Mankato, Minn. --- #1-rated Minnesota State erupted for six second-period goals in skating to a 7-0 win over Ferris State in men's college hockey action Saturday in Mankato.
With the victory, the ninth in a row for the Mavericks, Minnesota State ups its record to 20-4-0 for 2021-22. The Mavericks sit atop the Central Collegiate Hockey Association standings with a 14-2-0 ledger in league play.
Minnesota State held an 18-3 shot advantage after the first 20 minutes of action, but at that point the score stood tied 0-0.
Including four goals in a span of two minutes and 26 seconds at the beginning of the second period, the Mavericks erupted for six unanswered goals in the following 20 minutes. Senior forward
Julian Napravnik took a pass from
Nathan Smith and scored just 13 seconds into the period to get things going. Goals from
Sam Morton (1:38) and
Josh Groll (1:50) 12 seconds apart made it 3-0 and when freshman
Zach Krajnik tallied his first career goal at 2:39, Minnesota State owned a 4-0 lead. Napravnik got his second of the period with a power play marker after taking a no look pass from
Akito Hirose at 11:06 and Smith cashed in for his 13
th goal of the season at 14:42.
Krajnik tallied his second of the game at 11:59 of the third to close out the scoring in the contest.
Smith finished the game with three points on a goal and two assists.
Senior netminder
Dryden McKay, who turned aside all 17 shots he faced, upped his record to 20-3-0 on the year. The shutout is his eighth of the season and he has extended his NCAA Division I men's hockey record for career shutouts to 32.
The Mavericks continue CCHA action with a two-game road series at Northern Michigan next weekend.
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