2008 Woodie Awards
MSU men earn third-straight sweep against Alaska-Anchorage
by Pat Ottum
Issue date: 2/12/08
Section: Mens Sports
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Fast forward three weeks, and 15th-ranked MSU is now one of the nation's hottest teams.
The Mavericks swept Alaska Anchorage at home last weekend, 3-1 and 4-2, to record their third-consecutive WCHA sweep, and their current six-game winning streak is the longest since the 2002-03 season.
That season was the last and only time the Mavericks qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
"We're definitely hot right now," sophomore forward Kael Mouillierat said, who contributed two goals and an assist in the weekend sweep. "We needed a sweep this weekend. There were no ifs, ands or buts about it.
"The guys in the locker room knew we could make a run like this."
On Friday night at the Alltel Center, MSU found itself behind 1-0 before Jason Wiley's ninth goal of the year, coming on the power play, which tied the game at one. The play was set up when defenseman Ben Youds hustled to keep the puck in the zone. Mick Berge then picked the up the puck, fed it across the rink to Mouillierat, who slid it to Wiley on the doorstep where he handily finished the passing play.
In the second, Joel Hanson's goal was waved off, but he quickly avenged the goal that was taken away when he took a two-on-one feed from Trevor Bruess, putting the Mavericks up 2-1. Bruess added a goal of his own a few minutes later on the power play, when he deflected a Kurt Davis shot from the point, and MSU went on to win 3-1.
"We won without our best performance," head coach Troy Jutting said. "We played smart, but not necessarily well."
MSU looked to finish Saturday with a better performance and complete the sweep, and they did so, winning 4-2.
In the first, the Mavericks had several scoring chances, but couldn't seem to solve UAA freshman goaltender Bryce Christianson. MSU fired 16 shots on goal in the period, and sophomore Zach Harrison's fifth goal of the season was the only one that found the back of the net. On the goal, Harrison made a tremendous individual effort and finished it when his wrist shot beat Christianson, hitting the far post and bouncing in.
"I'm thinking, 'their goalie is playing pretty well,' Jutting said.
"It could have been 6-0."
Leading 1-0 in the second, Jon Kalinski found Mick Berge on a breakaway, who made a move to beat Christianson, putting MSU up 2-0. That would be the score heading into the second intermission. The Mavericks were out-shooting the Seawolves 30-11.
In the third, Mouillierat added two goals less than three minutes apart and MSU saw itself leading 4-0. Alaska-Anchorage added two goals in the period, but MSU held on for the win, 4-2.
"We have the confidence where we can play against any team in the country right now," Mouillierat said.
The Mavericks' sweep tied them for fourth in the WCHA standings with No. 11 Wisconsin, and with MSU traveling to play The Badgers next weekend, it sets up an important showdown that will play a big factor in how things play out in the standings for the rest of the season.
Pat Ottum is a Reporter staff writer
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