Mankato, Minn. ---   After winning the first game of the best-of-three Western Collegiate Hockey Association semi-final play-off series Friday, Minnesota State had hoped to close out Michigan Tech in the second game of a series Saturday in Mankato.  But the Huskies would not go easily into the good night, evening the series with a 4-2 victory over the host Mavericks Saturday.


Following a face-off the right of Maverick netminder Connor LaCouvee, Michigan Tech's Justin Misak picked up a loose puck in front of the Minnesota State crease before sliding the puck into the net at 9:19 of the opening period for the game's first goal. Freshman center Jake Jaremko knotted the score at 1-1, circling the net and bouncing the puck in off a skate with a centering pass at 12:57.  The Huskies took a 2-1 lead into the locker room on a shot from the point from defenseman Mark Auk at the 15:20 mark.


Tech took a 3-1 lead at 12:04 of the second after Raymond Brice jumped on his own rebound and jammed the puck past a sprawled LaCouvee. Dallas Gerads grabbed a rebound and lifted the puck past Patrick Munson at 13:13, with his seventh marker of the season coming on the power play and making it 3-2.


The Huskies added an empty net goal by Dylan Steman with 6.1 left in regulation to make it a 4-2 final.


Connor LaCouvee, who made his 15th consecutive start in goal, stopped17 shots in the game and now stands 23-4-1 with tonight's triumph. 



The Mavericks, who outshot Tech by a 33-21 margin in the game, are now 29-8-1 overall with tonight's loss ending a 14-game unbeaten streak. 



The Mavericks and the Huskies face-off again in deciding game three scheduled for a 7:07 p.m. start Sunday at Verizon Center in downtown Mankato.

Head coach Mike Hastings commented following the game.