MANKATO — Boy, that got out of hand fast.
Minnesota State men’s hockey is now one win away from repeating as Mason Cup champions. The Mavericks annihilated Michigan Tech 7-2 in Saturday’s Mason Cup semifinal game at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center.
The Mavericks will host St. Thomas at 7:07 p.m. Friday in hopes of winning its second-straight Mason Cup.
“We still want to get better,” MSU head coach Luke Strand said. “I don’t know if we’ve even played our best hockey, personally.”
For the game’s first eight minutes everything appeared to be going Tech’s way. The Mavericks struggled to get the puck into the Huskies’ offensive zone and couldn’t get a win in the faceoff circle. MSU couldn’t get a shot on goal either.
Then sophomore Alex Zetterberg fed the puck to junior Ean Somoza. As Somoza held the puck facing the fans in section 205 he spun to his left and fired what became MSU’s first shot on goal.
The puck whistled past the left pad of Tech goalie Owen Bartoszkiewicz, clanked off the post and crossed the goalline. MSU’s first shot of the game gave it a 1-0 lead 8:15 into the action.
A little over three minutes later the Mavericks created a mad scrum in front of the net. Senior Tristan Lemyre poked the puck past an outstretched Bartoszkiewicz for the home team’s second shot on goal of the night. It also found the back of the net for a 2-0 lead with 8:07 left in the period.
MSU didn’t go 3 for 3 for shots and goals. But its fourth shot of the game tipped the stick of junior Luigi Benincasa for a 3-0 lead with 6:12 to go in the opening stanza and held at intermission.
The Mavericks didn’t stop there.
Moments after a penalty kill, Lemyre beat Bartoszkiewicz blocker side for a 4-0 lead 4:22 into the second. Four goals off eight shots.
The Huskies pulled within three, but that was not going to be enough to keep pace.
Freshman Reid Morich got a rebound, snuck the puck through his legs and found the back of the net 12:24 into the second for a 5-0 lead. Five goals off nine shots.
Then junior Fin Williams deflected the shot off the stick of senior Campbell Cichosz. Six goals off 10 shots with 6:30 remaining in the second.
And 62 seconds after LeBel’s goal Morich netted his second of the night. MSU’s lead ballooned to 7-1.
Bartoszkiewicz was swapped out for sophomore Ryan Manzella with 5:27 remaining in the second period. Bartoszkiewicz allowed seven goals. He faced 11 shots.
“Our mentality was to get (the puck) behind him, and we did a great job of it,” Lemyre said. “He’s had a great year, and he’s a great goalie. Yeah, we got the best of him. We don’t want to take anything away from him.”
Lemyre led the way offensively with two goals and an assist. Benincasa added a goal and an assist. Evan Murr and Liam Watkins each tallied two assists. Mason Wheeler, Mason LeBel and Sawyer School each added an assist. Senior Alex Tracy stopped 23 of 25 shots.
Jack Smith, Jordan Ronn and Jakob Stender were the only MSU forwards that didn’t earn at least one point.