Bulldog Hockey Wins Game 2 of Mason Cup Playoffs 2-1 in Overtime Against #16 Minnesota State

Postgame Highlights 

Mankato, Minn. – Sophomore goaltender Martin Lundberg made 28 saves and senior forward Caden Brown scored the game-winning goal 1:45 into overtime to help lift the Ferris State University men's ice hockey team over #16 Minnesota State in Game 2 of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) Mason Cup Playoffs Saturday (March 7).

With the win, the eight-seeded Bulldogs (8-26-2) forced Game 3 in the best-of-three series after the top-seeded Mavericks (19-10-7) took Game 1 Friday (March 6) 5-1. The winner-take-all Game 3 is scheduled for Sunday (March 8) at 6:07 p.m. (ET). It will be the first time FSU plays in a Game 3 since March 17, 2013 when the Bulldogs faced Ohio State in a Game 3.

Prior to Saturday, the Mavericks had won 18 straight conference tournament first round games and were 17-0 all-time as the top-seed in the Mason Cup Playoffs. Overall, the eight seed was 1-25 against the top seed in the prior 12 years of the Mason Cup Playoffs.

Lundberg stopped 28-29 shots for his sixth win of the season while Brown tallied his second game-winning goal. The Bulldogs blocked 29 shots in the victory.

Minnesota State scored the first goal Saturday with Luigi Benincasa lighting the lamp at 16:42 in the second period. Liam Watkins assisted.

MSU held its 1-0 advantage for only two minutes as John Lundy tied the game at 18:47 with his fifth goal of the year. Connor McGrath skated behind the Maverick defense down the left wall to the goal line and passed to Lundy on the doorstep who tipped a shot past MSU goaltender Alex Tracy. McGrath got his seventh assist of the year and Holden Doell got his fourth.

Neither team scored in the third period, sending the game to overtime. FSU won it at 1:45 when Jack Mesic cleared the Bulldog zone with a pass to Gavin Best at center ice who skated to the Maverick goal line and passed to Brown for a tip that beat Tracy. Brown's fifth of the season gave Ferris State the win and forced Game 3 in the series. Best got his 14^th assist and Mesic got his eighth.

For the game, FSU was 4-4 on the penalty kill, 0-2 on the power play, had 13 shots on goal and 21 faceoff wins. MSU had 29 shots on goal and 33 faceoff wins.

Individually, Trevor Taulien and Nic Belpedio each had five blocked shots while Logan Heroux had four. Brown and Tyler Schleppe led the team with two shots on goal with Schleppe and Brown leading the squad with four faceoff wins each.

The Bulldogs will take on Minnesota State Sunday (March 8) with the winner advancing to the CCHA Mason Cup Semifinals. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:07 p.m. (ET) with live coverage provided on Sunny 97.3 FM and Midco Sports Plus.