Last Updated 9:42 PM, October 15, 2022
Patrick Donnelly | krikya18.com

Minnesota State men's hockey completes sweep of Minnesota Duluth with 2-1 win

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1:20 am, October 16, 2022

FINAL: Minnesota State completes sweep of Duluth with 2-1 win

Senior forward Sam Morton scored twice, and No. 5 Minnesota State men’s hockey completed the weekend sweep of No. 4 Minnesota Duluth with a 2-1 win on home ice in Mankato, Minn., on Saturday.

Morton finished the weekend with four points (3g, 1a) for the Mavericks (3-1-0), and freshman goaltender Alex Tracy picked up his second straight win, making 15 saves. Mankato outscored UMD 8-1 through the two games.

For Duluth, senior forward Luke Loheit scored, and junior netminder Zach Stejskal made 15 saves.

MSU picked up right where they left off from Friday, opening the scoring just over seven minutes into the first period, thanks to Morton’s second of the weekend. The centerman roofed a backhand over Stejskal’s glove after winning the face-off back to the point and picking up the loose puck after UMD blocked Andy Carroll’s one-time bomb from distance.

RECAPPING FRIDAY: Check out how Minnesota State rolled over Duluth, 6-0

Loheit appeared to even it up at 1-1 for the Bulldogs on the power play in the second, but the goal was waved off after he batted the puck out of the air with a high stick.

Morton doubled the lead for Mankato at 10:35 of the second on the power play, finishing off a tic-tac-toe passing sequence with Akito Hirose and Jake Livingstone. Livingstone’s cross-ice slap-pass went into Morton’s feet, but he kicked to the stick and buried a snap shot from the right circle.

Loheit cut it to 2-1 with a one-timer from the high slot off a setup feed from Dominic James on the power play at 4:22 of the third. It was Minnesota Duluth’s first goal of the weekend after being shut out through the first 104:22 of action on the weekend.

Minnesota State and Duluth each went 1-for-3 on the power play.

Hirose (4a) also finished the weekend with four points, while Livingstone had a goal and two assists. 

The Mavericks will return to action next weekend when they visit No. 10 St. Cloud State. The Bulldogs will host Wisconsin.

1:15 am, October 16, 2022

EMPTY NET 🫣 Bulldogs have the extra attacker on late | 3rd – 18:23

Minnesota Duluth pulls Zach Stejskal in favor of the extra attacker, down 2-1 to Minnesota State late in the third period. 
12:54 am, October 16, 2022

GOAL! 🚨 Duluth finally gets on the board, 2-1 MSU | 3rd – 4:22

The Bulldogs cut the deficit in half as they get their first goal of the weekend. 

Luke Loheit ripped a one-timer from the high slot off a setup feed from Dominic James to make it 2-1 on the power play early in the third. Loheit had a goal waived off in the second period. 

Minnesota State had shut out UMD through 104:22 of play so far on the weekend. 

12:33 am, October 16, 2022

END 2ND: Minnesota State leads Duluth 2-0

Through two periods, the Mavericks have managed to keep the Bulldogs off the board so far this weekend, taking a 2-0 lead into the locker room.

UMD thought they tied the game at one apiece on the power play early in the second, but Luke Loheit batted the puck out of the air with a high stick, negating the goal.

Sam Morton picked up his second of the game shortly after with Minnesota State on the power play themselves, scoring on a snapper from the right circle after Jake Livingstone's setup pass went into his feet. 

Minnesota Duluth is outshooting MSU, 13-12. Mankato is 1-for-3 on the power play so far, while UMD is 0-for-2. 

12:16 am, October 16, 2022

GOAL! 🚨 Morton gets another, 2-0 Mavericks | 2nd – 10:35

After killing off a Minnesota Duluth power play, Minnesota State doubles their lead on the man-advantage, thanks to Sam Morton's second of the night to finish a tic-tac-toe passing sequence with Jake Livingstone and Akito Hirose.

