UND outpaces Minnesota State with three third-period goals – Grand Forks Herald

MANKATO, Minn. – Things looked bleak for UND.

Minnesota State's Zach Krajnik scored a goal from the top of the goal line late in the second period to make it 3-0. Fans at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center sang and danced to the “Ole” song — the Mavericks’ catchy goal tune — as the game seemed out of reach.

But up in the press box, UND player personnel coordinator Ryan LaDouceur was about to make a game-changing decision.

LaDouceur radioed to assistant coach Karl Goehring on the bench and said he believed Mavericks forward Adam Eisele had direct head contact with UND's Sacha Boisvert a minute earlier. When LaDouceur needed clarification on the rule, assistant athletic director Erik Martinson, the former chairman of the NCAA Hockey Rules Committee, sat next to him.

“Karl came to me and said, 'Hey, Deuce and Marty think this is a five-minute major…an elevated guy,'” UND coach Brad Berry said. “We challenged. Why not? It negates a goal.”

AND was right. It was a severe punishment.

Krajnik's goal fell off the board.

Minnesota State first-line center Eisele was ejected.

And UND played a five-minute power play that changed the game.

Cameron Berg and Louis Jamernik V scored in the first minute of the third period, then Carter Wilkie scored the game-winning goal from midcourt as UND rallied in the third period to beat Minnesota State 3-2 in the series opener

“Luckily we came out (in the third period) and our power play picked up a little bit,” Wilkie said.

UND moved to 2-0. Minnesota State fell to 2-3.

Abby Santos / Minnesota State Athletics

The Fighting Hawks had 3:29 on the power play at the end of the second period, but were unable to do much with it.

They turned the game around at the start of the third period.

Berg scored at :40, hammering a long rebound off the front wall into the goal after a Boisvert shot.

Just 18 seconds later, Boisvert centered a pass behind the net to Jamernik, who was alone in the goal area. Jamernik directed the pass with his skate. The puck deflected into the air and was punched in by Jamernik.

“I don’t remember much about it,” Jamernik said. “There were a lot of emotions. I lost my voice a little.”

UND got the win at 9:09 of the third period, catching Minnesota State on a line change.

UND defenseman Jake Livanavage made a pass to Wilkie on the left wing. A Mavericks defender had just jumped onto the bench, unaware that the play was coming his way.

Wilkie skated in and fired a five-hole shot from the left faceoff dot to Minnesota State goaltender Alex Tracy (19 saves).

“I just looked at the net and shot as hard as I could,” Wilkie said. “Luckily it ended up on the net. It was definitely a surreal feeling. I’m just excited to get this done, lose my cool a little bit and help in any way I can.”

Wilkie ran to the corner and jumped onto the boards in front of the UND fans to celebrate.

“They travel incredibly well,” said Wilkie, who transferred from RIT in the offseason. “I definitely looked up and saw a lot of black and green. I chose her straight away. It was exciting. These fans are incredible.”

UND finished the game thanks to key saves from goaltender TJ Semptimhelter, who finished with 23 saves.

The Fighting Hawks played a defensive corps comprised entirely of underclassmen. Their only senior on the squad, junior Bennett Zmolek, was unable to play due to an injury. Zmolek, who spent two seasons at Minnesota State, missed playing against his old team for the second straight season.

The game wasn't always pretty.

Berry said the Fighting Hawks got into trouble by trying to be too fancy.

“We show a lot of videos about how the other team plays,” Berry said. “They flood, they swarm, they get around pucks on forechecks and D-zone coverage. They make things really difficult and take up time and space. In this situation you really have to simplify your game. You have to turn pucks over.” “The chip goes out.” It's not a pretty style of play, but at the end of the day it's effective.”

Minnesota State's Josh Groll scored 14:39 in the first period and again just 2:20 in the second period to give the Mavericks a lead. Eisele prepared both goals.

“We didn’t have the best start,” said Jamernik. “We have to find our beginning. I liked our level of fighting. We stuck together But we have that turning point, we're mad and then we play really well after that.

“We have to find a way to start like that – start pissed off.”

Abby Santos / Minnesota State Athletics