By Ayden Adair · The Hawks hosted the Mavericks of Minnesota State University - Mankato this past weekend. The Mavericks enter the weekend 0-2-2 after being swept on…
The Hawks hosted the Mavericks of Minnesota State University - Mankato this past weekend. The Mavericks enter the weekend 0-2-2 after being swept on home ice at the hands of the Badgers just a weekend ago. North Dakota enters the weekend 4-6-0 after being swept the previous weekend by rival Crookston. This mid-season matchup marks the first of two inter-divisional series for the Hawks.
Friday night's contest wouldn't take long to see its first goal as Matthew Walz would get the Hawks on the board 49 seconds into play. The Mavericks would answer with three of their own before the end of the period. The second period would offer a similar story to the first as Mankato would score two more goals before the Hawks would be forced to make a change. Goaltender, Connor Christian, would leave the game with 8 minutes remaining in the period. He would have 17 saves in his debut for the Hawks. Ayden Adair would come in to relieve Christian. Mankato would net another on Adair's first shot of the game. North Dakota would strike back with a powerplay goal at the 5 minute mark of the period coming from the stick of newcomer Carter Flor. The two teams would each trade a goal in the third period. Brady Haskell would have the final tally for the Hawks 24 seconds before the final buzzer rang. Mankato takes game 1 by a score of 7-3. Adair's night finishes with 13 saves.
The Hawks would come back with a vengeance on Saturday as they would yet again open the scoring. Luke Brennan would get his first career ACHA goal 2 minutes into the game. Mankato would answer with a tally of their own 4 minutes later leveling the score. An unlikely goal scorer in Alex Clark would take the lead back for the Hawks 30 seconds later. Hunter Campbell would add another tally for North Dakota 30 seconds after Clark's goal. Max Finkel would join the club 2 minutes later adding yet another Goal for the Hawks. The Mavericks would final answer with a goal of their own at the 9 minute mark of the period. The Hawks would score one more before the clock struck zeros in the first coming from Matthew Walz. After a high scoring affair in the first period, the second period would prove to be relatively quiet. Mankato would score twice in the second period to bring them within one of the Hawks going into the third period. The high scoring affair would continue in the third period as Mitchel Willis would get the Hawks back on the board 1:38 into the period. Matthew Walz would get his second of the game two minutes later to extend the Hawks lead to three. Pavel Rettig would record another goal for North Dakota 9 minutes into the period. The Mavericks would come back alive and score three straight bringing them back within one for the second time this game. Matthew Walz would put the dagger in Mankato's hopes of a comeback with 2 minutes remaining in the game, earning himself a hat trick along the way. Staurday's matchup would end in a 9-7 win for the Hawks proving to be by far the highest scoring game yet for the North Dakota. Adair would earn all 56 of his saves as well as pickup his second win of the season.
It's another weekend split for the Hawks on home ice, marking their third of the season. The Mavericks prove to have a successful trip to Grand Forks as they earn their first win advancing to record of 1-3-2 before heading on the road again next weekend to face off against the Blugolds of Wisconsin-Eau Clarie. North Dakota will be back on home ice next weekend in their first of two matchups versus the Dragons of Minnesota State-Moorhead where they will look to improve upon their 5-7-0 record.