Mariucci Arena has become a dangerous place for Minnesota State goaltenders.

Both Mike Zacharias and Dan Tormey have shed blood in the Minnesota Gophers’ home rink.

Two years ago, Tormey raced to the Mavericks’ bench with blood dripping from his hand after taking a skate blade across his thumb while making a save. He ended up needing surgery and missed a couple of months of his sophomore season.

In overtime Friday night, Zacharias lost his facemask after taking a hard shot off the head and then got his forehead split open by the errant heel of teammate Kurt Davis’ stick blade.

“We’re going to have to sign a liability form next time we come here,” Zacharias joked after he helped the Mavericks secure a 3-3 tie and after getting six stitches to close up the ugly wound below his hairline.

Blood flowed down his face like a perfect spooky mask for that Halloween night, and he raced to the bench to get cleaned up so he could get back in his crease. Tormey was ready to go, sent out to warm up between the pipes as MSU trainer Sean Donley quickly wrapped medical tape around Zacharias’ head like he was winding up a kite string.

“I wanted to go back in,” Zacharias said.

Zacharias missed no time and he made one more save after Donley “Rambo-ed me up” to finish the night with 47 stops. That number tied the career high he had against the Gophers in the third game of last March’ playoff series.

Zacharias has been anything but a liability for the Mavericks since becoming the team’s No. 1 goalie.

“He’s probably our best player right now,” said Davis, a sophomore defenseman who leads the Mavericks’ top scorer with two goals and seven assists.

Zacharias has started 35 consecutive games for the Mavericks and is now tied for fifth place on Minnesota State’s career wins list with 34. Only Eric Patemen (49 wins, 1998-2002) has more wins in the program’s Division I era. As it stands, his career save percentage of .910 is an all-time high for the school.

“He’s played extremely well for us,” MSU coach Troy Jutting said.

Indeed, Zacharias has carried the Mavericks to their 3-2-1 record, the same mark they had last year at this time.

The senior and reigning team MVP is currently third in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association with a .920 save percentage and fifth with a 2.80 goals-against average. Of the 17 goals he’s allowed, only five have come during even-strength situations (he’s also allowed a short-handed goal and another when Bemidji State had pulled its goalie for an extra attacker).

“Zacharias was really on top of his game tonight,” Gophers coach Don Lucia said. Friday. “He’s a good goalie.”