Stepan makes final U.S. roster

A tad late on this because of the holiday ...

Minnesota State's Zach Stepan survived the final cut and made the final 23-player roster for the U.S. Junior National Team, which is playing in the IIHF World Junior Championships this week in Malmo, Sweden.

Stepan, a freshman forward, is the first MSU player to play for Team USA in the championships and the second Maverick to participate in the tournament. Last year, Teddy Blueger, now a sophomore forward, played for Latvia.

Stepan was in the lineup on Thursday for Team USA’s 5-1,tournament-opening victory over the Czech Republic. He was plus-1 and credited with one shot on goal. However, he departed the game in the third period with what was reported to be a lower-body injury. The report said his status is day to day.

Team USA will play Slovakia at 6:30 a.m. Friday. All U.S. games are available on the NHL Network and NHL.com.

The rest of the U.S. schedule is as follows (all times CST):

Sunday vs. Germany, 8 a.m.

Tuesday vs. Canada, 10:30 a.m.

If Team USA advances, the quarterfinals are Thursday, Jan. 2, with the semifinals on Saturday, Jan. 4, and the finals Sunday, Jan. 5.

WCHA commissioner McLeod to retire

McLeod with former MSU coach Troy Jutting/WCHA photo

The WCHA announced on Friday that commissioner Bruce McLeod will retire at the end of this season. The 62-year-old is in his 20th year as commissioner.

The Fort Frances, Ontario, native and former Minnesota Duluth player oversaw a highly successful era that included eight WCHA teams winning national championships and 10 players winning Hobey Baker awards, a lucrative Final Five event for the last 13 years as well as the advent of a women's hockey hockey. It was also under McLeod's watch that Minnesota State was admitted to the league in 1999.

"The opportunity to get to know and to work alongside so many outstanding coaches and administrators, to become acquainted with so many marvelous student-athletes, and watch our sport grow and prosper has been a blessing," McLeod said in a statement issued by the WCHA. "I will forever be a fan."

However, the era's final years included with the flight of eight programs from the league, including two to the Big Ten and six to start up the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. He helped piece the league back together, bringing in the teams leftover from the now-defunct Central Collegiate Hockey Conference and Alabama Huntsville.

In a WCHA statement, Minnesota State president Richard Davenport, chair of the WCHA board of directors said: "We will forever be grateful for the commitment, loyalty and leadership of commissioner McLeod. His integrity, work ethic, unselfishness and enthusiasm for both the WCHA and the sport of college hockey shine through in everything he does. Bruce has led the league to tremendous successes over his 20 years, all the while keeping the focus on the member institutions, student-athletes and staffs. We also are indebted to him for the tremendous efforts and leadership he put forth during the recent transition period in college hockey, where he was instrumental in making certain the WCHA remained a leader and a competitive and successful organization. We wish him the best in retirement."

Read the full WCHA press release here.

Stepan's going to Sweden

John Cross photo

Zach Stepan survived Wednesday morning's cuts following the U.S. Junior National Team's 3-2 overtime exhibition victory over Minnesota State on Tuesday night.

Team USA went into the game with 29 players, sitting five locks to make the roster, as well as a third goaltender and an injured player.

On Wednesday morning, the U.S. team announced that Boston College forward Ryan Fitzgerald, Michigan forward J.T. Compher and Sarnia Sting (OHL) defenseman Anthony DeAngelo have been cut. Compher probably was a lock to make the team but injured his foot blocking a shot in practice on Monday, according to reports.

The 26 remaining players —15 forwards, 8 defensemen and 3 goalies — will fly to Sweden today after this morning's practice. The U.S. will play two exhibition games there before the World Junior Championships begin on Dec. 26. Three more players — likely two forwards and a defenseman — will be cut before the tournament begins.

On Tuesday night, U.S. coach Don Lucia called Stepan "a good utility guy." "That's one of his strengths," the coach said. "He can play three forward positions, a little power play if necessary, some penalty kill. Versatility is one of his great strengths."

I'm curious to know who else on the roster fits that bill and if that description makes Stepan expendable or an ideal 13th forward for the tournament.

Team USA will play exhibition games Friday and Saturday against Sweden and Finland.

Team USA 3, MSU 2 (OT)

Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...

