Mankato, Minn. --- A pair of goals from senior winger Nick Rivera helped lift third-ranked Minnesota State to a 3-1 win over the University of Alaska in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association game played in Mankato Saturday.

The score stood 0-0 after the first 2-0 minutes of action, a period in which the Mavericks owned an 8-5 advantage in shots on goal.

Senior captain Nick Rivera, forechecking while the Mavericks were shorthanded, found a loose puck behind the Alaska goal and proceeded to score on a wraparound attempt at 16:22 to give Minnesota State a 1-0 lead.  The goal is the fifth shorthanded goal of Rivera's career.

Junior winger Reggie Lutz wired a shot past Anton Martinsson for his career-high eighth goal of the year at 10:47 of the third in giving Minnesota State a two-goal cushion.  The visiting Nanooks pulled within one at 12:36 on an even-strength goal by Antii Virtannen, but an empty-net tally by Rivera at 19:10 secured the win for the Mavericks.

Sophomore netminder Dryden McKay, who stopped 15 shots, upped his record to 17-2-1 with tonight's win.  Both teams were zero-for-four in power play chances and the game was playing in front of 4,065 fans.

The Mavericks, now 18-3-1 overall and 13-2-0 WCHA and winners of 13 of their last 15 games, continue WCHA action next weekend with a road series at Ferris State.

Head coach Mike Hastings commented after the game.