A Mavericks team that has been riddled by injury, forcing four of the top seven scorers out of the lineup, went up against two strong Great Lakes division opponents in the Metro Jets and Toledo Cherokee this past weekend. The depleted Mavericks gave their all, but fell short in the three contests over the weekend. The team kicked off the weekend by traveling north to Fraser, MI for a Thursday afternoon contest against the first place Metro Jets. The Jets jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first period, and would carry that momentum to a 7-3 victory. The Mavericks goals were scored by Marcus Cornett, assisted by Hayden Ripley, Tristen Elmhurst, assisted by Keegan Hoover and Deric Richison, and Hayden Ripley, assisted by George Zimmerer. Zach Waizmann got the start in net, turning away 43 of the 50 shots faced on the afternoon. The Mavericks then traveled south to Toledo, OH for a Friday night matchup against the Toledo Cherokee. After a scoreless first period, the Cherokee took a commanding lead in the second period that they would hold onto to secure a 6-1 victory. The Mavericks’ lone goal was scored by Noah Staten, assisted by George Zimmerer. Tyler Dorion got the start in net on Friday and turned away 25 of 30 shots before Alex Toth came in in relief during the third period. After getting a day of rest on Saturday, the Mavericks returned home to OhioHealth Chiller North for a Sunday rematch against the Cherokee. The Cherokee would jump out to an early 3-1 first period lead that was cut short by Keegan Hoover who would score the Mavericks’ first goal just before the first intermission, assisted by Tristen Elmhurst. The Cherokee would score the lone goal in the second period to bump their lead to 4-1. Keegan Hoover would get his second goal of the game and cut the Cherokee lead to 2 goals with an assist by Deric Richison. After a physical third period that saw a flurry of great saves by Tyler Dorion and a number or scoring attempts by the Mavericks, the Cherokee would score their fifth goal of the game and clinch their victory. Tyler Dorion bounced back with a strong performance between the pipes, stopping 53 of 58 shots on the evening. The Mavericks return to action this weekend with a 2-game home series agains the Lake Erie Bighorns. This will be the first time that the Mavs face off against the Bighorns in the 2020-21 season. Click <span style="font-weight:bold"><span style="text-decoration:underline"><a href=http://www.columbusmavericks.com/single-game-tickets target=undefined>HERE</a> to grab your tickets today!