1. Entertaining game: The Mavericks put up a good fight against some of college hockey's best young players. Minnesota State led 1-0 and 2-1 on power-play goals by Jean-Paul LaFontaine and Johnny McInnis. LaFontaine and Zach Palmquist each finished with a two-point game. The U.S. outshot MSU 30-22. But it was good to see the Mavericks play the exhibition with a lot of energy on the night before going on break. The game-winning goal by Minnesota's Hudson Fasching was as pretty a goal as you're going to see. Tough play for Blake Thompson and Evan Karambelas to defend.

2. Good test for the U.S. ... Team USA coach Don Lucia said the Mavericks gave his youngsters a good test before it heads to Sweden for the World Junior Championships. "With (MSU's) game, we knew it was going to be a good, up-and-down game. They're an older, stronger team with 22- and 23-year-old guys." Lucia also appreciated that the game went to overtime where the teams played 4 on 4, which will be how the WJC format will work. The U.S. coaches and management will meet on Wednesday morning and make some cuts. What will the fate of Zach Stepan be? (See link below.)

3. ... and for MSU, too: Minnesota State got to play some different players in different positions in the game, and coach Mike Hastings said he was pleased with what he saw. Thompson made his MSU debut after sitting out the last year after transferring from Minnesota, and Dylan Margonari got his first chance to play center, playing on a line with LaFontaine and Zach Lehrke. Karambelas, the Mavericks' third-string goalie, got a rare chance to play, spelling Stephon Williams, who was excellent in the first two periods, including one particular glove save on, of all people, Stepan!

As for more of the Zach Stepan story, give that a read here.

And one more thing ... The Mavericks go on break now and are scheduled to return for practices on Dec. 29. MSU will head to Alaska on Jan. 1 for a 12-day trip

MSU vs. U.S. Junior National Team

Lines can be found below the live chat

MINNESOTA STATE

9-Gervais ... 18-Leitner ... 22-McInnis
12-LaFontaine ... 26-Margonari ... 19-Lehrke
21-Grant ... 16-J. Nelson ... 8-Gaede
11-Flanagan ... 14-Herndon ... 10-Knoll

7-Palmquist ... 5-Foguth
27-Stern ... 6-C. Nelson
4-Buchanan ... 3-Thompson

35-Williams
34-Huggins
31-Karambelas

Scratches: Blueger (with Latvian national team) ... Huntebrinker (inj.) ... Jutzi (inj.) ... Knowles (inj.) ... J. Nelson (inj.) ... Stepan (with U.S. national team)

TEAM USA

19-Erne ... 15-Eichel ... 21-Hartman
23-Matteau ... 13-Hinostroza ... 18-Samuelsson
8-Motte ... 25-Shore ... 22-Fasching
20-Fitzgerald ... 26-Stepan ... 14-DiPauli

4-Butcher ... 28-Carrick
2-Skjei ... 27-Pesce
3-McCoshen ... 24-DeAngelo
6-Slavin ... 16-Santini

32-Gillies
29-Stolarz

Referees: Justin Brown, Rod Tocco. Linesmen: Matt Tyree, Neil Missling

LaFontaine named player of the week

Minnesota State forward Jean-Paul LaFontaine was named WCHA Offensive Player of the Week for his performance over the weekend at Alabama Huntsville. He was league's top scorer over the weekend, recording four points (2-2) in the MSU sweep.

The junior has 12 points (7-5) in the Mavericks' last eight games and leads the Mavericks with 16 points (8-8). This was the second time this season that LaFontaine earned the award.

Other WCHA awards this week went to Ferris State goaltender C.J. Motte, who was named Defensive Player of the Week for the fourth time this season. Rookie of the Week honors went to Alaska goaltender David Jones.

Tuesday morning skate (updated)

Could be a fun game tonight at the Verizon Wireless Center as the Mavericks host the U.S. Junior National Team in an exhibition. The U.S. roster is full of college hockey's best young players (and others from the major junior ranks), including MSU's Zach Stepan. In all there are 26 NHL draft picks on the roster, including nine selected in the first or second round.

UPDATE: Kids 17 & under can go to tonight's game for free. Go to msumavericks.com to print off the coupon.

Stepan, it turns out, is all right after the violent hit he took on Saturday night in Huntsville. He practiced with the national team on Sunday night and told Dan Myers of NHL.com that he was removed from the game afterward for precautionary reasons. Dan, who used to cover the Mavericks for the MSU Reporter, also had this feature on Stepan for Wild.com.

