Duluth, Minn. ---    Minnesota State took a 2-0 first-period lead, but could not hold on in dropping a 3-2 decision to Minnesota-Duluth Saturday in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association game played at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center.

 

MSU got off to a 2-0 first-period start with sophomore forward Mike Louwerse lighting the lamp with his second goal of the year at 9:05. Sophomore forward Justin Jokinen beat UMD netminder Brady Hjelle with his first goal of the season with the Mavericks on the power play at 10:15. The Bulldogs got a power play goal of their own on a Justin Fontaine deflection at 17:50 and the score stood 2-1 MSU as the two teams entered the locker rooms at the end of the opening period.

 

The only goal of the second period came at 6:43 with UMD’s Mike Connelly’s snap shot from 30-feet out beating MSU freshman Kevin Murdock low on the glove side with the Mavericks shorthanded.

 

Then, with two MSU players in the penalty box, UMD got the game-winning goal at 12:23 of the third period when Justin Fontaine tipped Mike Connelly’s shot past Murdock for the game-winner.

 

UMD, which is now 3-1-0 overall and 2-0-0 WCHA outshot MSU by a 33-28 margin.    Now 2-2-0 on the year and 0-2-0 in WCHA games, the Mavericks got 25 saves from Murdock in the loss and went one-for-four in power play opportunities.

 

The Mavericks continue WCHA action next Friday and Saturday with the University of Wisconsin visiting the Verizon Wireless Center in downtown Mankato.

 

 

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