MANKATO, Minn. –The Minnesota State Mavericks used a five-goal first period to dispatch the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves, 6-2, for the Western Collegiate Hockey Association series sweep at the Verizon Wireless Center on Saturday.
The Seawolves (6-6-2, 3-4-2 WCHA), who fall to 3-2-1 on the road, received their first goal from sophomore forward Tad Kozun – his team leading seventh of the season – late in the first, while senior defenseman Chris Williams collected his first collegiate goal in the second.
Assisting on Kozun's strike was senior forward Blake Tatchell and freshman forward Mason Mitchell. With the helper, Tatchell leads the Seawolves with 10 assists on the season and has 93 career points, while Mitchell picked up his sixth on the season and then was later ejected from the game for roughing. Sophomores Matt Anholt and Anthony Conti assisted on Williams' big night, with Anholt furnishing his 11th point on the season – second most on team and two more than last season.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks (8-6-2, 7-1-2 WCHA) scored 43 seconds into the game and again just over three minutes later for a 2-0 lead. A costly five-minute major for checking-from-behind on Jarrett Brown provided MSU with two power play strikes at 11:42 and 12:26.
After the 4-0 lead, UAA netminer Olivier Mantha (5-6-2) was pulled in favor of sophomore Jared D'Amico. D'Amico, seeing action in his second game of the season, allowed a shorthanded strike at 15:08, before Kozun's tally at 18:32.
Picking up a goal and four assists was MSU's Teddy Blueger. Blueger's five points in 1st period is the most by a WCHA player in single period since Feb. 21, 1987 when Scott Schneider set the record with six.
Following Williams goal at 15:45, the Mavericks added their final tally at 18:04.
A night after placing 12 shots on goal, the Seawolves landed 26 shots on target – improving to 24.6 shots per game this season.
The Seawolves continue on the road when they head to Houghton, Mich., to face the Michigan Tech Huskies, Dec. 4-5. Puck drop is 3:07 p.m. AST both nights.