Stepan, it's been reported by Chris Peters, has practiced some with the penalty kill. Today's morning practice in Minneapolis and night game in Mankato make up a very important day, Peters wrote, as there could be cuts before the team heads to Sweden where it will have more exhibition games before the World Junior Championships.

As for the Mavericks, they'll be without Stepan, as well as Teddy Blueger, who is in Poland playing for Latvia in the World Junior Championship Division I A Group. Latvia lost out in the relegation round last year in the big tournament. That tournament will end in time for Blueger to return to the Mavericks prior to their trip to Alaska. If Stepan makes the U.S. roster and the U.S. advances far enough, he'll miss the first half of that trip.

Minnesota State also will be without forward Brett Knowles (upper body). However, tonight marks the debut of sophomore defenseman Blake Thompson, who transferred from Minnesota a year ago. Check back later today for lineups.

Meanwhile, MSU moved back into the U.S. College Hockey Online poll this week after winning seven games in a row. So folks are starting to take notice of the Mavericks again.

Mavericks 4, Chargers 1

Freddy's three thoughts from afar ...

1. Seven in row: Just as they did at this time a year ago, the Mavericks have won seven straight games to put themselves into a pretty good position. They're now 11-7-0 overall and 9-3-0 in the WCHA. They're in second place in the league, four points behind red-hot Ferris State. Both teams have played 12 conference games. In the Mavericks' run they have outscored opponents 27-11. Once again Saturday, the power play carried the day, going 3 for 10, including a pair of late goals by Matt Leitner and Chase Grant to ice the game.

2. Willy's back: Stephon Williams got the start in goal, and while he stopped 17 of 18 shots while teammates put 46 on net at the other end, he had to be sharp. He stopped a short-handed breakaway early in the game when it was still scoreless, as well as another partial breakaway and a few more tough shots. That's two pretty good outings in a row for Williams. "He looked like he was back into it," coach Mike Hastings said. "He looked like he was back in the zone." Williams is now 4-4-0. Could he get a start in the Mavericks' next regular-season outing in his hometown of Fairbanks?

3. Getting ugly: The Mavericks' late power-play goals came as a result of a pair of major penalties by Huntsville's Frank Misuraca and Ben Reinhardt. They hit Brett Knowles and Zach Stepan from behind, although the hit on Stepan looked more like a high, dirty elbow from the TV replay. Both MSU players were down on the ice for awhile and had to be helped off the rink. Not sure of their status, although Hastings said he thought Stepan would be OK. Stepan is due to join the U.S. Junior National Team on Sunday night in Minneapolis. The game was still just 2-1 when the hits happened; not sure what those players were thinking. Clearly more interested in delivering big hits than winning the game. Hastings said he expects the WCHA will review the plays.

Around the WCHA: Bowling Green 4, Michigan Tech 4 (OT) ... Alaska 5, Bemidji State 1 ... Ferris State 2, Michigan State 0 ... North Dakota 3, Northern Michigan 1 ... Lake Superior at Alaska Anchorage (late)

Mavericks 4, Chargers 1

Freddy's three thoughts (from afar) ...

1. No need to panic, right? The Mavericks held a slim 1-0 lead into the third period and seemed to be controlling the game pretty well. But let a team hang around ... Huntsville tied the game at 3:46 of the third, and you're thing this could give the Chargers, who won for the first time last week, some life. But the Mavericks didn't panic, coach Mike Hastings said afterward, and with the help of a quick UAH penalty after the goal, Jean-Paul LaFontaine got the lead back 29 seconds later.

2. Power play stays hot: After struggling a bit early on, the Mavericks finished 3 for 7 on the power play and had 17 shots on goal with the man advantage. LaFontaine's goal was his sixth power-play goal of the season. Dylan Margonari and Johnny McInnis also scored power-play goals, and both of Matt Leitner's assists came on the power play. During their six-game winning streak, the Mavericks are 13 of 32 on the power play (40.6 percent). Over that same span, they've allowed just three opponents' power plays. Huntsville finished 0 for 5 on Friday.

