MANKATO, Minn. — Minnesota State (5-5-1, 1-5-0) defeated St. Thomas (MN) (4-6-0, 2-6-0) 2-1 on Saturday at Mayo Clinic HSEC for their first conference win of the season.
Mercury Bischoff scored both Maverick goals. The Mavericks went 1-for-5 on the power play, killed both St. Thomas opportunities and got 25 saves in the win.
Bischoff goals included a power-play goal and the game-winner, on three shots. Bischoff has recorded at least three shots in six consecutive games.
Jaya Schippel finished with 25 saves, and allowed one goal in her second win of the season.
Ayla Puppe put a season-high seven shots on goal.
Kamryn Van Batavia recorded an assist and won four faceoffs.
Mia Miller also had an assist and has recorded at least one assist in two consecutive games.
In the first period the Mavericks killed off
Sophie Stramel's early body-checking penalty as Schippel made multiple saves and
Mika Cichosz blocked a shot during the St. Thomas power play. After Sydney Bryant put St. Thomas ahead at 6:21 at even strength off assists from Nora Sauer and Maya Engler, the Mavericks generated a quick push with shots from Cichosz, Puppe and Miller. The push led to MSU tying the game on Bischoff's goal at 7:54, as Van Batavia found her on a backdoor feed with the secondary assist going to Miller. The Mavericks continued to create chances later in the period, including attempts from Puppe,
Zoe Lopez,
Bella Shipley,
Anika Stromme and
Neely Hawn, and held St. Thomas scoreless on a late power play after Shipley's tripping penalty. The teams ended the first period tied 1-1.
The Mavericks kept St. Thomas off the board in the second period and generated repeated chances of their own, but the teams played a scoreless frame. The Mavericks came out of an early St. Thomas power play after Schippel made a save, Nora Mumm hit the pipe and
Lauren Zawoyski blocked a shot, then immediately went to work on a power play that included a Miller shot off the pipe and saved attempts from
Audrey Garton and Cichosz. The Mavericks continued to press through the middle of the period, drawing another power play at 11:06 and forcing saves from Dani Strom on Bischoff, Garton and Hawn. Matching roughing penalties on Puppe and Bryant were called at 14:42, with Bryant's being a five-minute major. After the four on four ended the Mavericks went on the power play and put additional pressure on net before the second period ended scoreless.
After another five-minute major and a subsequent game misconduct on Bryant, the Mavericks generated looks from Puppe, Stromme, Van Batavia and Cichosz. Eventually, Bischoff scored an unassisted power-play goal, picking the short side corner at 5:51 of the third period to make it 2-1, supplying the game-winning goal for the Mavericks. St. Thomas pushed through the middle and late stages of the frame, but Schippel kept it off the board while Miller, Garton and Stromme added blocked shots. After St. Thomas went empty net with 2:10 remaining, the Mavericks withstood three shots on goal, including one in the closing seconds and closed out the 2-1 win.
MSU will be idle this next week with the IIHF World Championship going on in Denmark. Up next, the Mavericks visit Bemidji State on Friday, Nov. 13, at 3 p.m. at Sanford Center in Bemidji, Minn.
3 Stars of the Game:
1. #14
Mercury Bischoff
2. #38
Jaya Schippel
3. #9
Kamryn Van Batavia