Livingstone's slap-pass from across the zone was in Morton's feet, but the senior forward kicked the puck to his stick before burying a snap shot from the right face-off circle.

12:09 am, October 16, 2022

NO GOAL! 🙅‍♂️ Officials waive off would-be UMD equalizer | 2nd – 8:18

Minnesota Duluth thought they got on the board for the first time all weekend.

On the power play, Bulldogs forward Blake Blondi's centering pass to Luke Loheit deflected into the air, and Loheit batted it into the goal, appearing to tie it 1-1.

But the officials ruled no goal immediately, ruling the puck was played with a high stick. They upheld the call after review. 

11:39 pm, October 15, 2022

END 1ST: MSU leads UMD 1-0 through 20

Minnesota Duluth responded well from last night's big 6-0 loss. But the Bulldogs find themselves in a 1-0 hole to Minnesota State.

Sam Morton put the Mavericks on the board just over seven minutes into the game with a backhand from the slot to the top-right corner.

Shots on goal through the first period are 5-5. 

11:20 pm, October 15, 2022

GOAL! 🚨 Morton makes it 1-0 for MSU | 1st – 7:37

Minnesota State takes an early 1-0 lead thanks to senior forward Sam Morton's second goal of the weekend.

Morton roofed a backhand over Stejskal's glove after winning the face-off back to the point and picking up the loose puck after UMD blocked Andy Carroll's one-time bomb from distance. 

11:07 pm, October 15, 2022

The game is on 👀

The puck is down and we're underway in Mankato.

No. 4 Minnesota Duluth is looking to bounce back after No. 5 Minnesota State rolled to a big 6-0 win last night. 

10:40 pm, October 15, 2022

Puck-drop between the Mavericks and Bulldogs is 20 minutes away ⏳

We're just about 20 minutes away from Game 2 between No. 5 Minnesota State and No. 4 Minnesota Duluth in Mankato.

Freshman Alex Tracy will start again for the Mavericks after a 16-save shutout in last night's 6-0 victory, his first career start. Freshman forwards Luc Wilson and Adam Eisele draw in for MSU in place of junior Connor Gregga and sophomore Zach Krajnik.

Junior netminder Zach Stejskal gets the call between the pipes for UMD as both he and the Bulldogs look to bounce back from yesterday's loss. Freshman blue-liner Joey Pierce is in for first-year Riley Bodnarchuk as the extra skater.

Below are tonight's lineups:

10:12 pm, October 15, 2022

Get ready for Game 2 between Minnesota State and Duluth

The No. 5 Mavericks rolled past the No. 4 Bulldogs on home ice last night by a final score of 6-0.

Freshman goaltender Alex Tracy made 16 saves for the shutout in his collegiate debut for Minnesota State, while six different skaters scored. Senior forward Cade Borchardt (1g, 2a) and junior blue-liner Akito Hirose (3a) each had three points for Mankato, who moved to 2-1-0 on the season.

For UMD, junior netminder Zach Stejskal made 26 saves. Senior transfer Matthew Thiessen stopped both shots he saw in relief of Stejskal for the Bulldogs (2-1-0).

Puck drop for Game 2 in Mankato is set for 7:07 p.m. ET tonight. 

Here's how to follow along:

  • When: Saturday 7:07 p.m. ET
  • Where: Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center, Mankato, Minn.
  • Watch live:  (subscription required)
  • Live stats: krikya18.com | 
  • Rosters:   | 
  • Friday's box score: krikya18.com |
2:24 am, October 15, 2022

FINAL: Minnesota State shuts out Duluth, 6-0 💪

Six different skaters scored for No. 5 Minnesota State, and freshman goaltender Alex Tracy made 16 saves in his collegiate debut as the Mavericks shut out No. 4 Minnesota Duluth, 6-0, at home on Friday. 

Senior co-captain Cade Borchardt (1g, 2a) and junior defenseman Akito Hirose (3a) each had three points for the Mavericks (2-1-0). Will Hillman, Jake Livingstone, David Silye, Sam Morton and Josh Groll each scored as well.