3. Lehrke scores again: Zach Lehrke didn't figure into the power-play scoring but he did score an important goal — Hastings called it "a special, individual play," — giving the Mavericks a 3-1 cushion at 7:21 of the third period. Lehrke got the puck one on one against a defender, dangled a bit and used that D-man as a screen as he fired past the Huntsville goalie. Lehrke now has three goals and six points in seven games, which ranks tied for fifth already on the Mavericks' scoring chart.

Around the WCHA: Bowling Green 3, Michigan Tech 2 ... Alaska 3, Bemidji State 3 (OT) ... North Dakota 4, Northern Michigan 1 ... Lake Superior 3, Alaska Anchorage 1

Friday morning skate (end-of-the-half edition)

The Mavericks will close out the first half of the regular season today and Saturday at Alabama Huntsville. They'll try to extend a five-game winning streak that has propelled them into second place in the WCHA standings. The streak is somewhat reminiscent of one from last year at this time that also gave Minnesota State a much-needed lift.

The Chargers got that much-eluded victory last Saturday after starting the season 0-15, and, if anything, that (as well as several other close games Huntsville's been involved in) should have reminded MSU not to overlook its opponent.

Sounds like it will be pretty busy at the rink in Huntsville this weekend.

Going around the WCHA ...

Bowling Green at Michigan Tech: Everything about the Falcons says they're a good team. However, they're reeling a bit right now, partially due to continued injury concerns. Bowling Green has won just two of its last nine games. Meanwhile, the Huskies are on a five-game unbeaten streak, although last weekends ties with Bemidji State were less than satisfying.

Alaska at Bemidji State: This series features two teams that have been able to score goals but also two teams that have given up quite a bit, too. Bemidji State got those two hard-fought ties at Michigan Tech last weekend but is a bit banged up going into break. The Nanooks got a much-needed win on Saturday at Anchorage, snapping a five-game losing streak.

Lake Superior at Alaska Anchorage: This should be a good series in Anchorage, where the Seawolves have been pretty good this year. However, for years, the series just before Christmas has been mailed in by UAA. Things seem to be different this year. The Lakers, meanwhile, have been one of the better road teams in the WCHA this season.

Northern Michigan at North Dakota: The Wildcats' trip to Grand Forks gave The Mining Journal reason to look the challenge of nonconference scheduling for Northern Michigan and other teams in the WCHA. Meanwhile, NMU, as we saw in Mankato last weekend, is pretty beat up right now. Of course, you can read lots more great coverage from Grand Forks' Brad Schlossman, whom we all miss in the WCHA.

Ferris State at Michigan State (Saturday only): The Bulldogs kept their unbeaten streak, now up to 14 games, going on Wednesday with a tie at Michigan and now face the Spartans in another matchup of old CCHA teams. Ferris State is now starting to get some national attention.

This week's USCHO notebook focuses on Huntsville's win, and check out Matt Wellens' and my picks for this weekend.

So you're saying there's a chance

When the USA Hockey released its preliminary roster for the Junior National Team, officials said more players could be added for the training camp. For the Mavericks' Zach Stepan, that meant there was still a chance.

On Tuesday, Team USA indeed added more players to its roster, and Stepan was among those chosen. There are now 29 players on the roster. The final roster for the World Junior Championships will have 23 players.

Stepan will participate in the training camp Dec. 15-18 at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis before moving on to Sweden. The camp will include an exhibition game against Minnesota State on Tuesday night (Dec. 17) in Mankato, which means Stepan likely will be playing against his current teammates.

The World Junior Championships will take place Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Malmo, Sweden. 

Stepan is coming off a good weekend for the Mavericks. He had a goal and an assist in Friday's victory over Northern Michigan. He now has four goals and three assists in 12 games and is plus-3.

Mavericks 3, Wildcats 0

Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...

1. Lehrke keeps rolling: Zach Lehrke broke a scoreless tie at 11:16 of the third period to help the Mavericks to their fifth win in a row and second straight WCHA series sweep. The power-play goal was his eighth point in six games since returning to the team. He's been quite the catalyst for Minnesota State's surge over the last few weeks. I wrote more about Lehrke in my game story, but one key stat that didn't get in this: In 10 games without Lehrke in the lineup, the Mavericks were 4 for 46 (8.6 percent) on the power play. In six games since his return, MSU is 12 for 30 (40 percent).

