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MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota State was dead in the water for the first 56 minutes of Saturday’s game against Minnesota, but an entire hockey game does last 60 minutes.
The Mavericks scored twice with their net empty in the final three and a half minutes of the third period and Teddy Blueger patiently waited and hammered home the overtime winner with 42.7 seconds remaining in the extra frame to get the 3-2 victory.
“That was probably one of the most fun games I’ve been a part of, to come back like that,” Blueger said. “We had a really good third (period). Right off the bat we had some good chances and kept pushing and getting more and more chances.
“The biggest thing is we always believed it would come. Once we got one, we felt the momentum shift more. Once we got the second one I think we just got going even more.”
Coach Mike Hastings summed up the night in fewer words.
“We needed that win.”
After an icing by Minnesota, Hastings decided to pull his goaltender with three and a half minutes remaining in the game and his team trailing by two goals. Bryce Gervais made his coach look smart, scoring a quick goal off of a cleanly won faceoff.
The Mavericks pulled the goaltender against with about two and a half minutes remaining in the period. Minnesota State held possession in its zone, thanks to a jumping play by Daniel Brickley at the blue line. The play produced the game-tying goal by Brett Knowles after a one-time pass from Max Coatta.
“That’s definitely a tough one, the whole game it seems like we had it under control and were playing well and then all of a sudden they pop one in and we start scrambling and then they get another one there and it goes into overtime,” Gophers defenseman Jake Bischoff said. “It definitely is tough and definitely is one that we’re going to want to forget.”
Hastings said that he conferred with his team before pulling the goaltender for the second time and they wanted to go with the extra attacker, even with the amount of time left.
“You add last night to the 56 and a half minutes that we hadn’t scored a goal, we needed every advantage we could get,” Hastings said with a laugh. “Actually, I asked them, and they said they wanted it. They did a great job of executing, and we’re happy for them.”
Where the Mavericks scored their goals late in the game, the Gophers scored theirs late in the first and second period.
Justin Kloos scored his third goal of the season late in the first period just seconds into Minnesota’s first power play of the evening.
Tyler Sheehy sent a fluttering puck that somehow managed to find its way behind Jason Pawlosky with 1:02 remaining in the second period. Sheehy’s second goal of the year, one that Pawlosky probably wanted back, gave the Gophers a 2-0 lead heading into the second intermission.
Pawlosky shut the door in the third period, which allowed the Mavericks to mount their comeback.
“He’s been good,” Blueger said. “Obviously we don’t want to give up the goals that we did with less than a minute left in the period.”