Junior netminder Zach Stejskal made 26 saves on 32 shots for the Bulldogs (2-1-0). Senior transfer Matthew Thiessen stopped both shots he faced in relief of Stejskal in the third period. 

Silye gave Mankato an early 1-0 lead on the power play at 11:29 of the first period. Hirose worked the puck low to Borchardt, who fed Silye in the slot, where the junior forward ripped a one-timer by Stejskal. 

Groll doubled Minnesota State's lead just over five minutes later when Silye's shot from distance deflected in off him.

Late in the first, UMD junior defenseman Luke Mylymok took a five-minute major and 10-minute misconduct for hitting from behind, and Livingstone made it 3-0 with five seconds left in the period on the ensuing power play. Senior defenseman Andy Carroll's wrist shot into the pile in front deflected to Livingstone to the side of the crease, giving the junior blue-liner the whole net to shoot at.

The power play carried over into the second and quickly became a 5-on-3 after a high-sticking call. On the two-man advantage, Minnesota State took a 4-0 lead just 2:34 into the middle period, thanks to Borchardt, who finished a cross-ice setup from Livingstone with a catch-and-release wrister.

Hillman tacked on another tally with under a minute remaining in the second when Hirose's shot from the point pin-balled in front before trickling in off him, and Morton added another power play marker early in the third, finishing a tic-tac-toe play with a one-timer at the right face-off circle. 

Tracy wasn't tested often but was strong when he needed to be, making a sprawling save on Dominic James' rebound attempt after making the initial stop on Aiden Dubinsky's shot from the point with just under six minutes remaining in regulation.

Junior forward Ondrej Pavel thought he got in on the fun to make it 7-0 when his shot went in off the post and immediately shot back out of the net, but the officials ruled no goal on the ice. They upheld the call during the stoppage without reviewing the play, saying the puck hit the crossbar. Minnesota State head coach Mike Hastings said postgame the replay system at ice level was down, preventing the opportunity to review the chance. 

The Mavericks were 4-for-7 on the power play, while the Duluth went 0-for-5. Minnesota State has now won five straight meetings with the Bulldogs.

Game 2 of this weekend's series is set for Saturday at 7:07 p.m. ET. 

2:17 am, October 15, 2022

NO GOAL! 🤨 Pavel thought he made it 7-0 for State | 3rd – 17:01

Minnesota State appeared to take a 7-0 lead when Ondrej Pavel's shot went in off the post before shooting back out of the net, but the officials thought the shot only hit the post, ruling no goal. 

After play stopped, the officials held up the call on the ice and chose not to review the play, saying the puck hit the crossbar.

UPDATE: Minnesota State head coach Mike Hastings said postgame the replay system was down at ice level, preventing the option to review the scoring chance.

1:54 am, October 15, 2022

GOAL! 🚨 6-0 Minnesota State off another power play goal | 3rd – 2:47

The Mavericks extend the lead to 6-0, thanks to their fourth power play goal of the night.

Senior forward Sam Morton connected with Borchardt and senior forward Lucas Sowder to finish a tic-tac-toe play.

Sowder worked the puck to Borchardt in the left corner below the goaline, and he zipped a pass cross-ice to Morton coming down the wing. Morton made no mistake has he one-timed it past Stesjkal.

That'll do it for Stejskal as well after giving up six goals on 32 shots. Senior transfer Matthew Thiesen is in net for Minnesota Duluth.

1:36 am, October 15, 2022

END 2ND: Minnesota State builds on big lead, 5-0

Through two periods, Minnesota State leads Duluth 5-0 after bookending the period with goals. 

Cade Borchardt scored early in the period to make it 4-0, before Akito Hirose added another to with 45.2 seconds left in the frame. 

The Mavericks are outshooting the Bulldogs 31-7 so far. 

UMD had two power play opportunities to try to right the ship while the deficit was still 4-0, but failed to convert. The Bulldogs are 0-for-4 on the advantage so far tonight. Meanwhile, Mankato is 3-for-6 on the power play.