ST. PAUL, Minn. --- Behind a 51-save performance from
Lassi Lehti, Minnesota State picked up its first win of the season as the Mavericks bested St. Thomas 3-1.
With the win, MSU improves to 1-4-0. With the loss, UST drops to 1-2-0.
Lehti's 51 saves are the most in a game by a Maverick since March 10, 2012, when Austin Lee made 56 saves vs. Minnesota Duluth. Lehti's previous career-high for saves in a game was 40 vs. Wisconsin last season when he was with Alaska Fairbanks.
Two early MSU penalties put the Tommies on the power play. With the two-man advantage, Lucas Van Vliet scored at 4:13 off assists from Chase Cheslock and Nathan Pilling to make it 1-0. MSU answered after penalties at 7:04 created a power-play chance, with
Sam Court scoring at 7:41 from
Mason Kraft and
Liam Watkins to tie the game at 1-1.
The Tommies generated repeated looks through the middle of the first period, but Lehti handled the shots that reached him while MSU blocked several attempts. MSU made a late push with saves by Ajay White on
Luigi Benincasa,
Will Skahan,
Alex Zetterberg and
Reid Morich before a
Jordan Ronn penalty gave the Tommies a power play that carried into the end of the 1-1 first period.
MSU finished off the Tommies' carryover power play early in the second period, with Lehti stopping Quinn Rudrud before Ronn returned at 18:33. The middle of the second period featured sustained MSU chances around Ajay White, including saves on
Jack Christ, Watkins, Court,
Jakob Stender and Benincasa, while Lehti handled Lucas Van Vliet's look during a Tommies power play after
Liam Hupka's hooking penalty.
A later Tommies interference penalty gave MSU a power play at 5:45, but Court's tripping penalty shifted the special-teams sequence, and Lehti made saves on Jakub Altrichter and Chase Cheslock during the ensuing Tommies advantage. UST's Chase Cheslock was called for cross checking with 45 seconds left in the second period, and Court scored on the power play from Watkins at :40 to put MSU ahead 2-1 entering the second intermission, with another Justin Kipkie penalty leaving MSU on a power play in the closing seconds.
Watkins gave MSU the only goal of the third period at 12:24, scoring at even strength off assists from Zetterberg and Benincasa to make it 3-1. The Tommies pressed after the goal, but Lehti handled a series of shots while MSU got blocks from players including Kraft and
Liam Hupka. The Tommies had three power-play chances in the final 7:32, but Lehti made late saves in the final seconds as MSU finished off a 3-1 win.
Court scored two power-play goals, including the game-winner, and finished with three shots. Watkins recorded a goal and two assists with three shots and a blocked shot. Lehti made 51 saves and allowed one goal. Benincasa added an assist, put four shots on goal and won 10 of 16 faceoffs.
Minnesota State returns home Saturday to wrap up its series with St. Thomas. Puck drop is set for 6:07 p.m. at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center.
