Marquette, Mich. ---   #7 Minnesota State jumped out to a 3-0 lead and then held on in skating past Northern Michigan for a 3-2 win in Western Collegiate Hockey Association action Friday at Berry Events Center in Marquette, Mich.

The victory is the sixth in the last seven games for the Mavericks and gives them a 20-6-1 overall record for 2018-19. Minnesota State is the first team in the nation to reach the 20-win plateau this year and marks the seventh consecutive season that the program has had at least 20 victories.

Both teams had eight shots on goal, but the first period finished with neither team able to put the puck in the net.

The Mavericks broke the seal at the 8:30 mark of the second period when Northern Michigan's netminder Atta Tolvanen got caught out of his crease with Minnesota State on the power play and Parker Tuomie's shot was deflected by Charlie Gerard, cruising through the slot, into the net.  The goal by Gerard is his eighth of the year.  Minnesota State sophomore winger Dallas Gerads' shot from the left boards beat Tolvanen on the shortside at 13:13 with his tenth goal giving the Mavericks a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes of play.

The third period began with Minnesota State sophomore winger Walker Duehr scoring a nifty goal at 1:37 when he went in on Tolvanen and went forehand-backhand before roofing a shot to the far side of the net for his seventh marker of the year.  Northern Michigan, which outshot the Mavericks by a 19-4 margin in the final frame, got a power play goal from Griffin Loughran at 4:59 and then pulled within one on a shorthanded goal from Troy Loggins at 8:18.  Duehr's goal held up as the game-winning tally and is his second game-winning marker of the season.

The loss ended a six-game winning streak for the Wildcats.

Freshman Dryden McKay, who started for the ninth straight game for the Mavericks, turned aside 32 shots and now stands 13-5-1 for the season.  The Mavericks, who were one-for-three in power play chances in the contest, were outshot 34-21.

The two teams close out the WCHA series Saturday with a 6:07 p.m. CST face-off scheduled.

Head coach Mike Hastings commented following the win.

 

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