MANKATO, Minn. — The Northern Michigan University hockey team advanced to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s conference final with a 5-1 victory Friday over No. 3 Minnesota State University – Mankato.

The Wildcats lit the lamp just over a minute into the opening period when Andre Ghantous fired the puck top shelf.

It didn’t take long in the second for Alex Frye to find twine as the sophomore lit the lamp just 24 seconds into the middle frame for a 2-0 lead.

The Wildcats would find the back of the net a total of four times in the middle frame as Frye, Nardi, Vanderbeck and Ghantous all hit twine to carry NMU to a 5-0 lead heading into the third period.

The Wildcats continued to offset the pressure the Mavericks put on in the waning minutes of the third period as Rico DiMatteo made 28 saves in the contest to improve to 7-5-1 on the season.

Their appearance in today’s WCHA conference championship will be their sixth in program history, having previously advanced to the league finals in 1989, ’91, ’92, ’93 and 2018.

… Hampus Eriksson had a hand in three goals and Mareks Mitens turned away 26 shots as second-seeded Lake Superior State took down No. 4 seed Bemidji State, 4-1, in the other WCHA semifinal.

The victory was the 1,000th win in Lake Superior State hockey history and advances the Lakers to Saturday’s championship game against NMU. The championship game appearance is the first for Lake Superior State in its WCHA era.

The tournament winner will receive an automatic bid to the 2021 NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship.

“It was a big game with where both teams are sitting nationally,” Lake Superior State head coach Damon Whitten said after the contest. “A lot of eyes on this game across the college hockey world. I think the nation saw who we are and who we’ve been all season long.”