Box Score Duluth, Minn. --- The Minnesota State women’s hockey team dropped its Western Collegiate Hockey Association opener Saturday afternoon, 5-2.

MSU came out in the first working hard and controlling the puck and it paid off. After the Bulldogs first penalty, MSU tallied the opening goal of the contest just 5:57 in. Deep in the MSU zone, sophomore blueliner Emilia Andersson and Moria O’Connor helped setup junior forward Emmi Leinonen who sent a slap shot past UMD goaltender Jennifer Harss putting MSU up, 1-0.

Not long after, 9:19 into the first, sophomore forward Lauren Zrust moved the puck from behind the UMD goal, centered it to rookie Kathleen Rogan who found the back of the net, under the arm of Harss. The goal marked the first of Rogan’s young career with the Mavericks.

The Bulldogs used three even-strength goals and one power play tally in the second to jump out to a 4-2 lead. A couple of even-strength tallies knotted things up in the first three minutes of the second.

Defenseman Jessica Wong scored just :50 into the period, followed by forward Pernilla Winberg finding the back of the net at the 2:39 mark. UMD took the lead 13:58 into the second courtesy of a forward Laura Fridfinnson power play goal. The Bulldogs then added to their lead when Elin Holmlov scored an even-strength goal at the 19:04 mark.

UMD added a fifth goal in the third, short-handed, and was scored by Irwin and assisted by Holmlove at the 15:39 mark, making the final 5-2.

The Bulldogs out shot MSU, 42-19 and both teams finished one-for-three on power play chances. Junior netminder Alli Altmann finished with a season-high 37 saves.

The Mavericks (1-1-1, 0-1-0-0 WCHA) and the fifth-rated Bulldogs (2-1-0, 2-1-0-0 WCHA) will face-off tomorrow afternoon at 3:07 p.m.