Erik Haula's power-play goal five minutes into the third period was the game-winner as the Gophers won 4-2 over Minnesota State on Friday at Mariucci Arena. Teammate Jake Hansen added an insurance goal in the last minute on an empty-netter.
Haula scored his ninth goal of the season from the right point. It broke a 2-2 tie. The victory enabled the Gophers (12-4-1, 9-2-0) to stay one point ahead of second-place Minnesota Duluth in the WCHA standings. The Bulldogs beat Michigan Tech 5-2 to extend their unbeaten streak to 11 games.
Taylor Matson and Nick Larson, two seniors, scored the first two goals for the Gophers, early in the first period and early in the second. The Mavericks (3-11-1, 2-8-1) came back to tie the score 1-1 and then 2-2 before those periods ended.
Defenseman Evan Mosey freshman Jean-Paul Lafontaine, on a power play, had the Mavericks' goals.
Roman Augustoviz spends Minnesota's winters covering college hockey, specifically the Gophers, and other University of Minnesota sports. During the summer, he writes about the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx, with a dose of U sports sprinkled in. Follow @RomanStrib on Twitter. E-mail Roman.
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