Zach Harrison scored three short-handed goals Friday as No. 15 Minnesota State, Mankato, opened the WCHA season with a 5-1 victory over No. 13 North Dakota.
The win snapped the Mavericks' 10-game winless streak against the Sioux, who are now 0-3 for the first time since the 1994-95 season.
The Mavericks, meanwhile, are 3-0 for the first time since 1998-99 when they were a Division I independent and a year away from joining the WCHA.
Goaltender Mike Zacharias made 32 saves, including 13 in the second period, for the win. Aaron Walski stopped 16 shots for the Sioux.
North Dakota led 1-0 on Matt Watkins' unassisted goal at 4:36 of the first period.
But the Mavericks came back with goals by Geoff Irwin and Kael Mouillierat just 67 seconds apart. Irwin's goal, his third of the year, came during a delayed penalty. Mouillierat's goal was a power-play goal. Mavericks captain Mick Berge assisted on both plays. With six assists in the Mavericks' first three games, Berge has already matched his total from a year ago (he had 20 goals).
Harrison scored his first two short-handed goals at 8:25 of the second period and 53 seconds into the third. The third goal was an empty-netter with 1:41 to play.
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MSU's Zach Harrison scored the period's lone goal, a short-handed tally at 8:25. The junior scooped up a loose puck and raced in 1-on-1 against Darcy Zajac before firing over goalie Aaron Walski's glove. Jerad Stewart got an assist on the play.
Zacharias was solid again as UND outshot MSU 13-4!
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The Mavericks killed off nearly two minutes of 5x3 power play in the first four minutes of the game, but North Dakota struck first when Matt Watkins fired in a Ben Youds giveaway at 4:36 for an unassisted goal.
The Mavericks tied the game less than two minutes later when Geoff Irwin scored his third goal of the season. The goal took place during a delayed penalty, and Mick Berge, who came on as the extra attacker assisted on the play, along with Brian Kilburg. Just 67 seconds later, Minnesota State took the lead on a power-play goal by Kael Mouillierat. Berge assisted on that play to, and with six assists, has already matched his total from a year ago. Kurt Davis got his fourth assist of the season on the play.
North Dakota outshot MSU 11-10. Mike Zacharias was made one great save during a Sioux power play late in the period.
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Here are tonight's lines (starters in bold):
MINNESOTA STATE
Mouillierat-Bruess-Berge
Louwerse-Harrison-Stewart
Irwin-Sackrison-Wiley
Thompson-Galiardi-Jokinen
Davis-Kilburg
Youds-Boe
Friesen-Canzanello
Zacharias
Tormey
Lee
NORTH DAKOTA
Gregoire-VandeVelde-Duncan
Watkins-Zajac-Martens
Kozek-Trupp-Toews
Hextall-Malone-Frattin
Blood-Genoway
Jones-Marto
LaPoint-Fienhage
Walski
Eidsness
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