MANKATO, Minn. -- In a matchup that helped wrap up a week-long festival in Mankato as part of Hockey Day Minnesota, the Maverick women's hockey team defeated the St. Thomas Tommies, 3-1, in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association outdoor game played at Blakeslee Stadium, Sunday afternoon.

MSU now stands 12-11-1 overall with an 8-11-1 record in the WCHA, marking the first time the Mavericks have stood with an over-.500 overall record this far into a season (24 games) since they swept Minnesota (Jan. 19-20) to move to 13-11-1 during the 2006-07 season. With the loss, St. Thomas now stands 4-17-1 with a 2-15-1 mark in the WCHA.

Additionally, the Mavericks are now 2-1 when playing in games held outdoors. After falling 4-0 to Minnesota on Jan. 17, 2014, in the Hockey City Classic, MSU bested Bemidji State 2-1 in a game held on Hockey Day Minnesota in Bemidji, Minn., back on Jan. 19, 2019.

The Mavericks' offensive charge was led by junior forward Kelsey King, who had a goal and an assist. Senior forward Brittyn Fleming had one goal, marking the 99th point of her career, which ended up being the game-winning goal.

Sophomore forward Madison Mashuga scored the game's first goal from the slot after receiving a pass from Claire Butorac behind the Tommies' net at 9:50 of the opening period. UST tied the game 1-1 when Anna Erickson corralled a rebound shot initially by Maddy Clough to even the score. After 20 minutes of action, the Mavericks and Tommies were tied 1-1 with MSU edging UST in shots 10-9.

Late in the second period at 18:56, the Mavericks reclaimed the lead when Fleming scored to notch her 99th career point. A passing clinic, which featured King and Sydney Shearen, who collected her first point as a Maverick on the goal, on the assists, led to Fleming scoring the eventual game-winning goal in the middle period. After two periods of play, MSU carried the one-goal lead with a 17-14 advantage in shots.

King was the lone goal scorer in the final period by way of an empty-net goal at 19:03 to ice the game. The Mavericks held on for the 3-1 victory the remainder of the final minute to collect their third consecutive victory.

Junior goaltender Calla Frank, now 10-9-1 on the season, was named the Third Star of the Game by media in attendance after she stopped 20 of the Tommies' 21 shots en route to the victory.

Shots on goal sided with MSU by a 35-21 margin. The Tommies were the only one to score with the man advantage in Sunday's affair. While UST wrapped up the series at a 1-for-3 clip, MSU was unable to convert on its only chance on the power play of the afternoon and was 0-1.

The Mavericks hit the road next weekend to take on #8 Minnesota Duluth at AMSOIL Arena, Friday and Saturday at 3:07 p.m. CST.

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