MANKATO, Minn. – It took just two minutes and 38 seconds for the Mavericks to strike first. The home team never looked back, defeating Ferris State 4-0 at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center Saturday night. Minnesota State dominated from start to finish and outshot Ferris State 40-24 in the team's first shutout of the season.
 
Josh Groll and Luc Wilson posted a goal and an assist each and Adam Eisele helped with a pair of assists. The Mavericks also killed five minor penalties and goaltender Alex Tracy collected his second career clean sheet.
 
"I just thought the guys played hard. We had a good start for ourselves and that kind of got us off the dock," said head coach Luke Strand. "Everyone was involved in the game and had their piece to impact the game. There were no passengers. If we can find that consistently, it's going to go a long way."
 
"It feels great," said Maverick goaltender Alex Tracy. "I think it started with some good practices at the beginning of the week and it ended up being maybe our most complete weekend of the year so we're feeling good, but we can't be satisfied. We have to keep going forward."
 
The offensive spark began when Brian Carrabes passed to Adam Eisele and a 3-on-2 developed through the neutral zone in the opening period. Eisele drew a defender and slid it across the low slot for Josh Groll, who tapped it in, his second tally of the weekend and fourth goal of the season.
 
Luc Wilson made it 2-0 MSU. After receiving Eisele's pass behind the goal line, Wilson worked around a defender and followed his own shot off Logan Stein's pad, tucking it in at the near post. Groll assisted for his third multi-point game of 2023-24.
 
"It's good for (Josh) to get rewarded because he's played hard," Strand said. "He's won races and added tenacity to his game. Maybe the scoresheet has not said it the same way compared to the way he's played. Eisele's play has continued to go up and those two feed off each other. It's given our group a boost."
 
Just over four minutes later, Maverick captain Sam Morton one-timed a shot on the weak side for his CCHA leading 16^th goal off Wilson's cross-ice pass. Lucas Sowder also assisted, adding his eighth point against Ferris State in the season series as the Mavericks went to intermission ahead 3-0 with a 16-10 shot advantage.
 
The Bulldogs hit the post at the outset of the second period but Kaden Bohlsen supplemented the Maverick lead at 12:38. Brett Moravec waited out a sliding defender and made a cross-crease pass for Bohlsen's sixth goal of the season. Campbell Cichosz also assisted (2) as Minnesota State outshot FSU 17-3 in the second stanza.
 
Tracy made 11 saves in the third period and MSU players blocked 19 shots (including three from Steve Bellini) to stymie any chance of a comeback bid for the visitors. The Mavericks also won 53 percent of faceoffs.
 
"We've had to show some maturity along the way," Strand said. "The way the guys are coming off the ice and taking care of one another, they are being winners, and that part has to continue no matter what the score is on the ice."
 
The Mavericks outscored the Bulldogs 17-6 over their four matchups this winter. Minnesota State won 4-2 in Mankato Friday night.
 
Minnesota State (11-8-3, 7-4-1 CCHA) plays next at Bowling Green (7-15-0, 5-7-1 CCHA) Friday, January 19 at 6:07 p.m. CT. Ferris State (6-16-1, 4-11-0 CCHA) hosts Lake Superior State next.
 
The Mavericks have 12 games remaining in the 2023-24 regular season and ranked 28^th in the pairwise rankings ahead of Saturday night's win.