2. Shutout for Huggins: Coach Mike Hastings went with Cole Huggins again on Saturday after the freshman got the win on Friday night. A week earlier, Huggins won on Friday and Stephon Williams got the start on Saturday. "I thought he earned another start," Hastings said. Huggins stopped 17 Northern Michigan shots for his second shutout of the season. Like his first shutout, the game was scoreless for most of the game. He didn't have to wait until overtime, though, as Lehrke got the Mavericks on the board with 8:44 to play. Huggins is 6-3-0 with a .932 SV% and a 1.80 GAA.

3. Depth comes through: Freshman center Jordan Nelson scored the Mavericks' second goal, less than two minutes after Lehrke scored. It was quite a shot, as Nelson had fallen to his backside and pushed the puck through the goalie's legs. It was a much-deserved goal for the line of Nelson, Max Gaede and Brett Knowles, who were rock-solid all weekend. "That was a real big moment for us," Hastings said. Add to that the play of the third group of defensemen, Sean Flanagan and Mat Knoll. Flanagan had two assists, and Knoll ate a lot of minutes, getting a chance with Casey Nelson out with a lower-body injury.

Around the WCHA: Alabama Huntsville 4, Bowling Green 3 (OT -- first win of the season for the Chargers!) ... Ferris State 3, Lake Superior State 1 ... Bemidji State 2, Michigan Tech 2 (OT) ... Alaska At Alaska Anchorage (late)

MSU vs. Northern Michigan - Game 2 live blog

Lines can be found below the live chat ...

MINNESOTA STATE

12-LaFontaine ... 23-Blueger ... 19-Lehrke
26-Margonari ... 25-Stepan ... 22-McInnis
21-Grant ... 18-Leitner ... 9-Gervais
24-Knowles ... 16-Nelson ... 8-Gaede

27-Stern ... 7-Palmquist
28-Jutzi ... 5-Foguth
11-Flanagan ... 10-Knoll

34-Huggins
35-Williams
31-Karambelas

Scratches: Buchanan, Herndon, Huntebrinker, Nelson, Nelson

NORTHERN MICHIGAN

9-Seckel ... 40-Vigier ... 29-Daugherty
7-Salminen ... 11-Sooth ... 15-Shine
22-Adair ... 20-Nowick ... 19-Aynsley
16-Johnson ... 3-Kesti ... 6-Taurence

27-Epp ... 14-Maschmeyer
4-Jones ... 25-Handley
23-Baker ... 42-Kaib

30-Dahlstrom
34-Dun

Referees: Chris Perrault, Brad Shepherd. Linesmen: Matt Anderson, Rick Nelson

Mavericks 3, Wildcats 2

Pat Christman/The Free Press

Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...

1. Attention, Team USA: Zach Stepan was left off the preliminary roster for the U.S. National Junior Team, which will play in the World Junior Championships after Christmas. If the team adds to the list (which officials said they might do, depending on injuries), Stepan made a good case for himself on Friday with a goal and an assist and a team-high six shots on net. He and Dylan Margonari had some good chemistry in the first period as each helped the other score and give the Mavericks a 2-0 lead. Whether Stepan makes the U.S. team or not, the Mavericks appear to have quite the young player. 

2. Leit's going on: The game-winning goal by Matt Leitner was a thing of beauty. Once again, it's too bad that this place doesn't have a jumbotron for folks to re-watch that goal in the building. I'd like to see it again. Maybe later this week. Leitner took a pass from Zach Lehrke (another power-play assist for him, by the way) as he gained speed in the neutral zone, and with other teammates waiting onside a the blue line, he skated in and zipped past three defenders standing like statues before shooting a quickie past goalie Mathias Dahlstrom. Leitner also did great work helping kill off more than a minute of 5x3 time for NMU during the second period.

3. Not deterred: The Mavericks outshot the Wildcats 41-16 and carried play most of the night. Minnesota State had the puck; Northern Michigan didn't. Still, the game was tied 2-2 before Leitner's goal at 11:52 of the third. The Mavericks let a 2-0 lead slip away, just as they did last Friday against Alaska Anchorage, giving up a goal late in a dominant first period. NMU tied the game with a power play 29 seconds into the third. But the Mavericks' dauber wasn't down; they kept playing with speed, kept making plays and kept getting good chances against Dahlstrom, who could have stolen that game. Instead, MSU won its fourth straight game and for the fifth time in six WCHA games.

Read my game story here. Game stats here.

