Mankato, Minn. ---  It was anything but easy as it took a goal in overtime from Nathan Smith for #2-ranked Minnesota State to claim a 2-1 win over Michigan Tech Friday in Central Collegiate Hockey Association action in Mankato. 

Tech owned a 1-0 first-period lead before the host Mavericks were able to tie the game in the second. And following a third period in which neither team was able to push the puck past the goal line, Minnesota State ended the game with a goal early in the extra session. 

The visiting Huskies found a loose puck in the neutral zone and capitalized on a shorthanded chance at 17:05 of the opening period on a wrist shot from the edge of the circle by Logan Pietila that went in off the left post. The Mavericks owned an 8-5 advantage in shots on goal, but by the end of the first 20 minutes of action, entered the locker room trailing 1-0.
 
Then, at the start of the second period, junior forward Ryan Sandelin took advantage of a turnover behind the Tech net in scoring his 10^th goal of the season, knotting the score at 1-1 at the 0:16 mark.  The Mavericks outshot the Huskies 14-9 in the middle frame and the game stood tied entering the third period of play. 

A scoreless third period, which featured a blocker save from Minnesota State netminder Dryden McKay on a breakaway by Tech forward Arvid Caderoth with less than a minute remaining in regulation, led to the three-on-three overtime session. 

Smith, curling around the left face-off circle, took a pass from Akito Hirose and moved to the right side of slot before wiring a shot high on the gloveside past Blake Pietila to end the game.  The goal is Smith's 10^th of the year. 

McKay, who stopped 15 shots in the game, now stands 13-3-0 for 2021-22.

The Mavericks (13-4-0, 9-2-0 CCHA) and the Huskies (8-6-0, 5-4-0 CCHA) close out the two-game CCHA series Saturday with a 6:07 p.m. face-off scheduled at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in downtown Mankato. 

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