St. Cloud State’s Joey Benik scored in the first 80 seconds of the first period and added another 11 minutes later to stake the Huskies to a 2-0 lead en route to a 5-2 win over defending North Star College Cup champion Bemidji State in the finals of the 2016 tournament.

Patrick Russell and Kalle Kossilla scored in the second period to stretch the St. Cloud State lead to 4-0, while allowing the Beavers just seven shots on goal through two periods.

The Beavers showed signs of life in the third, peppering Huskies’ goaltender Charlie Lindgren with 17 shots and getting goals from Kyle Bauman and Phillip Marinaccio.

Tournament Most Valuable Player Mikey Eyssimont added an empty-net goal for the No. 3 Huskies late in the third period, and said after the game he was unaware that the award even existed for the tournament.

“I didn’t know it was an award here,” Eyssimont, a freshman, said with a smile in the post-game press conference. “I got called up and I was pretty excited. It was a pretty proud moment,” Eyssimont added.

Huskies' head coach Bob Motzko said that the atmosphere of the North Star College Cup is part of what makes the experience more significant for his team.

“When you pull into Saint Paul, you can feel the excitement,” Motzko said. “I hope the tournament stays around, because it’s got a chance to be something special.

The NSCC gives programs that were a part of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association before the major realignment a chance to maintain storied rivalries.

Motzo said that the high level of competition is a testament to the caliber of Minnesota’s collegiate programs.

“Three winners in three years,” Motzko said, referring to the Beavers and to the inaugural NSCC champion Minnesota. “That’s something to celebrate, how good hockey is in our state.”

Special teams again proved crucial in the consolation game, with Minnesota State converting on two man-advantages and the Gophers also scoring twice on the power play.

Minnesota State’s Teddy Blueger opened the scoring with the game’s only even-strength goal in the first period, but the Mavericks’s lead was quickly erased by Minnesota’s Justin Kloos.

C.J. Franklin puts the Mavericks (14-9-5) ahead early in the second, and again the Mavericks’ lead was wiped out by a Connor Reilly goal for the Golden Gophers (13-12-0).

Blueger capped his First Star performance with the game-winner, fending off a check and rifling a wrist shot past Minnesota’s Eric Schierhorn at the 7:29 mark of the third period. 

Bemidji State (11-11-5) knocked off the No. 20 Golden Gophers, scoring three times in the third period to earn the win, giving the Beavers a shot to defend their 2015 North Star College Cup title.

The the Beavers and Golden Gophers (13-12-0) entered the third period tied 1-1, with Connor Reilly scoring for Minnesota and John Parker notching the equalizer for the Beavers.

Justin Kloos gave the Golden Gophers a 2-1 lead at the 7:52 mark of the third, the Beavers responded with goals from Cory Ward and Markus Gerbrandt, who scored the game-winning goal and the insurance empty-netter to cement the win.  

Despite never hitting double-digits in shots in a period, St. Cloud State edged Minnesota State 5-4 in the first game of the North Star College Cup.

The teams skated to a 2-2 tie after one period, with Zach Stepan giving the No. 19 ranked Mavericks (14-9-5) a 1-0 lead on the first of the game’s four power play goals. The Huskies would answer with two goals 1:12 apart from Patrick Russell and Mikey Eyssimont. Dylan Margonari tied the game with 28 seconds left in the period for the Mavericks.

The No. 3 Huskies (22-5-1) took a 4-3 lead into the third period after goals by Eyssimont and Jacob Benson. Brad McClure scored for the Mavericks in the second frame.

Minnesota State tied the game early midway through the third on a C.J. Franklin goal, but SCSU’s Jimmy Murray scored the game-winner on a power play with 3:19 to play.