By Shane Frederick
Free Press Staff Writer
MANKATO — The series took place two years ago but the results still resonate.
“My freshman year,” Minnesota State defenseman Ben Youds said. “That was a kick in the groin. We didn’t make it to the Final Five, and then we didn’t make it to the national tournament.”
It was the first round of the 2008 Western Collegiate Hockey Association tournament, and Minnesota State was playing Minnesota. The three-game series in downtown Mankato included two double-overtime thrillers sandwiched around a single-overtime game. Minnesota won the final game 3-2, ending the Mavericks’ season and their best chance of getting back to the WCHA Final Five since their last appearance there in 2003.
“We lost three tough battles to the U,” Youds said. “It’s everybody’s goal to play at the X” — meaning the Xcel Energy Center, home of the Final Five tournament.
Tonight, Minnesota State will open the WCHA tournament with the first game of a best-of-three series at St. Cloud State.
The Mavericks finished in a tie for eighth place in the conference but after defeating and tying the third-place and seventh-ranked Huskies a week ago, they’re going into the rematch with confidence.
“The boys are ready,” said Youds, who is tied with fellow defenseman Kurt Davis for third place in team scoring with 23 points. “Playoff hockey is always fun. ... We’ve been playing great hockey the last month and a half. We’ve really come a long way.”
After going through a stretch where they won just one of eight conference games, the Mavericks closed the season with a 3-2-1 record, with both losses coming against top-ranked Denver.
But will that improvement translate into a a trip to St. Paul and an end to a six-year Final Five drought?
“That’s our goal right now,” senior forward Zach Harrison said. “That’s what we’re looking forward to.”
Since playing in WCHA’s main event in 2003, the Mavericks have taken three different teams to the brink of elimination before falling in the third game.
All three began with Minnesota State wins — a 4-3 overtime win at Duluth in 2004, a 3-2 overtime win at North Dakota in 2006 and a 1-0 double-overtime win over Minnesota two seasons ago.
Last year, Wisconsin swept the Mavericks out of the first round.
Mavericks coach Troy Jutting said advancing out of the first round would be a boon for his senior class.
“They’ve persevered,” Jutting said. “It would have been easy for them to go in a different direction. But they’ve worked hard and have a great attitude. They continue to come to the rink to get better and to be better.”
The big question for the Mavericks is: Can they score enough goals to get over the hump?
Minnesota State has played in 16 WCHA games decided by one goal or less and have lost nine of them.
“Hopefully, those experiences are going to get us through this weekend,” Jutting said. “It’s going to be a tough weekend. Hopefully, all of those tight, close games will help us.”
