Mankato, Minn. ---  Northern Michigan jumped out to a quick lead and never trailed in claiming a 5-1 win over #3 Minnesota State in Western Collegiate Hockey Association semi-final action Mankato Friday afternoon.

It didn't take long with the scoring to begin for the Wildcats, who had upended Bowling Green last weekend in the first round of the WCHA postseason tournament.

Andre Ghantous found a loose puck in front of the Maverick net and fired a shot that beat Dryden McKay over the right shoulder at 1:16 of the first period and the visiting Wildcats, who outshot Minnesota State by an eight to seven margin in the first 20 minutes of action, held a 1-0 lead at the end of the opening stanza.

At the :24-mark of the second period, it became a 2-0 lead for Northern after Alex Frye cashed in on a rebound chance for his fifth goal of the season.  At 8:64, Joseph Nardi's shot from forty feet out found the back of the net and NMU a 3-0 lead.   The Wildcats kept the offensive pressure on, converting on an odd-man rush at 11:05 with A.J. Venderbeck going in all alone to score on a backhand chance and at 2:57 Ghantous got his second of the game, this time on a power play in making it 5-0 on a shot that beat Ryan Edquist, who had replaced McKay following NMU's fifth goal, high on the stick side.

Senior winger Reggie Lutz put the Mavericks on the board 2:49 of the third period with a power play goal, wiring a shot past Rico DiMatteo on the glove side after taking a pass from Brendan Furry, but that was all of the offense Minnesota State was able to muster in absorbing its first home loss of 2020-21.

Minnesota State, which converted on one of its two power play chances in the game, owned a 29-20 advantage in shots on goal.

The loss gives the Mavericks a 20-4-1 mark for the 2020-21 season. Northern, which stands 11-16-1 win today's victory, will vie for the WCHA postseason championship Saturday night vs. the winner of Lake Superior State and Bemidji State.

- 30 -