ANCHORAGE - Junior goaltender Mike Zacharias earned his second career shutout by thwarting all 25 Alaska Anchorage shot attempts to power visiting Minnesota State to it first win of the season with a 2-0 victory here tonight at the Sullivan Arena.
The Seawolves (3-1-1, 0-1-1 WCHA), who were shut out on home ice for the first time since a 4-0 setback to Minnesota Feb. 25, 2006, had a difficult time generating quality scoring chances against MSU's defense, as the Mavs (1-2-1, 1-2-1 WCHA) seemed to either shut off passing lanes or pressure the Seawolves into turnovers most of the night.
In a game of few bright spots for the Seawolves, sophomore goalie Jon Olthuis gave a solid effort by stopping 23 shots, including as season-best 12 in the opening period.
For the third time in five games UAA surrendered a goal less than two minutes into the contest, giving up a score from MSU sophomore winger James Gaulrapp just 1 minute, 17 seconds into the game. Gaulrapp lifted a slapper from the low right circle over Olthuis giving the Mavs their first lead of the season at 1-0.
UAA had a golden opportunity to tie the game early in the second frame with a 5-on-3 power-play chance, but the Mavericks were able to kill the entire 1 minute, 9 seconds of the two-man advantage off, to end the scoring threat.
Junior right wing Mick Berge gave MSU an insurance power-play goal at the 10:34 mark of the second by blasting a stick-busting slapper from above the left circle, giving the Mavericks a 2-0 advantage.
The Seawolves, who were shut out on home ice for the first time since a 4-0 setback to Minnesota Feb. 25, 2006, had a number of good scoring chances throughout the contests, but
UAA, which killed off a five-minute checking-from-behind penalty to sophomore Kevin Clark to begin the third, out shot MSU 9-5 in the final stanza, but were unable to get the puck past Zacharias.
For the second straight night the Seawolves were held scoreless on the power play going 0-for-5, while the Mavericks were 1-for-4.
Clark, junior defenseman Shane Lovdahl and sophomore defenseman Nils Backstrom led UAA's offensive efforts by attempting three shots each. Backstrom left the game late in the third with an injury.
The shutout was the first in the series since the 2000-01 season (3-0, MSU) and just the fifth all-time between the two teams. MSU now leads the all-time series 25-18-6.
The Seawolves make their first road trip of the season next weekend as they head to St. Cloud State for a two-game WCHA series Nov. 2-3.
