Freshman forward Bryce Gervais and the Minnesota State University Mavericks hockey team played in front of 15,971 fans at the Xcel Energy Centre March 21. The reason was the 2013 Red Baron WCHA Final Five game.
A win would give them an automatic berth in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I Men's Hockey Tournament.
Unfortunately it was a 7-2 loss for the Mavericks, as they allowed two shorthanded goals in the game and gave up more than five goals for the first time this season despite outshooting Wisconsin 40-27.
Two days after the loss, the NCAA announced the schedule for the 16-team national tournament and the Mavericks made the list. The Mavericks made the cut with a 24-13-3 record this season. It is the second time in school history that they made the tournament and will now prepare for Miami in Saturday's game.
The Mavericks will face the second ranked team in the Midwest Regional Championship. The winner of that game will face the winner between Notre Dame and St. Cloud State. From there, the regional champion will advance to the Men's Frozen Four tournament in Pittsburgh, Pa. April 11 to 13.
Gervais, a Battleford product who played in the British Columbia Hockey League last season and won a national championship with the Penticton Vees, played in all 40 games this season for the Mavericks. Just 11 players on the Mavericks' roster played all 40 games.
Gervais finished with eight goals and five assists and a plus seven rating this season with the Mavericks. The second half of the season Gervais notched three goals and all five of his assists in the final 13 games of the season.
He is in his first year as a sports management major.
