UAA Athletics

Outshot 91-36 in two games, UAA hockey team drops series to Minnesota State

Seventh-ranked Minnesota State swept its weekend series against the UAA hockey team, claiming a 7-1 win Friday and a 4-3 win Saturday in Mankato, Minnesota.

The Mavericks outshot UAA 91-36 for the weekend, including 48-18 on Saturday.

Even so, the Seawolves made the game interesting by scoring two goals in the third period to make it a one-goal game.

UAA led 1-0 on Austin Azurdia's power-play goal, but the Mavericks scored the next four goals to take a 4-1 lead into the third.

Jonah Renouf made it 4-2 five minutes into the period with his third goal of the season. With time running out, the Seawolves pulled goalie Brody Claeys and cashed in with Azurdia's second goal of the night — his team-high 10th of the season.

"We competed hard tonight and for 60 minutes, which was the issue on Friday," UAA coach Matt Thomas said in a press release from UAA. "Claeys was outstanding. I was proud of the way he played and the effort from our team till the final buzzer."

Claeys, a freshman from Manitoba, made his first career start for the Seawolves (2-22-4 overall, 2-17-3 Western Collegiate Hockey Association).

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He has appeared in five games this year, including both games in Mankato. On Friday, he replaced senior Olivier Mantha with about 14 minutes left in the third period and the Seawolves trailing 7-0.

Mantha made 28 saves and Brody had eight on Friday. On Saturday, Claeys stopped 42 shots.

Alec Butcher's power-play goal with about eight minutes left spared UAA of being shut out Friday. Zeb Knutson scored twice and handed out two assists for Minnesota State in the lopsided win.

Knutson was one of four Mavericks who scored Saturday. The weekend sweep puts Minnesota State (21-7-0, 17-5-0) one point away from first-place Northern Michigan in the WCHA standings.

Last place in the 10-team league belongs to UAA, which returns home for a Feb. 9-10 series at Sullivan Arena against Lake Superior State.

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