St. Paul, Minn. ---   Top-rated Minnesota State could not make for an early deficit in falling 3-1 to Bemidji State Saturday night at Xcel Energy Center in downtown St. Paul in the championship game of the 2015 North Star College Cup.
 
The loss for Minnesota State ends its unbeaten streak at nine games and gives the Mavericks a 19-5-12 overall record. 
 
The Beavers held a 1-0 edge at the end of the first period of play on a goal at 5:55 in which Brendan Harms found Charlie O'Connor all by himself at the left side of the crease and O'Connor buried a wrister into the back of the net for his eighth goal of the season.
 
The Beavers extended their lead at 2:54 of the second on a wraparound goal by Gerry Fitzgerald. It became a 3-0 BSU lead at 14:48 on a partial breakaway tally by Kyle Bauman. The Mavericks cut the deficit to two at 19:15 when Jon Jutzi's shot from the point beat Michael Bitzer. The goal is Jutzi's second of the season.
 
Including a penalty shot attempt from junior forward Dylan Margonari at 8:27 of the third in which Bitzer denied Margonari's five-hole shot, the Mavericks could not find a way to generate any other offense with the Beavers eventually closing the door on a 3-1 win.
 
Minnesota State went one-for-four on the power play in the game and put 27 shots on goal. The Beavers were zero-for-two in power plays and totalled 22 shots on goal.
 
The Mavericks, who are 14-2-1 in their last 16 games, resume Western Collegiate Hockey Association action next weekend with a home series vs. Ferris State Friday and Saturday in Mankato.

Head coach Mike Hastings and Jon Jutzi provided comments at a postgame press conference.