MANKATO, Minn. – Lucas Sowder scored a pair of goals and Jordan Steinmetz tallied the game-winner as the Mavericks defeated Ferris State 4-2 Friday night at Mayo Health Clinic Health System Event Center in front of 4,244 fans.
 
Minnesota State (10-8-3, 6-4-1 CCHA) was back in Mankato after more than a month away (Dec. 8). MSU posted two-shorthanded goals in a game for the first time since Feb. 5, 2016. The Mavericks never trailed to go ahead 3-0 in the season series against the Bulldogs (6-15-1, 4-10-0 CCHA).
 
"A Friday night win at home for us is big," commented head coach Luke Strand. "Good on the power play to get it started. The special teams responded tonight and that has to continue."
 
"It's a team effort all around," commented forward Jordan Steinmetz. "The penalty kill wasn't where we wanted it to be recently. Then tonight it came up big. I think that part of the game is going to start finding its stride."
 
Less than five minutes into the first period, Sam Morton dragged the puck to his backhand and tried to tuck it in at the far post, requiring a great stop by Logan Stein.
 
Then at the 5:20 mark, Josh Groll rifled a one-timer from the top of the left circle on the Mavericks' first power play. Groll's third marker of the season was assisted by Kaden Bohlsen (7) and Luc Wilson (4).
 
Groll and Brian Carrabes nearly connected on a 2-on-1 but Stein stuck out his right pad to shut it down following Groll's low one-timer. The Mavericks carried a 16-4 shot advantage into the second stanza.
 
Minnesota State scored its first shorthanded goal of the season at 15:55 of the second period. Sowder and Morton skated through the neutral zone to create a 2-on-1 and Sowder's shot leaked through for his sixth of the season. The first pass out of the zone came from Jordan Power (fourth assist).
 
Emerson Goode answered for the Bulldogs with a goal at the 19-minute mark. Tyler Schleppe won a puck battle in the left corner and backhanded it out front for Goode. The Mavericks headed into the third with a 22-15 edge in shots.
 
Both teams took minor penalties to open the final period. Skating shorthanded, Jordan Steinmetz intercepted a pass on FSU's zone offensive zone entry and took it all the way down on a breakaway, finishing forehand to backhand around Stein for his second of the year at 4:27.
 
"We've stressed holding the blue line a lot lately," Steinmetz said. "We held the line. I was able to pick off a pass. I think a guy fell down and then I was just trying to make a move on the goalie and get it past him."
 
"It's great to see Steiny get that one," Strand said. "I was very happy for him. He's a team-first guy so when he gets rewarded on individual effort like that, he gives us an opportunity out there."
 
Bohlsen rang a wrister off the crossbar with under five minutes to play. Then with 1:23 remaining, the Mavericks and Bulldogs played 4-on-4 and Keenan Rancier battled for the puck through traffic before Sowder found it for a long empty net goal.
 
Sowder returned to the lineup after missing last Saturday's game at Augustana due to illness. The Tampa, Florida native has seven points (2-5—7) in three games against the Bulldogs this season.
 
Rancier made 26 saves to pick up his fourth win for the Mavericks in goal, including 12 third period stops. Stein finished with 29 saves for Ferris State.
 
Minnesota State converted 1-of-4 on the power play while Ferris State went 0-for-4. The Mavericks try to close out the season sweep against the Bulldogs Saturday at 6:07 p.m. CT.