Box Score     Colorado Springs, Colo.  --- #7 Minnesota State got three goals from sophomore forward Matt Leitner in rolling to a 7-2 win at Colorado College in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association game played in Colorado Spring Saturday night.

After a first period that featured no scoring, but 31 minutes in penalties, the Mavericks broke the game open by outscoring the Tigers 5-1 in the second period.

Freshman forward Brett Knowles tipped Josh Nelson’s shot from the point past CC’s Joe Howe at 6:07 to get things going for the Mavericks.  Sophomore forward Matt Leitner got the first of his three goals at 15:54 before CC’s Rylan Schwartz scored a power play marker for the Tigers at 17:14. Three MSU power play goals in the final 2:03 of the period gave the Mavericks a four-goal cushion. Leinter scored at 18:57 and was followed by Nelson’s fifth goal of the year at 19:27. 20 seconds later Leitner had his first career hat trick at 19:47.

Zach Lehrke, with a power play goal at 7:49 and Johnny McInnis with an even-strength marker at 11:15, closed out the scoring in the game in making it a 7-1 Minnesota State victory.

There were a total of 81 penalty minutes in the game, with the Mavericks being whistled for 13 penalties for 26 minutes and CC 15 penalties for 55 minutes.

Now 21-10-3 overall on the season and 15-10-1 WCHA, the Mavericks owned a 45-28 advantage in shots on goal in the game.  The 21 wins for Minnesota State matches the most wins in a season by a MSU team during the NCAA Division I-era established by the MSU team from 1999-2009 (MSU finished 21-14-4 that year).

Leitner, who now has 15 goals and 25 assists for 40 points, becomes the first Maverick to hit the 40-point plateau since Travis Morin and David Backes both finished with 42 points in 2005-06. Josh Nelson contributed a goal and two assists in the game.

The Mavericks close out the 2012-13 regular season with a home series vs. North Dakota at Verizon Wireless Center next Friday and Saturday.