Box Score Mankato, Minn. --- Minnesota State dominated early and then fought off a surge by visiting Alaska Anchorage to gain a 3-2 victory in Western Collegiate Hockey Association action in Mankato Friday.

Senior forward Zach Lehrke pounced on a rebound to score his first goal of the year at the 7:03 mark of the opening frame. Junior forward Jean-Paul Lafontaine finished off a tic-tac-toe passing play with linemates Teddy Blueger and Lehrke to score with the Mavericks on the power play at the 15:31 mark.

The Seawolves responded with Matt Bailey scoring near the end of the opening period and the Mavericks entered the first intermission owning a 2-1 lead.

UAA forward Brett Cameron snapped a shot past MSU freshman goaltender Coe Huggins with a shot that rocketed in off the cross bar at 5:06 in the second and the game stood tied 2-2 at the end of two periods of play.

Then, at 3:10 of the third period, a shot from freshman defenseman Sean Flanagan from the top of left face off circle went off a UAA stick and fluttered in behind Seawolf netminder Rob Gunderson with what proved to be the game-winning goal. The goal is Flanagan's third of the year and is his first career game-winning goal.

Lehrke, who had a goal and an assist in the game, now has five points in his first three games of 2013-14. Blueger finished the game with two assists and Lafontaine had a goal and an assist on the night.

Huggins, who finished with 21 saves in the game, upped his record to 3-3-0 on the year.

Now 6-7-0 overall and 4-3-0 WCHA for 2013-14, Minnesota State face-offs against Alaska Anchorage (6-5-2, 3-4-2 WCHA) at 7:07 p.m. at Verizon Wireless Center Saturday to close out the two-game WCHA series.

Head coach Mike Hastings commented following the win.