The Mavericks showed why they’re the champions of the CCHA and one of the best programs in

the country by completing their last-minute comeback just 68 seconds into overtime and scoring a 3-2 victory over the Wildcats.

NMU led 2-0 with three minutes to go in regulation before Mankato broke through on the scoreboard for the first time all night with 2:19 left on a goal by Ondrej Pavel.

The play developed when Mankato’s Andy Carroll took the puck in the high slot and passed it to freshman Simon Tassy in the left circle. Tassy then passed it to the front of the net, where Pavel waited at the edge of the crease to tip it in, according to an account from Minnesota State-Mankato Sports Information.

The Mavericks had pulled goalie Keenan Rancier just a handful of seconds earlier in favor of an extra attacker, and the move paid off.

Northern Michigan University senior forward Andre Ghantous strides while moving on the Berry Events Center rink in Marquette during a Wildcats' game in the 2022-23 season. (Photo courtesy NMU)

Mankato soon pulled Rancier again as they needed one more goal to force OT. About a minute after Pavel’s goal, NMU’s Vincent de Mey had a chance to make Minnesota State pay for the move, but couldn’t get loose from two Mavericks’ defenders to get off a shot into the open net, according to an account from NMU Sports Information.

Instead, seconds later Mankato gained entry into the Wildcats’ defensive zone as a bouncing puck landed on the stick of Christian Fitzgerald, who was unattended at the far post and knocked it past Northern goaltender Beni Halasz with 58 seconds to go to tie it 2-2.

Then with the recently gained momentum still on their side, the Mavs needed just 1:08 into the OT to win it. Zach Krajnik got the puck from Cade Borchardt on his forehand, turned to his backhand and fired a shot that got through Halasz, according to Mankato SI.

It had to be a huge letdown for the Wildcats, who just before the late Mavericks’ scoring flurry killed off nearly a minute and a half of being shorthanded 5-on-3 after penalties were called on the NMU’s Alex Frye and Aiden Gallacher 41 seconds apart.

Right after those penalties expired was when the Mavericks first pulled their goalie.

Despite being outshot for the entire night 33-25 and winning just 17 faceoffs to 42 for Mankato, everything had been going Northern’s way on the scoreboard. One thing that helped was the Wildcats blocking 27 shots while Mankato had just seven of those. Plus NMU killed off all five shorthanded situations it faced.

Then there was the play of Halasz combined with the scoring prowess of Frye, who netted both of NMU’s goals in a span of just over 10 minutes late in the second and early in the third periods.

Halasz ended with 30 saves, while Rancier had 23.

For a long time, though, the game was scoreless. The game’s first whistle wasn’t blown until after three minutes were played with skating up and down the rink. Northern’s Simon Kjellberg streaked in from the right wing boards and fired a shot that generated a rebound for teammate Rylan Van Unen to test Rancier early.

But Mankato, helped by an early power play, carried much of the play early.

Then the Wildcats had the best scoring chance of the opening period, when with less than five minutes left before the first intermission, Northern senior Andre Ghantous was awarded a penalty shot but was stopped by Rancier on his try.

Mankato held a 10-7 shots on goal advantage after 20 minutes, winning 13 of 16 faceoffs, too.

Halasz made a point-blank save early in the second, then Northern killed off its third shorthanded situation by the time the middle period was eight minutes old.

Then with 3:39 left in the second, Frye received a pass from teammate David Keefer after the latter stole the puck from a Mavs’ skater. Frye walked down the left side wing and fired a wrister past Rancier’s short side for Frye’s fifth goal and Keefer’s 10th assist of the season, according to NMU SI.

The Wildcats had a 9-7 edge in shots in the second, though they lost faceoffs 15-6.

Northern’s defense kept good chances from reaching Halasz to start the third.

Not quite 7 1/2 minutes into the period, the puck took an odd bounce off the boards and over an MSM defender’s stick to set up Frye on a clear-cut breakaway, according to NMU SI. He made a decisive move and beat Rancier on a deke to extend his team’s lead to two as Gallacher and Tanner Vescio picked up assists.

Then with 5:40 to play, Frye picked up the first of two NMU penalties about 40 seconds apart. The resulting 5-on-3 power play for the nation’s best power play unit was blanked.

But it all went haywire in the game’s closing few minutes.

NMU SI noted that this was the first time all season that the Wildcats lost a game after leading entering the third period after winning their first 11 like that. And the Mavericks were 0-7-1 in games trailing after two periods before Saturday.

This was Frye’s third career multigoal game and gives him 18 points this season.

Mankato SI said attendance was 4,805 at the Mayo Clinic Health Systems Event Center in Mankato, and that Saturday’s win was second second straight CCHA championship game win in overtime after turning the trick a year ago against Bemidji State.

Rancier improved his record to 18-9-1, including 15-3 since the first of January.

The NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Selection Show to be telecast on ESPNU was scheduled for Sunday evening.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.

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