MANKATO — It was Minnesota State men’s hockey alumni weekend Friday and Saturday, and the program celebrated four decades of the sport at the school.

Several former players were in attendance, and a few even played in a game against each other on Saturday afternoon.

It’s amazing to think that more than a quarter of the Mavericks’ history now includes their Division I and Western Collegiate Hockey Association eras.

One of the stars of the last decade, B.J. Abel, was in the Verizon Wireless Center (yes, the rink’s name has changed twice since Abel graduated) on Saturday. He played in the alumni game and then witnessed his alma mater’s 4-3 victory over Alaska-Anchorage.

Now a grain trader living in Minneapolis, Abel was the captain of the 2002-03 Mavericks. He played somewhat in the shadows of teammates Grant Stevenson and Shane Joseph, whose All-American banners hang from the Mankato arena’s rafters. But there was little question that he was the team’s leader, establishing himself as one of the WCHA’s best defensive forwards even as he scored 36 points.

Watching Team USA in the Olympics and seeing former North Dakota standout and current New Jersey Devils forward Zach Parise become an American star, one can’t help but think back to the Mavericks’ late-season sweep of the Sioux seven years ago and Abel’s complete shutdown of the young Parise.

One also can’t help but think, That was seven years ago?

Indeed, that was the last time Minnesota State advanced out of the first round of the WCHA playoff and to the Final Five and the last time the Mavericks went to the NCAA tournament. It was among the great moments in the program’s 40 years, along with the 1980 national championship as well as the 1979 and 1991 national runner-up finishes and other Division II-III final four appearances.

Abel’s team found ways to win and get points that season, reeling off 17 games in a row without a loss at one point. The Mavericks played in 15 overtime games, winning three, losing two and tying 10 times.

On six separate occasions, Minnesota State scored goals in the final three minutes to force over time, including three times in the final minute with the goalie pulled for an extra attacker. Besides their three overtime winners, the Mavericks scored nine game-winning goals in the third period that season.

Those kinds of clutch goals have been rare for Minnesota State this year, as they’ve lost nine of their 17 one-goal games and have not won any of their five overtime games.

The Mavericks have been good at protecting leads (12-0-0 when leading after two periods) but not so much when it comes to coming from behind (0-12-0 when trailing after two periods).

But something sure seemed clutch about Saturday night when Mike Louwerse scored at the 15-minute mark of the third period to lift the Mavericks to a 4-3 victory over the Seawolves.

The goal came just 28 seconds after Anchorage had tied the game late in the second of back-to-back power plays.

“We got a gritty couple of wins,” this year’s MSU captain, Geoff Irwin, said after the series sweep. “We’ve been preaching to keep our heads up and to try to make a difference on the next shift.”

Even as they sit near the bottom of the WCHA standings, the Mavericks have hopes of getting back to the Final Five for the first time since Abel’s era.

It’s going to take a good run over the last four games of the regular season as well as a playoff series win in a hostile rink.

But, like that team seven seasons ago, it’s going to take some clutch goals.



Shane Frederick is a Free Press staff writer. Read his blog at mankatofreepresshockey.blogspot.com.