Nov. 24, 2006

By John Gilbert

When Minnesota State claimed a 5-5 tie at Minnesota Duluth on Nov. 17, it was definitely a moral victory for the Mavericks. The next night, Minnesota State beat the Bulldogs 5-3, proving that, beneficial as moral victories are, the other kind are so much sweeter.

As a tactician, Mavericks coach Jeff Vizenor varies systems to put his women's hockey team in the best position for an upcoming opponent. Generally, as the WCHA's "Big Two" expanded to a "Big Three" with Wisconsin moving up to join programs at Minnesota Duluth and Minnesota, that has meant a cautious, slow-it-down system to confront the perceived advantages of those elite teams.

Against such a plan, UMD had opened the season by sweeping 3-1, 6-1 games at Mankato, and as impressive as the Bulldogs were back in October, Vizenor knew his team hadn't played well. So after the Mavericks journeyed by bus for the return series a week before Thanksgiving, Vizenor decided it was time for a change. He talked it over with his assistant coaches, and then with the players, and on Friday - the day of the series opener - he used the time of the game-day skate to put his players through a walk-through of a new game-plan on the DECC ice.

"It's all in the timing," said Vizenor. "And now was the time to change to something bold. We usually play to slow down Minnesota, UMD and Wisconsin, so this time, we decided to switch to an aggressive `2-3' forecheck, and to have the defensemen pinch down in the offensive zone.

"We talked about it, and then we put it in Friday morning. We knew what we wanted to do, to go-go-go, and make it a track meet."

UMD had not only swept at Mankato, but also had swept North Dakota, St. Cloud State and Bemidji State to stand 8-0, before losing two close games at Minnesota, and the Bulldogs had allowed only 10 goals all season, best in the WCHA, and they were playing senior goaltender Riitta Schaublin, who had a 0.83 goals-against record and a .964 save percentage. Vizenor admitted he had a few anxious moments, such as glancing up at the scoreboard and noticing the shots were 33-33 at one point in the first game. Totally out of character for the Mavericks at the DECC, but, since they had never gained a single point in that building in the teams' histories, it was, as Vizenor said, time.

When it was over, Minnesota State had achieved its first road point against the Bulldogs with the impressive 5-5 tie. The tie was most impressive because it was the Bulldogs who had to gain the tie, which they accomplished on Jessica Koizumi's fourth goal of the game, with :7.6 seconds left in regulation.

But the Mavericks weren't done. The next night, on Nov. 18, they came back and beat UMD 5-3, for their first victory ever in the DECC ever. The Mavericks are 3-37-3 against UMD overall, but that didn't matter in the afterglow of the three-point weekend.

Junior winger Lindsay Macy scored two goals in each game, and if she didn't get offensive player of the week for her pivotal goals in what may prove to be a watershed weekend for the Mavs, it was only because junior goaltender Britni Kehler won defensive player of the week for making 81 saves - 39 Friday and 42 Saturday - in helping hold down the explosive Bulldogs.

Vizenor hesitated when asked if it might have been the biggest weekend in the Mankato program's history, and he hesitated. "You know, we beat 'em twice down here to start the season three years ago, so that was big," he said. "But they were missing a few players that time."

It was the biggest for the Mavericks (3-6-1 WCHA, 5-7-1 overall) from the standpoint of facing such a prominent foe, on the road, and needing a lift to move into contention themselves. The outcomes meant UMD had followed eight opening victories by going winless (0-3-1) in their next four, while also proving the Mavericks can more than just play with the WCHA's elite teams.The players got full credit from the coach.

Vizenor reunited center Amanda Stohr with wingers Maggie Fisher and Ashley Young, a move that was far from insignificant. That line made South St. Paul a force in Minnesota high school girls hockey for several years, and when the three decided to go to Mankato together, it seemed a no-brainer that they would stay together. However, Young was injured and missed her whole freshman season. "This was actually the first weekend we've had them together," said Vizenor.

Macy, who transferred from Wisconsin where she scored 37-37--74 in two seasons, is a junior who skates with center Shera Vis and right wing Kala Buganski on the first line, so the South St. Paul line - including Fisher, who led the Mavericks in scoring as a freshman last season with 16-7--23 - gives the Mavericks two lines with scoring punch.

"Macy was a force both days at Duluth, and she's so disciplined and smart," said Vizenor. "And Fisher has such good speed and works so hard. Both of them also made big defensive plays to help us hold the lead Saturday. Britni Kehler also had a great weekend. Every time we really needed a big save, she made one."

In the second game, after Macy and Fisher had scored two apiece, the Mavericks put the second game away with third-line center Jodi Helminen's empty-net goal. And fourth-line center Noelle Needham saw a lot of power-play action and wound up with two goals and an assist for the weekend, which, combined with steady and effective defensive play made it truly a team effort.

The new and more aggressive forechecking system made the Mavericks more forceful on offense at Duluth, it also had a large mental impact. A `2-3' means two forwards attack hard in the offensive zone, while one forward stays back defensively with the two defensemen. Having two forecheckers go hard, and the strong-side defenseman pinch in to attack, it is a very offensive style. But the Mavericks didn't just play the 2-3.

"It seems like we usually play 5, 7, or 10 minutes of real good hockey, then we have a letdown," said Vizenor. "We've used a 2-3, and a 2-1-2 at other times. This time, after we had some success with our 2-3, I switched a couple times to a 1-2-2 and locked up their wings with our wings for a few minutes. Then I'd go back to the 2-3. It forced us to refocus. I think using the 2-3 and then changing out of it a couple times kept everybody mentally sharp."

The coach is now curious to see what kind of impact such success can have on the Mavericks. On Thanksgiving weekend, they head for Ohio State for another series, and he is not sure the aggressive 2-3 system will be effective.

"We adjust according to our opponent," Vizenor said. "Ohio State, for example, has three or four great skating defensemen, so going with two hard forecheckers might not work as well. Our league has gotten so tough, we have to realize that one weekend doesn't make the season.

"But the best part about our weekend in Duluth was that we competed hard for 60 minutes, both nights. That's all that matters."

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