Mankato, Minn. --- #16 Minnesota State advanced to the WCHA Final Five with a 3-0 win over Lake Superior State Sunday in claiming the best-of-three WCHA play-off series two games to one.
Junior netminder
Cole Huggins backstopped the Mavericks to the win by stopping all 22 shots in earning his third shut-out of the season.
With the Mavericks on the power play, sophomore forward
Brad McClure collected a rebound on his forehand and tucked it past Laker netminder
Gordon Defiel at 9:39 for this fourth goal of the season. Minnesota State owned an 11-9 advantage in shots on goal in the opening period and held a one-goal lead at the end of twenty minutes of play.
Minnesota State outshot the Lakers by an 11-4 margin in the second period and another Maverick power play marker came at 10:13 of the second after junior defenseman
Casey Nelson one-timed
Teddy Blueger's pass into a yawning Lake Superior State net. Nelson's goal, his fifth of the season, put the Mavericks up 2-0 and that's how the score looked at the end of two periods of action.
Teddy Blueger closed out the scoring in the game when picked up his 11th goal of the season 38 seconds into the third period after he threw the puck toward the net where it bounced off at defenseman's stick before going in.
The Mavericks outshot Lake Superior State by a 32-22 margin in the game, marking the 33rd time this year Minnesota State has outshot its opponents this year.
Huggins, who stands 12-10-2 on the season with tonight's decision and is 37-20-3 for his career, now owns a share of the school record for career shutouts with ten.
The Mavericks went two-for-five in power plays in the game, while Lake Superior State finished with a zero-for-five ledger with the man advantage.
Senior
Bryce Gervais, who reached the career 100-point plateau with two assists in the game (he has 66 goals and 34 assists in his time with the Mavericks) established two school records when he played in tonight's game. Former Maverick defenseman
Zach Palmquist (MSU 2011-15), who did not miss a game in his college career, previously owned school marks for consecutive games played and career games played. Not unlike Palmquist, Gervais has not missed a game in his collegiate career and tonight played in his 161
st consecutive contest.
Minnesota State stands 20-12-7 overall on the season.
Now 20-12-7 with Sunday's win, Minnesota State advances to next weekend's 2016 WCHA Final Five in Grand Rapids, Mich. The Mavericks, who will play Bowling Green Friday in semi-final action, have won the last two Broadmoor Trophies as WCHA Final Five Champions.
Bryce Gervais and head coach
Mike Hastings commented following the game.
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