Around the WCHA: Bowling Green 3, Alabama Huntsville 0 ... Bemidji State 2, Michigan Tech 2 (OT) ... Ferris State 5, Lake Superior 3 ... Alaska Anchorage 3, Alaska 2

MSU vs. Northern Michigan - Game 1 live blog

Lines can be found below the live chat ...

MINNESOTA STATE

12-LaFontaine ... 23-Blueger ... 19-Lehrke
26-Margonari ... 25-Stepan ... 22-McInnis
21-Grant ... 18-Leitner ... 9-Gervais
24-Knowles ... 16-Nelson ... 8-Gaede

27-Stern ... 7-Palmquist
28-Jutzi ... 5-Foguth
11-Flanagan ... 10-Knoll

34-Huggins
35-Williams
31-Karambelas

Scratches: Buchanan, Herndon, Huntebrinker, Nelson, Nelson

NORTHERN MICHIGAN

9-Seckel ... 40-Vigier ... 29-Daugherty
7-Salminen ... 11-Sooth ... 15-Shine
22-Adair ... 20-Nowick ... 19-Aynsley
16-Johnson ... 3-Kesti ... 6-Taurence

27-Epp ... 14-Maschmeyer
4-Jones ... 25-Handley
23-Baker ... 42-Kaib

30-Dahlstrom
34-Dun

Referees: Chris Perrault, Brad Shepherd. Linesmen: Matt Anderson, Rick Nelson

Friday morning skate (wind chill edition)

The Mavericks remain at home this weekend and will play Northern Michigan for the first time in school history. Northern Michigan was the team MSU essentially replaced in the WCHA in the late-1990s after the Wildcats jumped over to the CCHA. NMU was the first of that conference's leftovers to commit to returning to the WCHA after the Big Ten and NCHC were formed.

It's a big weekend for both teams, who are just one point apart in the standings. Minnesota State is hoping to stay hot -- or very warm, at least -- after winning three games in a row and four out of five conference games. Northern Michigan garnered just one point at home last week but has only lost once in its last seven games.

A few things to know about the Mavericks: Look for their lineup to stay close to the same as last week, although freshman defenseman Casey Nelson is out tonight with an upper-body injury. Coach Mike Hastings said he will decide on his starting goaltender after this morning's pregame skate.

Speaking of staying hot, check out my feature on MSU junior forward Jean-Paul LaFontaine, who certainly has been living up to his famous name over the last few weeks.

Read more about the matchup in The Free Press' gameday package.

As for the Wildcats, they are without senior captain and defenseman C.J. Ludwig, who suffered a season-ending knee injury a week ago. That's a big loss; Ludwig's been one of the league's best players so far. NMU is hoping its young players can step in fill his skates.

Minnesota State and Northern Michigan are the teams Matt Wellens and I know the most. We're predicting different outcomes for the series as part of our weekly USCHO picks.

Around the WCHA ...

Alabama Huntsville at Bowling Green: The Chargers remain winless on the season at 0-14-0 and that could cure what's been ailing the Falcons. But Bowling Green isn't taking anything for granted, having won just once in its last seven games.

Bemidji State at Michigan Tech: Pretty good series in Houghton this weekend between a couple of teams that aren't doing what was expected. The Beavers are scoring goals (but also giving up a lot), while the Huskies are not (but are getting good goaltending). 

Ferris State at Lake Superior State: It seems like every week I ask, "Is anyone going to slow down the Ferris State train before it runs away with the WCHA?" The Bulldogs have the nation's longest unbeaten streak, now at 10 games. This  might be their biggest test of the season so far — on the road against a good Lakers team.

Alaska at Alaska Anchorage: Bragging rights, of course, are on the line when these in-state rivals meet, as is the Governor's Cup, the traveling trophy that they've played for for 20 years. But this year's games mean even more as WCHA points are up for grabs. Both teams also are hoping to break out of slumps, so there's even more incentive.

Stepan left off U.S. roster

Minnesota State freshman forward Zach Stepan was left off the preliminary roster of the U.S. Junior National Team, which was announced on Wednesday morning. 

Stepan participated in last summer’s Junior National Evaluation Camp, but was not among the 26 players invited to this month's training camp that leads up to the Dec. 26-Jan. 5 World Junior Championship in Sweden.

The list includes 18 players currently playing college hockey, none from the WCHA.

