MANKATO, Minn. – The Minnesota State women’s hockey team dropped a Western Collegiate Hockey Association Contest to #6 North Dakota in Mankato Saturday, 5-1.

As much as the shots-on-goal disadvantage hurt the Minnesota State women’s hockey team, costly penalties stung even more.

UND capitalized on defenseman Erika Magnusson’s tripping penalty and put the Sioux on the scoreboard with 14 seconds left on the power play. Alyssa Wiebe worked the puck around to the point and Kelsey Ketcher’s slapshot beat Mavericks rookie goaltender Danielle Butters at the 5:52 mark of the first period.

Forward Jocelyne Lamoureux also had an assist on the play.

North Dakota made good on another power play opportunity with 4:31 left in the first period. UND won the faceoff back to Wiebe whose shot from the slot rebounded off Butters and right to Lamoureux who knocked the puck in, five seconds after MSU’s Lauren Smith went off for tripping. 

The Mavericks pulled within one goal with 5:49 left in the second period on Nicole Germaine’s goal assisted by rookie forward Tracy McCann and junior forward Moira O’Connor.

O’Connor’s pass from behind the goal deflected off McCann’s skate in the slot to Germaine at the right of the goal and she stuffed the loose puck between UND goaltender Stephanie Ney’s pad and the pipe.

That was as close as the Mavericks would get after North Dakota scored a pair of early third-period goals.

Just under three minutes into the third period, Lamoureux danced around two MSU defenders into the slot and backhanded a shot over Butters’ right shoulder to put UND up by two at the 2:53 mark.

Wiebe fought off one MSU defender to slide the puck into the crease where it deflected off Mavericks forward Karine Thibault’s skate and across the goal line, putting UND up three with 14:42 remaining.

Lamoureux clinched the hat trick with another power play goal with 5:58 left in the game when she backhanded another shot over Butters’ shoulder for her sixth goal of the season.

Butters finished with 34 saves while Ney stopped 17 shots for the UND.

The Mavericks return to the ice at 2:07 p.m. Friday against No. 1 Wisconsin for a weekend series in Madison, Wis.

To view game stats, click here.

To view season stats, click here.

-30-