MARQUETTE, Mich. — Minnesota State evened the weekend series with Northern Michigan Saturday as the Mavericks shutout the Wildcats 3-0.
MSU now owns a 3-5-2 record, including a 1-1-2 CCHA record. NMU drops to 3-7-0 on the season, including a 1-3-0 conference record.
The Mavericks scored once in each period and went 1-for-3 on the power play as Maverick goaltender
Lassi Lehti stopped all 23 Northern Michigan shots for his second shutout of the season. Minnesota State recorded 17 blocks, surpassing its season average of 12.67, and has recorded at least one power-play goal in three consecutive games.
Minnesota State put early shots on Oliver Auyeung-Ashton before Northern Michigan answered with chances that included two shots saved by Lehti and multiple blocked attempts. After
Ean Somoza was called for tripping at 6:55, the Mavericks killed off the NMU power play, with Lehti stopping Merril Steenari and several other attempts missing or being blocked.
Sam Kappell broke through at 11:06, scoring at even strength off assists from
Reid Morich and
Will Skahan to give Minnesota State a 1-0 lead. It was Kappell's first goal as a Maverick. The Mavericks generated several looks on a later power play and continued to create chances late in the first period, taking a 1-0 lead into the intermission.
Minnesota State capitalized on an early power play at 18:02, with
Alex Zetterberg scoring off assists from
Mason Kraft and
Luigi Benincasa for a 2-0 lead. It was Zetterberg's first power-play goal of the season. Northern Michigan pushed back through two power-play chances and extended-zone pressure, but Lehti handled repeated shots while the Mavericks blocked several attempts, including multiple by
Liam Hupka.
Minnesota State generated a stretch of chances past the midpoint of the period, with Auyeung-Ashton making several saves and Hupka hitting the pipe at 6:22. After coincidental penalties late in the frame and a Northern Michigan interference penalty with four seconds left, the Mavericks took the 2-0 lead into the intermission.
Minnesota State started the third with time on a power play, getting a
Jacob Conrad shot on Auyeung-Ashton before the Wildcats returned to even strength at 18:03. The teams traded chances through the middle of the period, with Lehti stopping Northern Michigan looks from Mathew Ward, Reilley Kotai, Aapo Katavisto, Branden Piku, Peter Cisar and Kotai again.
Northern Michigan went to an empty net late, and after the Mavericks blocked two attempts in the final minutes,
Liam Watkins scored an empty-net goal off a
Fin Williams assist at 1:57 to make it 3-0. Minnesota State closed out the final seconds from there to finish the 3-0 win.
Kappell scored the game-winning goal on his only shot. Zetterberg scored on the power play and put two shots on goal. Hupka led Minnesota State with a season-high seven blocked shots.
Up next, Minnesota State continues its road swing at Bemidji State on Friday, Nov. 13, at 7:07 p.m. at Sanford Center in Bemidji, Minn.
