MANKATO, Minn. – Josh Groll made a rink-wide saucer pass from the hashmark and Rhett Pitlick hammered it home with 42 seconds left in regulation as No. 18 Minnesota State defeated No. 16 Omaha 4-3 at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center Friday night. Groll's pass made it through two defenders after Adam Eisele won the faceoff for MSU moments earlier.
 
Minnesota State (4-3-0) collected its third victory over a ranked opponent in front of 4,611 fans and earned an opportunity to sweep UNO Saturday at 6:07 p.m.
 
The game-winning goal was Pitlick's third of the season and the top-line left wing posted five shots on the night. Pitlick has five points in his last three outings. Josh Groll and Brian Carrabes also notched multi-point games with a goal and an assist each.
 
Omaha (2-3-0) fell to Minnesota State in regular season play for the first time since 2015. UNO is 1-1 on the road.
 
UNO held MSU off the shot chart for over ten minutes before Pitlick deflected one off Simon Latkoczy's glove on a 2-on-1 rush. Brett Moravec made it 1-0 at 14:26, his second goal of the season. Moravec found the loose puck in the crease after a faceoff win. Carrabes and Steve Bellini added assists.
 
After posting just a pair of first-period shots, MSU outshot UNO 14-9 in the middle frame. At 16:50, Carrabes scored unassisted for a 2-0 advantage. Just over one minute later, Adam Eisele pulled back a faceoff from the left offensive circle and Groll one-timed a shot to the twine for Minnesota State from the top of the circle.
 
Trailing Minnesota State 3-0, UNO's Zach Urdahl skated around a defender and slid the puck across the line just 13 ticks into the final period. Nolan Krenzen and Dylan Gratton added helpers with the teams skating 4-on-4.
 
Sam Stange fired a shot from the point through a screen for Omaha's second marker at 5:15. Jacob Guevin and Garrett Pinoniemi tallied assists.
 
Jakob Stender's check along the boards was ruled a major penalty for contact to the head, rendering MSU shorthanded for five minutes. Tyler Rollwagon slapped in a rebound in the crease to tie the game for UNO on the power play. Alex Tracy made the initial stop on Urdahl. Jimmy Glynn also assisted at 8:06.
 
UNO pulled Latkoczy for an extra skater after Pitlick's final goal but did not find the equalizer.
 
Minnesota State outshot Omaha 30-29 and blocked 14 shots. Alex Tracy made 26 saves, including 11 in the third period to earn his fourth victory.
 
MSU and UNO play for the Spirit of the Maverick trophy Saturday night, awarded to the team that wins the weekend series. Omaha is currently in possession. Minnesota State will also celebrate its 11 seniors prior to puck drop Saturday.