UAA and Minnesota State-Mankato literally compete in the same conference – they are Western Collegiate Hockey Association brethren – but it's a stretch to say the Seawolves are figuratively in the same league as the Mavericks.
More evidence emerged Friday night, when league-leading and No. 18-ranked Minnesota State-Mankato delivered a 3-0 victory at Sullivan Arena.
The Mavericks have won all three games against the Seawolves this season – they swept 2-0 and 6-2 in Minnesota in November. They have outscored them 11-2 and outshot them 114-53. The shot disparity Friday: Mavericks 33, Seawolves 15.
The Seawolves' loss came on a night when they enjoyed an opportunity – albeit, a difficult one – to strengthen their hold on eighth place in the 10-team conference, where only the top eight finishers make the playoffs. Ninth-place UAF already had lost a heartbreaker four times zones away, falling 6-5 at Michigan Tech after falling behind 4-0 in the first period, rallying to forge a 5-5 tie deep into the third period and losing on a last-minute goal.
UAA (11-17-3, 8-14-2 WCHA) remains two points ahead of UAF, and each team has three regular-season games left, including a series next weekend in Fairbanks that doubles as Games 3 and 4 of the annual Governor's Cup.
But UAA could not leverage potential into prosperity against Minnesota State-Mankato (16-10-7, 14-4-7 WCHA), which maintained its two-point edge on Michigan Tech and Bowling Green, which are tied for second place.
The Seawolves get another crack at the Mavericks on Saturday night in the series finale.
"We can't play afraid of their speed,'' said UAA captain Austin Sevalrud. "We have to respect it. I think we played on our heels a lot because we didn't want to get beat by their speed.''
The Mavericks won the majority of puck battles against the Seawolves and won the majority of footraces to the puck. That made for a relatively light night for Mavericks junior goalie Cole Huggins, who bagged his second shutout this season and the ninth of his career.
Minnesota State-Mankato quickly asserted its superiority. Seawolves slayer Bryce Gervais cracked the home team 97 seconds in, taking Zeb Knutson's deft pass at the UAA line, blowing in alone on Olivier Mantha and rifling a wrister past the sophomore's stick side.
Gervais has scored four goals against UAA in three games this season. He's also scored six goals in his last five games against the Seawolves and seven in the last seven games. In those seven games, he is plus-8 and has unleashed 31 shots on goal.
Dylan Margonari extended the Mavericks' lead to 2-0 midway through the game with a jam job in the crease, and C.J. Franklin late in the second period scored on a 2-on-1 to give his club ample cushion.
UAA's power play continued to be a black hole. The Seawolves went 0 for 3 with the man advantage and were credited with just one shot on goal in six minutes on the power play. In the last 21 games, UAA has converted a mere 4 of 78 power-play chances (5.1-percent efficiency).
The Seawolves did kill a major face-masking penalty against winger Dylan Hubbs in the third period, an achievement that could give them a small foothold of confidence entering the series finale.
Only Mantha's solid work (30 saves) kept the Mavericks from ballooning their lead – he stopped six shots during that major against Hubbs.
Still, UAA sophomore winger Tad Kozun thought his club lost the labor battle.
"They outworked us,'' he said. "It was night and day.''
Kozun lauded the Mavericks' persistence and said the Seawolves need to match it Saturday.
"They work hard, they go to the net and they don't get denied,'' Kozun said. "They don't make many mistakes and when they do, we've got to capitalize.''
Seawolves notes
Sophomore center Matt Anholt's seven-game point streak (3-6—9) and sophomore winger Anthony Conti's three-game point streak (0-4—4) were both halted.
UAA coach Matt Thomas dressed 11 forwards and seven defensemen. He juggled his three forward lines in the third period, when the Seawolves managed seven of their 15 total shots.
The Seawolves' two lowest shot totals of the season – 15 Friday and 12 in a 2-0 loss in November – have come against the Mavericks.
Mavericks freshman Ryan Schwalbe of Anchorage was a healthy scratch.
Reach Doyle Woody at dwoody@alaskadispatch.com, check out his blog at adn.com/hockeyblog and follow him on Twitter at @JaromirBlagr
?MSM 1 2 0 3
UAA 0 0 0 0
First Period – 1, MSM, Gervais 13 (Knutson, Schmeisser), 1:37. Penalties – Foguth, MSM (interference), 6:22; MacTavish, UAA (interference), 8:37; Coatta, MSM (interference), 15:42.
Second Period – 2, MSM, Margonari 4 (Blueger, Mullin), 9:26; 3, MSM, Franklin 14, 17:32. Penalties – Sevalrud, UAA (hooking), 4:49; Margonari, MSM (tripping), 14:36.
Third Period -- None. Penalties – Hubbs, UAA, major (facemasking), 12:19.
Shots on goal – MSM 7-17-9—33. UAA 3-5-7—15.
Power-play Opportunities – MSM 0 of 3. UAA 0 of 3.
Goalies – MSM, Huggins, 8-8-2 (15 shots-15 saves). UAA, Mantha, 10-15-3 (33 shots-30 saves).
A – 1,539. T – 2:14.
Referees – Butch Mousseaux, Peter Friesema. Assistant referees – Carl Saden, John Canoy.