Mankato, Minn. --- Third-rated Minnesota State got three-point nights from Jared Spooner and Max Coatta in skating to a 5-2 win over Ferris State Saturday night.

Combined with Friday's 7-1 win, the Mavericks claimed a two-game home WCHA sweep over the Bulldogs and have moved into a first-place tie with Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan in the WCHA standings.
 
After a scoreless opening frame, sophomore forward Jared Spooner scored twice in just under four minutes at the beginning of the second period to get things going. Freshman Julian Napravnik one-touched a pass from below the goal line to Spooner whose shot along the ice beat Bulldog netminder Roni Salmenkanga under his right pad. Shortly thereafter, Spooner separeted the puck from a Ferris State with a check behind the net and came around to beat Salmenkanga on a wraparound to the far side. That was Spooner's third and fourth goals of the season. Less than a minute later though, the Bulldogs cut into the Maverick lead when Corey Mackin converted on a two-on-one and Minnesota State took a 2-1 lead into the second intermission.
 
The Mavericks and Bulldogs exchanged goals early in the third period to make the score 3-2. Five minutes into the period, senior Max Coatta snuck a wrist shot under the glove of Salmenkanga for his fifth goal of the year. Nearly two minutes later, Ferris State's Frankie Melton fired a shot over Israelsson's glove to pull FSU within one.  The Mavericks extended the lead at the 7:57 mark as Coatta scored a power-play marker for his sixth goal of the season. The goal came from beautiful passing by the Mavericks starting at the near face-off circle with sophomore Reggie Lutz passing to Spooner below the red line and then to Coatta in front of the net. With Salmenkanga being pulled for an extra skater, junior Nick Rivera put in an empty net goal for his fourth goal of the season with six seconds left on the clock.
 
Israelsson stopped 24 of 26 stops in the win and now stands 6-0-0 for the year.
 
Spooner and Coatta finished the night with two goals and one assist, while Rivera chipped in with a goal and an assist of his own.  Napravnik, who finished with one assist in the win, has extend his point-scoring streak to seven games (3-5--8)
 
The Mavericks, who are 9-1-0, 4-0-0 WCHA on the year and have extended their winning streak to six games, head to Bemidji State next Friday and Saturday for a pair of WCHA contests in their next action.
 
Head coach Mike Hastings commented following the game.