With nearly 5,000 fans in attendance Saturday, the Minnesota State University men’s hockey team bounced back from Friday’s shootout loss to Bemidji State with a 5-1 win.
Prior to this weekend’s two-game series the Mavericks had already clinched the CCHA’s MacNaughton Cup, the trophy awarded to team with the best record at the end of the regular season. But clinching the cup means little when Bemidji State comes to town.
BSU, one of MSU’s chief rivals, has a knack for frustrating the Mavericks. But in Saturday’s game, highlighted by a pair of Luc Wilson goals, MSU never let the Beavers get close.
Jordan Power opened the scoring early in the second period. Two minutes later, Evan Murr scored on a power play. Two minutes after that, Luc Wilson netted his first of the time. Four minutes after that, Luke Ashton scored, bringing the score to 4-0 with less than eight minutes to play in the period.
BSU got on the board early in the third period when Jackson Jutting finally solved MSU’s Alex Tracy (a goaltender with the best goals against average in the country).
Wilson potted his second of the night with just a few minutes to play in the third.
The Mavericks start playoff action next weekend with a best of three series at home against Lake Superior State.