Huntsville, Ala. --- Fifth-rated Minnesota State got a late goal to pull even with host Alabama Huntsville and then won the game in overtime in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association contest played in Huntsville Friday.
The Mavericks opened up the game with a dominant ten minutes, the by the end of the opening period, the Chargers had responded with several shots on goal that forced netminder
Connor LaCouvee to make several tough saves and it was 0-0 score-wise and 10-10 in terms of shots of goal after the first 20 minutes of action.
Minnesota State outshot UAH by a 17-2 margin in the second period and took a 1-0 lead at 15:38 on a goal by
Parker Tuomie. The play started in the Maverick defensive zone when
Edwin Hookenson outletted the puck to
Dallas Gerads on the rightside of the rink. Gerads, who entered this weekend after putting up two goals and assisted on another in the two-game home sweep over Alaska Anchorage last Friday and Saturday, barreled down the rightside of the ice before putting a shot on goal. Tuomie then lifted the puck over
Jordan Uhelski for his eighth goal of the year.
The Chargers battled back, taking a 2-1 lead early in the third period on a tally from
Kurt Gosselin at 1:14 and then a power play goal by Christian Rajic at 2:35. But the Mavericks found a way to get the late equalizer when Tuomie found
Marc Michaelis in the slot with a pass and Michaelis slid the puck into an open at 17:50 for his 12
th goal of the season.
Tuomie had a hand in the overtime game-winner, as well for his third point of the game, finding senior center
C.J. Suess with a pass from behind the goal line and Suess snapped a shot past
Jordan Uhelski on the shortside just 27 seconds into the extra session. The goal is the 16
th of the year for Suess and is his 11 career game-winning goal.
Minnesota State was scoreless in five power play chances in the game. The Mavericks had 42 shots on goal, while the Chargers totaled 19 shots. LaCouvee, who finished with 17 saves, stands 16-3-0 with tonight's win.
Minnesota State, which now stands 22-7-0 overall and is 18-5-0 WCHA with tonight's victory, has won its last six games and has 13 wins in its last 15 games.
The Mavericks and the Chargers close out the two-game league series with a 7:07 p.m. face-off scheduled for Saturday.
Head coach Mike Hastings commented following the game.
