GameCenter final: UND 6, MSU-Mankato 2
Oct. 27—GRAND FORKS — Jackson Blake scored twice and added an assist, Owen McLaughlin scored and added two assists, and defenseman Garrett Pyke had three assists to lead UND to a 6-2 win over Minnesota State-Mankato. The Fighting Hawks scored four times in the first period to open a big lead.
First star: Jackson Blake, UND, 2 goals, 1 assist.
Second star: Garrett Pyke, UND, 3 assists.
Third star: Owen McLaughlin, UND, 1 goal, 2 assists.
UND 1, MSU-Mankato 0 — Logan Britt 1 (Griffin Ness) 2:54. Ness chips the puck from the half wall back to the point, where Britt launches a shot off the crossbar and in. Maverick goalie Alex Tracy appeared to be screened by his own defenseman, Jordan Power, on the play. It's Britt's first goal as a Fighting Hawk. He scored two last season at Sacred Heart.
UND 2, MSU-Mankato 0 — Jayden Perron 3 (Cameron Berg, Jake Livanavage) 11:23. Berg has the puck in the corner and throws it to the middle of the ice. The puck ends up on Perron's stick, he boxes out the defenseman, moves it around Tracy's leg and dumps it home for his third goal of the season.
UND 3, MSU-Mankato 0 — Owen McLaughlin 1 (Jackson Blake, Garrett Pyke) 11:58 (pp). UND's power play drought ends at 15 as the Fighting Hawks score on their first advantage of the night. McLaughlin has the puck in the left circle and rips a shot through a screen for his first of the year. The goalie chases Tracy, McLaughlin's old junior hockey teammate, out of the game. Keenan Rancier replaces Tracy.
UND 4, MSU-Mankato 0 — Jackson Blake 3 (Garrett Pyke, Owen McLaughlin) 15:03 (pp). UND's power play keeps clicking. It's 2-for-2 after Blake gets the puck in the right circle and rips a snap shot past Rancier on the short side. The Mavericks call a timeout to regroup after allowing a fourth goal in the first period and third in 3:40.
UND 5, MSU-Mankato 0 — Hunter Johannes 4 (Louis Jamernik V, Garrett Pyke) 9:55. Johannes tacks on another one in impressive fashion. The winger flies up the right side with major speed, skates into space and snaps a wrist shot past Rancier's glove for his team-leading fourth goal of the season. Pyke tallies his third assist of the night.
UND 5, MSU-Mankato 1 — Sam Morton (Lucas Sowder, Evan Murr) 14:07. Morton breaks through for the Mavericks with a wrist shot from the slot during four-on-four play. It's Morton's third goal of the season and Sowder's fifth-career point against UND.
UND 5, MSU-Mankato 2 — Luc Wilson 2 (Brett Moravec) 18:32. Moravec forces a turnover on Jackson Blake and starts a breakaway for Wilson. Wilson's initial attempt is stopped by Ludvig Persson, but he scores on the followup.
UND 6, MSU-Mankato 2 — Jackson Blake 4 (Owen McLaughlin) 11:01. McLaughlin wins an offensive zone draw clean to Blake, who snaps a wrister past Rancier's glove for his second goal of the game. Blake and McLaughlin join Pyke with three-point nights.
Forwards
18 Jayden Perron—14 Cameron Berg—17 Riese Gaber
8 Jake Schmaltz—22 Owen McLaughlin—9 Jackson Blake
26 Dylan James—27 Louis Jamernik V—28 Hunter Johannes
13 Carson Albrecht—11 Griffin Ness—21 Ben Strinden
Defensemen
7 Garrett Pyke—4 Jake Livanavage
6 Logan Britt—25 Abram Wiebe
15 Nate Benoit—10 Tanner Komzak
5 Dane Montgomery
Goaltenders
32 Ludvig Persson
30 Hobie Hedquist
1 Kaleb Johnson
Not in lineup: D Keaton Pehrson (inj), D Bennett Zmolek (inj), F Michael Emerson, F Jackson Kunz
Forwards
21 Lucas Sowder—6 Sam Morton—28 Brian Carrabes
7 Luc Wilson—15 Adam Eisele—4 Brett Moravec
25 Brenden Olson—23 Jordan Steinmetz—12 Josh Groll
19 Will Hillman—26 Kaden Bohlsen—20 Connor Gregga
Defensemen
5 Mason Wheeler—10 Evan Murr
13 Jordan Power—8 Campbell Cichosz
3 Brandon Koch—22 Steve Bellini
18 Jakob Stender
Goaltenders
33 Alex Tracy
32 Andrew Miller
35 Keenan Rancier
Not in lineup: F Tyler Haskins, F Kade Nielsen, F Zach Krajnik, F Tanner Edwards, D Tony Malinowski
Referees — Brady Johnson and STerling Egan
Linesmen — Jeff Schultz and Daniel Naylor
Supervisor — Mike Schmitt
UND is down two defensemen due to injury — Keaton Pehrson and Bennett Zmolek. Both are listed as day-to-day. . . Dane Montgomery will play his first official game since March 12, 2022. That one came against Colorado College in the NCHC playoffs. Montgomery did skate in the preseason exhibition against Manitoba. . . Defenseman Tanner Komzak will make his college debut. . . UND's forward lines are identical to last Saturday against Minnesota. . . Minnesota State continues to keep its top two lines together — and continues to shuffle the third and fourth lines. . . The goalie battle is Ludvig Persson vs. Alex Tracy. Both goalies have played every minute for their teams this season.
