By Shane Frederick
DENVER — The Minnesota State men’s hockey team’s depth helped them out in Saturday night’s 4-4 tie with No. 2-ranked Denver.
Mavericks coach Troy Jutting made two lineup changes after Friday’s 4-3 loss to the Pioneers, swapping out Tyler Thompson for Adam Mueller at forward and Nick Canzanello for Joe Schiller on defense.
The move paid off quickly, as Schiller scored the game’s first goal, getting an assist from Mueller.
“They were fresh guys,” Jutting said. “It’s not that the other guys didn’t play well. But with the hard games and, especially, the altitude, it was good to have fresh, healthy guys out there.”
For Schiller, a sophomore who has made the switch to defense, it was his first collegiate goal. He also has three assists this season. Mueller has a goal and two assists on the year.
Jutting also changed goalies, going with Kevin Murdock on Saturday after starting Austin Lee on Friday. The two goalies combined to stop 71 of 79 shots on the weekend.
Power surge
The Mavericks scored three power-play goals on Saturday, putting 11 shots on net, including four in overtime, with the man advantage.
Before that game, Denver had allowed just two power-play goals in 32 kills over its first seven games.
“We just started moving the puck faster,” said MSU freshman Tyler Pitlick, who scored his first two collegiate goals — both power-play goals — on Saturday. “We just tried to make the other team move around, find some 2-on-1s and shoot as much as possible.”
Pitlick, who is the youngest player in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, celebrated his 18th birthday on Sunday.
Minnesota State is now 7 for 49 on the power play this season.
Brotherly love
MSU junior forward Rylan Galiardi’s younger brother, T.J. Galiardi, who plays for the National Hockey League Colorado Avalanche, was able to watch Saturday night’s game.
T.J. Galiardi, who played one season of college hockey at Dartmouth, is out four to six weeks with an ankle sprain, which allowed him to take in the game at Magness Arena and visit his brother outside the locker room afterward.
The Galiardis are one of 11 sets of brothers with one player in the college ranks and another in the NHL.
Four of those combinations have a WCHA connection, including Denver sophomore defenseman John Lee, whose brother Brian Lee, a former North Dakota player, plays for the Ottawa Senators.
Loose pucks
Word on Denver goalie Marc Cheverie, whose left calf was cut by Justin Jokinen’s skate on Friday: 35 stiches and out up four to five weeks. … The Mavericks are winless in their last 10 games in Denver (0-8-2). … The Mavericks are idle this weekend and will host Colorado College on Nov. 13-14.
Freep stars of the series
Minnesota State’s top players on the weekend
1. Ben Youds — Logged a ton of ice time and had three assists on Saturday.
2. Tyler Pitlick — Talented freshman scored his first college goals on Saturday.
3. Eriah Hayes — Freshman had a goal and an assist and was plus-2 on Friday.
