Before Kellan Tochkin and Kenton Miller left Independence, the Missouri Mavericks high-scoring rookie forwards offered a word of thanks to an unsung hero in the CHL team's organization.

Simon Watson, who has been the Missouri Mavericks assistant director of hockey operations the past two seasons, has been named to the KC Mavs Elite Midget coaching staff for the 2013-14 season.

Before the start of this season, Missouri Mavericks coach Scott Hillman pointed out a couple of youngsters who looked like they should be playing for the Jr. Mavs, not the coach's CHL team.

The fourth annual Missouri Mavericks Farewell Party at the Independence Events Center was much like a graduation party. There was an abundance of smiles, hugs and the exchange of phone numbers and email addresses, but there were also a few tears.

Scott Hillman smiled, shook hands, posed for photos and signed everything from a pink cell phone to a team portrait that featured the Missouri Mavericks 2013 playoff roster.

For the second year in a row, the Missouri Mavericks reached the seventh game of the CHL semifinal series, only to fall short in their quest to reach the championship round.

The Missouri Mavericks were down to their final 30 seconds of the season.

After watching the Missouri Mavericks lose 8-4 Friday night in the best-of-seven CHL semifinal series, I didn't give the hometown team much of a chance of salvaging the series with a win Saturday night.

For a brief moment Friday night at the Independence Events Center, it appeared the Missouri Mavericks would roar back and knot the best-of-seven Central Hockey League semifinal series at two games apiece.

Sebastien Thinel will be in the lineup at 7:05 tonight when his Missouri Mavericks play host to Allen in the fourth game of the best-of-seven Central Hockey League semifinal series against the top-seeded Allen Americans.