Tristen Truax of Minnesota State Mankato scored the game’s first and fifth goals, but in the end the outcome in this in-state series was the same as usual.

The No. 7 Gophers women’s hockey team edged the Mavericks 4-2 on Friday night at Ridder Arena, extending its unbeaten streak in the rivalry to 49 games going back to January 2007.

“A lot of pressure from Mankato caused a couple of turnovers there,” Gophers coach Brad Frost said, “and they ended up in the back of the net.”

Truax, a freshman forward from Shakopee, put MSU Mankato ahead 1-0 midway through the opening period.

The Gophers (18-8-2, 11-6-2 WCHA) answered with three goals in the second period. Sydney Baldwin got the first goal at 26 seconds. Grace Zumwinkle’s 13th goal, unassisted, put Minnesota ahead at 8:53, and just 1:33 later, freshman defenseman Emily Brown made it 3-1. Her third goal this season proved to be the game-winner.

Truax’s second goal of the game at 12:19 of the third for the Mavericks (3-21-1, 1-16) made the final minutes tense. At least until the Mavericks pulled goalie Chloe Crosby in the last minute and the Gophers’ Taylor Wente got an empty-netter.

Brown

“A real good second period to jump out to that 3-1 lead,” Frost said. “And a nice job at the end there with their goalie pulled to be able to hold them off. … Real excited about the win. We needed that to get on the horse a little bit.”

The Gophers were coming off two losses last weekend at Ohio State.

Crosby finished with 25 saves. Sidney Peters of the Gophers stopped 15 shots.

This game was a lot closer than two in Mankato in early November, which the Gophers won 6-1 and 5-2.