MANKATO, Minn. – Josh Groll's quick release in the high slot beat Rorke Applebee and the Minnesota State Mavericks won 3-2 in overtime Saturday night over Lake Superior State in CCHA play. Evan Murr and Rhett Pitlick assisted on Groll's game-winner with one minute left in the extra session and the Mavericks extended their unbeaten streak to 11 in a row at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center.
 
MSU's top line produced early and often and Groll notched his second multi-goal game of the season. Pitlick added one goal and two assists and has six points over his last three games. Linemate Kaden Bohlsen added a pair of assists in the victory.
 
"Just talking to that group a night ago, I don't think they were overly happy with their performance," said head coach Luke Strand. "I think they simplified today, shooting being one of them and getting a little less cute. They had so many momentum wave shifts for us in a good way. Good on them to respond at a big time. You need big players in big moments."
 
The Mavericks struck for back-to-back goals in the first period. Bohlsen held the blue line along the wall, and Pitlick skated past two defenders and deposited his eighth goal of the season at 4:43.
 
Forty-three seconds later, Groll walked into the left circle and whistled a wrister off the crossbar and in. Pitlick added an assist on Groll's sixth marker of the year and the Mavericks led 2-0 after 20 minutes.
 
Minnesota State played shorthanded for five minutes when Lake Superior successfully challenged for a major penalty and game misconduct for grabbing the facemask. John Herrington scored in the final minute of the middle period to cut the deficit to 2-1. Herrington finished with a goal and assist, along with six blocked shots for LSSU.
 
Jacob Conrad evened it 2-2 for the Lakers late in the third stanza and it remained tied for the remaining 4:14 of regulation.
 
A puck in the crease glanced off of Brandon Piku's skate and across the line in overtime but was subsequently overturned when Luke Strand successfully challenged the play for goaltender interference. Groll snapped his wrist shot past Applebee at 4:00 to complete the series sweep.
 
Alex Tracy made 34 saves for his 14^th win of the year in goal. Applebee closed with 26 saves for LSSU. Mason Wheeler led MSU with six blocked shots and Campbell Cichosz had four. The Mavericks blocked 22 shots on the night. LSSU went 1-3 on the power play and MSU finished 0-2.
 
"Damon does a really good job with his guys and they're a talented group," Strand said of Lake Superior State. "We're going to see them hopefully multiple times down the stretch here, but I was happy for our guys to find a way. It's that time of the year.
 
No. 12 ranked Minnesota State (14-4-2, 9-1-2 CCHA) won their sixth straight game Saturday and cemented their position at the top of the CCHA standings at the midway point of the regular season.
 
The Mavericks are 9-2-2 at home and will be off the ice until December 30, when they host University of Manitoba for an exhibition at 3 p.m. All tickets for the game are $5. The next CCHA series is Jan. 10-11 at Northern Michigan.