It only takes a moment for an upset bid to dissolve against a top team like Minnesota State.
The sixth-ranked Mavericks scored two quick goals early in the third period and rolled from there, turning a 1-0 lead into a 6-1 victory over the Chargers on Friday in Mankato, Minn.
UAH (6-22-1 overall, 6-14-1-1 WCHA) will try again to break a long-standing winless streak against MSU on Saturday night.
Minnesota State (22-6-1, 17-4-0-0) maintained its eight-point lead over Bowling Green atop the WCHA standings.
The Mavericks struck early with a goal at the 3:21 mark. Edwin Hookenson’s shot from the right point got between the legs of Jake Theut.
Theut would probably like that one back, but he was stout from that point through the second period.
The closest the Mavericks would score in the second period was with about four minutes remaining, when he slid to his left to make a toe save on Charlie Gerard.
So UAH only had a 1-0 deficit, but Theut could do little to stop what happened in the third.
At 2:08, MSU had Chris Van Os-Shaw and Julian Napravnik on a 2-on-1 all alone, with Napravik finishing to make it 2-0. At 3:14, Connor Mackey fired a rebound from the high slot to make it 3-0.
From there, the Mavericks found their scoring touch. Ian Scheid, Parker Tuomie, and Chris Van Os-Shaw added goals as MSU outshot UAH 43-15 for the game.
The Chargers averted the shutout as Kurt Gosselin scored on a backhander on the power play with 3:04 remaining. Fourth goal of the season and 20th of his career for Gosselin.
Austin Beaulieu and Theut assisted on the goal. It was the first goalie assist for UAH since John Griggs had one in the 2010-11 season.
Theut finished with 37 saves. MSU goalie Dryden McKay made 14 saves.
UAH is now winless in 27 games (0-23-4) against Minnesota State dating back to the 2001-02 season.