St. Paul, Minn. ---   Junior forward Bryce Gervais scored twice and assisted on another as top-rated Minnesota State skated to a 4-2 victory over #17 Minnesota Friday night at Xcel Energy Center in downtown St. Paul in North Star College Cup action.
 
The win for Minnesota State extends its unbeaten streak to a nation's best nine games and gives the Mavericks a 19-4-12 overall record.  The win is also the first for Minnesota State at Xcel Energy Center with the Mavericks winning in the home of the National Hockey League's Minnesota Wild for the first time in its eighth game in the building.
 
It was a 1-1 game after the first period with the Gophers getting on the board first when Seth Ambroz backhanded a shot past Stephon Williams at 17:54.  Minnesota senior forward Matt Leitner's set up from down low found forward Bryce Gervais in front of the net and the junior from Battleford, Sask., made no mistake in getting his 14^th goal of the season as the Mavericks tied the game at 19:26.
 
Gervais got his second goal of the game when he wired one over the right shoulder of Minnesota netminder Adam Wilcox at 2:26 of the second period. The Gophers made it a 2-2 game at 6:50 on a shot from Michael Brodzinski at 6:50 that beat a screened Williams from the high slot.  Freshman forward C.J. Franklin got his 7^th of the season at 10:13 on a breakaway chance where he beat Wilcox low on the stickside to make it a 3-2 Minnesota State advantage. Junior defenseman Jon Jutzi got his first of the season at 15:51 with the Mavericks on the power play on a puck that he tapped in after it rebounded off the end boards to make it 4-2 at the end of two periods of play.
 
Neither the Mavericks nor the Gophers were able to score in the third period which included a penalty shot save by Williams on Minnesota's Seth Ambroz at 18:47.
 
Minnesota State went one-for-three on the power play in the game and put 22 shots on goal. The Gophers were zero-for-four in power plays and also had 22 shots on goal.
 
Beside the three points from Gervais (he also assisted on Jutzi's goal), Casey Nelson had two assists, Matt Leitner had to assists and Jutzi ended up with a two-point night with his assist on the first goal by Gervais.
 
The Mavericks, who are 14-1-1 in their last 16 games, play Bemidji State Saturday at 7:00 p.m. in the championship game of the North StarCollege Cup. The Gophers, who stand 11-8-2 overall, face Minnesota-Duluth in the consolation game at 4:00 p.m.

Bryce Gervais commented following the win.