Mankato, Minn.— Minnesota State (1-2-0) fell in its home-opener to UMass-Lowell 3-1 Friday in game one of the two-game series with the River Hawks prevailing 4-2.
 
MSU jumped on the board first as freshman Zach Palmquist rifled a slap shot from the top of the circle at 6:21, moments after Corey Leivermann put a puck of the crossbar. Palmquist’s goal is his first at Minnesota State as it was assisted by sophomore Josh Nelson and junior Eli Zuck.
 
UMass-Lowell knotted the game 1-1 at 13:27 in the first when Riley Wetmore received a pass from Scott Wilson and cut across the goal line faking a shot short-side, cutting across the crease to beat MSU’s Austin Lee far-side on the ice.
 
Wetmore wasn’t done scoring as he brought the puck into the MSU zone, faked a shot glove-side and snuck behind the net to score on a wrap-around on Lee’s blocker-side. Wetmore’s second goal was at 4:12 in the second period and was assisted by Chad Ruhwedel and goaltender Brian Robbins.
 
The Riverhawks extended its lead to 3-1 when Matt Ferreira one-timed a puck high glove-side on a pass from Stephen Buco from behind the net at 11:32 into the third.
 
UMass-Lowell’sTerrence Wallin put in a rebound on a scramble in front of the net for the Riverhawks fourth goal at the 15:29 mark.
 
The Mavericks pulled their goalie with 3:30 left in the game, gaining an extra attacker. It paid off as freshman forward Jean-Paul Lafontaine scored his first lamp-lighter at Minnesota State on a pass from behind the net from Justin Jokinen.
 
MSU was outshot 37-25 in the game as Austin Lee made 33 saves for Minnesota State. UMass-Lowell’s Brian Robbins made 24 saves in its victory.
 
The Mavericks and Riverhawks meet for game two of the series tomorrow night at 7:07 at the Verizon Wireless Center.

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