Despite an early 2-0 lead, seven unanswered goals from Minnesota State derailed the Bulldogs’ plans for a sweep of the No. 14 ranked Mavericks.
A strong start from the Bulldogs (8-16-2, 7-11 in CCHA) in the opening frame did not carry throughout the rest of the game. By the end of the first, Minnesota State (17-7-2, 12-4-2 in CCHA) found two goals of their own. After 40 minutes, Ferris was down two. A lopsided final frame left the Bulldogs with a 7-2 loss.
Head coach Bob Daniels stressed that the team must be able to play a full weekend of hockey.
“I just didn’t feel like we had the energy [tonight],” Daniels said. “Earlier in the year, the mantra was learning to play a complete 60 minute game and we did that yesterday. Now, the thing is that we got to learn to play 120 minutes on a weekend against the caliber of a team like that.”
Ferris has collected only one sweep this season, as they have split six other series during the campaign. However, Daniels doesn’t believe that there’s a way to teach the team other than play in “games like this.”
Following Ferris’ 2-0 shutout of the Mavericks on Friday night, it only took 38 seconds for them to equal the previous night’s effort. Junior forwards Gavin Best and Caiden Gault, the teams’ leading goal scorers, netted the only Bulldog goals of the contest. Before the period was over, the game was tied again.
Two goals in the second and then three more in the third equated to a five-goal blowout at the hands of Minnesota State. The Mavericks’ seven goals tonight was the fourth time this season that the Bulldogs have allowed seven or more tallies.
With a month left to play before the end of the CCHA’s regular season, Ferris sits in eighth place with 21 points in the standings.
Unlike previous years, this will be the only series that Ferris will play against Minnesota State. The Bulldogs will face another Minnesota team, as they travel to play Bemidji State next weekend on Friday, Jan. 31 and Saturday, Feb. 1.