No. 9 Minnesota State 5, No. 3 St. Cloud State 2

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ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Zeb Knutson scored twice and finished plus-3 for the Mavericks in their 5-2 win over the host Huskies at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center. Daniel Brickley and Reggie Lutz contributed two-point games to buoy the winning effort.

Jake Jaremko’s eighth goal of the season at 6:14 of the second on assists by Lutz and Clint Lewis went as the game winner, putting the Mavericks up 3-1. St. Cloud’s Robby Jackson cut the lead to 3-2 just 25 seconds later with assists from Ryan Poehling and Easton Brodzinski, but Knutson’s marker at 15:00 of the second and an empty net tally by C.J. Suess at 19:43 of the third slammed the door on the Huskies’ comeback effort.

St. Cloud outshot Minnesota State, 30-26, but it was the Mavericks’ Connor LaCouvee taking the win in net with 28 saves. Thirteen of those saves were made in the final stanza to keep the hosts at bay.

Minnesota State improves to 18-7-0 with the non-conference victory and will complete a non-conference home-and-home series with Minnesota Duluth on Tues., Jan. 23.

St. Cloud slips to 14-5-3 overall and will return to NCHC play next weekend against Duluth.