mike Zacharias looked like he had a busy night in net, making 38 saves.

Kurt Davis added two assists in the game and Mike Louwerse and Jason Wiley both had one. Davis pushed his scoring streak to 13 games and Louwerse pushed his to eight.
The teams finish the series tonight.

Berge on trip

A little late, but Mick Berge was cleared Wednesday night to make the trip to Bowling Green. It's a pretty good guess he'll be in the lineup, too. Update courtesy of Shane Frederick.

Nonconference weekend

The WCHA will be playing in nonconference games this weekend, with Minnesota-Duluth hosting St. Cloud State Saturday as the only conference matchup. I could preview each series like I planned, but to tell you the truth, with all the different nonconference series going on, that's a lot of previewing on teams I really don't know a lot about (i.e. Cornell, Bowling Green, Colgate). Here are the matchups for this weekend. I'll try and update throughout the weekend.

Weekend matchups
Minnesota State at Bowling Green
Michigan Tech at Bemidji State
Cornell at North Dakota
St. Cloud State at Minnesota Duluth (Sat.)
Denver vs. Colgate Fri., vs. Air Force Sat.
Colorado College at Air Force Fri., vs. Colgate Sat.
Minnesota vs. Michigan Fri., Michigan State Sat.
Wisconsin vs. Michigan State Fri., vs. Michigan Sat.

Wednesday injury update

As expected Kael Mouillierat and Andy Sackrison won't make the trip to Bowling Green this weekend. Neither practiced Wednesday. Mick Berge participated in the second half of practice today, the noncontact portion. Jutting said it's not up to him if Berge goes, but up to the doctors. Mouillierat and Sackrison will be replaced with a couple freshmen (Justin Jokinen, Joe Schiller, Adam Mueller).

The Mavericks leave Thursday morning for the nonconference trip, which I will not be at. Check back Friday afternoon for a weekend preview.

Injury trouble

MSU senior forward Mick Berge and sophomore forward Andy Sackrison both left in the first period last weekend with an injury. Berge returned to start the third period and was in the lineup Saturday. Sackrison, however, didn't return and didn't dress Saturday.

Even worse news is that neither practiced Monday and Jutting said Sackrison has already been ruled out for this weekend's nonconference matchup against Bowling Green. With fellow forward Kael Mouillierat already out this weekend with an arm injury, that leaves the Mavericks with at least two of their top forwards out for the series. It could be three if Berge can't go.

MSU is off Tuesday but there will be at least some sort of update Wednesday.

Back Again

First off, I'm sorry. I've been very busy lately and haven't had as much time as I wanted to contribute to this blog. But now, we are back with I promise, in-game updates, weekend previews and predictions, recaps and other bits of information. I might add an injury update within the next few days but if I don't I will have one with the weekend preview for next week. See you then.

END OF 1

After one period the game remains scoreless. Both teams have had their chances on the power play but couldn't convert. MSU leads in shots on goal, 11-9. Each team had three penalties.

MSU's Andy Sackrison had the best opportunity so far just a couple minutes into the game, but his shot from the slot was blocked by BSU netminder Orlando Alamano.

0-0 after 1

Minnesota State vs. Bemidji State, Game 2

Mike Louwerse had two goals Friday night to lead the Mavericks to a 5-2 victory in their first game of the season.

Lines for Game 2

MSU
Wiley-Bruess-Berge
Galiardi-Harrison-Louwerse
Irwin-Sackrison-Thompson
Mueller-Schiller-Jokinen

Davis-Kilburg
Youds-Boe
Friesen-Canzanello

Zacharias
Tormey
Lee

BSU
Scofield-Read-Cramer
Lowe-Winter-Marino
Kinne-McKelvie-Lehrke
MacQueen-Walters-Billberg

Bostock-Hunt
MacIntyre-McManamin
Hardwick-Jundt

Alamano
Bakala

END OF 2ND PERIOD

BSU tied the contest at one but the teams traded goals and Louwerse put MSU up 4-2 with just more than one minute left.

MSU 4-2, end of 2nd.

IN-GAME

BSU ties the game at one early in the second period with a power-play goal off a rebound from Travis Winter, assisted by Brandon Marino and Cody Bostock at 3:44.

1-1