MANKATO, Minn. --- Minnesota State falls to No. 2 Minnesota 6-3 Saturday afternoon at Verizon Center.
 
Minnesota State continued to battle and cut into the Minnesota lead, but the Gophers were just too much to handle in the series finale.
 
The Mavericks were keeping pace with the Gophers until the last two minutes and thirty seconds of the period. The first goal came at the 17:44 mark when senior winger Taylor Williamson went top shelf from the right face-off circle to beat Maverick freshman netminder Abigail Levy. The second goal crossed the line with less than a second on the clock as sophomore winger Grace Zumwinkle again went top shelf against Levy.
 
Each team scored two goals in the second period with Minnesota scoring the first at the 6:41 mark. Freshman winger Abigail Boreen finished on the three-on-two advantage by tipping the puck in right in front of the crease. Two minutes later, the Mavericks got on the board and cut into the 3-0 deficit by converting on a power play. Senior winger Jordan McLaughlin drove down the middle of the ice and dished it off the senior forward Rebekah Kolstad. She then scored her third goal of the season off Kolstad's saved shot attempt. MSU cut into the lead further when freshman winger Brooke Bryant scored her sixth goal of the season. With bodies lying all over in front of the net, Bryant was able to poke the puck out from under the pads of Minnesota's junior netminder Sydney Scobee for the goal. However, the Gophers got a goal back with two minutes to play into the period to take a 4-2 advantage into the second intermission. Junior winger Alex Woken took the puck after a Maverick turnover and shot from straight on, going top shelf on Levy.
 
The goals kept coming in the third period as Zumwinkle connected with a one-timer on the power play for her second goal of the game at the 7:59 mark. Sophomore forward Brittyn Fleming cut back into the Minnesota lead as she tipped a shot by junior winger Emily Antony past Scobee for her fifth goal of the season. The Gophers scored one more goal before it was all said and done as freshman forward Amy Potomak took a shot from straight on and went low for the goal.
 
Freshman Abigail Levy made 28 saves in the loss and now has a record of 8-10-4.
 
The Mavericks were outshot by the Gophers 34-26 while both teams went one-for-two on the power play.
 
Minnesota State (8-10-4, 3-9-2-1 WCHA) will play the first half of a WCHA series at St. Cloud State next Friday starting at 3:07 p.m. The Mavericks will then travel to Bemidji State to play on Hockey Day in Minnesota in an outside rink with the puck dropping at 1:00 p.m.
 
Head coach John Harrington commented following the game.