Madison, Wis. --- Minnesota State outshot third-rated Wisconsin in Western Collegiate Hockey Association game Saturday played in Madison, but absorbed an 8-4 defeat on the evening.
The Mavericks took a 1-0 lead at the :53-second mark of the first period after freshman Eli Zuck batted a pass from Zach Harrison past UW’s Brett Bennett. The goal for Zuck is the first of his MSU career. UW goals by Andy Bombach at 1:38, Blake Geoffrion at 9:59 and Ben Street at the 19-minute mark gave the Badgers a 3-1 lead at the end of the first period of play.
Ben Grotting put the puck past MSU freshman Phil Cook at 6:49 for UW’s fourth goal. The Mavericks responded at 10:52 on a screened wrist shot by Jerad Stewart from 30 feet out, but Jake Gardiner’s even-strength tally at 14:43 and Brendan Smith’s power play marker at 18:19 made it 6-2 Wisconsin by the end of the second period.
MSU freshman forward Tyler Pitlick got his eighth goal of the season at 3:33 of the third period when he wired a shot high to Bennett’s glove side. Ryan McDonagh’s power play goal at 8:44 and Blake Geoffrion’s even-strength tally at 14:06 made it 8-3 Wisconson before MSU junior defenseman Kurt Davis closed out the scoring with his fourth goal of the season at 17:20.
Junior forward Kael Mouillierat collected two assists and Davis, who assisted on the power play goal by Pitlick, had a two-point night. The eight goals given up is the most by the Mavericks since Feb. 9, 2007 when the University of North Dakota bested MSU 8-3 in a game played in Grand Forks.
Minnesota State, which outshot Wisconsin by a 35-31 margin in the game, now stands 12-16-2 overall, 6-15-1 WCHA. Wisconsin upped its record to 18-7-4 with the win and is 13-6-3 in league action.
MSU returns home to face the University of Alaska-Anchorage at Verizon Wireless Center next Friday and Saturday.
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