MANKATO, Minn. – It took 57 minutes and 19 seconds before #12 Minnesota State got on the scoreboard but, 3:49 later, the Mavericks Zach Krajnik scored the teams third goal and sent the Mavericks into the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament with a 3-2 overtime victory Northern Michigan to claim the Central Collegiate Hockey Association's Mason Cup in front of a crowd of 4,805 at the Mayo Clinic Health Systems Event Center.
 
The two teams combined for a number of scoring chances in the opening period, including a penalty shot with 4:04 remaining in the frame, by Andre Gantous, which sophomore goaltender Keenan Rancier turned aisde.
 
The second period was a more tightly played but, with 3:39 to play in the stanza, the Wildcats' David Keefer forced a turnover at the Maverick blue and quickly fed Alex Frye, who broke in on the left side and his shot hit the left post and into the back of the net.
 
MSU recorded six shot attempts after that goal but only one was on net in the final minutes of the period and Northern Michigan took a 1-0 lead into the final period.
 
Frye scored again, at 7:27 of the third period, when the puck hopped away from the Mavericks' defensemen in the neutral zone and he broke into the zone all alone, deked Rancier to the ice and went to his forehand to put the puck into an open net.
 
Minnesota State, after controlling much of the play through the first two periods, dominated the third period, holding a 37-15 advantage in shot attempts, but the Wildcats continued to get in shooting lanes and block shots, as they recorded 27 of the game's 33 blocks through regulation.
 
The hosts finally got on the scoreboard with 2:19 to play and an extra attacker on the ice as senior Andy Carroll took the puck in the high slot and passed to freshman Simon Tassy in the left circle. From there, Tassy passed the puck to the front of the net where junior Ondrej Pavel was waiting at the top of the crease to tip in the puck.
 
Once again, the Mavericks got possession of the puck and were able to pull Rancier for an extra attacker before freshman Christian Fitzgerald banged home a loose puck with 56.7 seconds remaining on a goal mouth scramble with junior Jake Livingstone and senior Brendan Furry picking up assists to send the game into overtime.
 
With momentum on their side, it took just 1:08 into overtime for MSU to win the CCHA title, once again doing so in overtime after beating Bemidji State in last season's championship game in extra time.
 
On a rush down the slot, Krajnik got the puck from senior Cade Borchardt on his forehand, turned to his backhand and fired a shot that got through NMU goalie Beni Halasz to send the MCHSEC into a frenzy.
 
Both goalies made a number of key saves in the game as Rancier raised his record to 18-9-1 on the season, and 15-3-0 in 2023, by stopping 21 of the 23 shots he faced while Halasz turned aside 30 of 33 shots.
 
Minnesota State will host a watch party at Buffalo Wild Wings for the NCAA selection show, which will air live on ESPNU and ESPN+, at 5:30 p.m. Sunday.