“It’s always going to be a little disappointing,” Stepan said after practice on Wednesday. “It was a little nerve-wracking coming into today. But that’s not what’s important right now. What’s important is getting points at home this weekend. Right now is Maverick time, and I’m just going to worry about the Mavericks.”

Stepan has three goals and two assists in 10 games this season. He missed four games with an upper-body injury.

There might be some hope for Stepan. Team USA general manager Jim Johannson said Wednesday that more players could be added to the roster next week due to potential injury concerns. The final roster, which will have 23 players, will be announced on Dec. 23.

Minnesota State coach Mike Hastings, who has been a U.S. assistant at two World Junior tournaments, said he has seen late roster additions before and that Stepan’s versatility would be valuable. He can be a top-six or bottom-six forward and can play power play and penalty kill, Hastings said.

“The best thing about Zach Stepan is that he’s always the same,” Hastings said. “He’s worried about what he can control, which is today. He hasn’t changed, from the process this summer, to starting the season really well, to having an injury, to coming back and being really good since.”

As part of its training camp, which begins Dec. 15, the U.S. team will play Minnesota State in an exhibition game on Tuesday, Dec. 17, in Mankato. The team will be coached by Minnesota coach Don Lucia.

LaFontaine earns WCHA honor

Mavericks junior forward Jean-Paul LaFontaine netted this week's WCHA Offensive Player of the Week award for his five-point weekend in a series sweep of Alaska Anchorage last weekend. LaFontaine had three goals and two assists in the two games, including a two-goal, one-assist effort on Saturday.

LaFontaine leads the Mavericks in scoring with 11 points (6-5) through 14 games, with seven of his points coming over the last four games.

Other WCHA players of the week were Ferris State goaltender C.J. Motte (defensive) and Michigan Tech defenseman Shane Hanna (rookie).

McInnis, LaFontaine back on the highlight reel

For the second time this season, a Johnny McInnis goal off a pretty pass from Jean-Paul LaFontaine is among the NCAA's top plays of the week. Check out the video here.

McInnis' overtime winner against Bowling Green from Nov. 9 made that week's list.

Looking for all of this past weekend's highlights?

Mavericks 7, Seawolves 3

Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...

1. Power surge: The Mavericks' power play has shown a little more -- and some much-needed -- life over the last three games, but it exploded on Saturday. MSU was 5 for 6 with the man advantage, getting two power-play goals apiece from Jean-Paul LaFontaine and Johnny McInnis and three assists from Matt Leitner. LaFontaine and Palmquist each had three-point nights (Palmquist had an even-strength goal, along with two power-play assists). Zach Stepan had the other power-play goal. The Mavericks improved their power-play success rate by more than 6 percent (13.1 to 19.4).

2. Williams gets the win: Stephon Williams got the start in goal, a somewhat surprising move considering how well Cole Huggins had been playing. Williams, who stopped 23 of 26 shots, got an important confidence boost, winning for the first time since Oct. 19 against UConn. He's now 3-4-0 this season. "Obviously, I was always ready to get  in there," he said. "(Huggins) has played really well. Every day, I go back to work, get after it and hope I can take advantage of my opportunities." Coach Mike Hastings said Williams had a good week of practice. "You gotta go with history," he said. "The kid's won an awful lot of games in a short career, a lot of important games. And tonight was really important for us. He should take confidence out of tonight's game."

3. Starting to roll? The wins over Anchorage gave MSU its first WCHA sweep of the season. The Mavericks have won three games in a row and moved into a tie for third place in the conference standings. Is this team starting to look more like the one folks were expecting to see in the early going? With Zach Lehrke back on the ice and healthy freshmen Zach Stepan and Carter Foguth, they seem to be closer to that. "It came together tonight for sure," McInnis said. "There are some thing we have to continue to work on, but it's nice to have success during the process." Northern Michigan comes to town next.

Read my game story here. Not sure if the box score is going to get into the print edition due to a snafu. See that here.

Around the WCHA: Lake Superior 4, Bowling Green 3 ... Ferris State 1, Northern Michigan 1 (OT) ... Miami 6, Bemidji State 3 ... Western Michigan 1, Alabama Huntsville 0 ... Michigan Tech at Alaska (late)

MSU vs. Alaska Anchorage - Game 2 live blog

Lines can be found below the live chat ...



MINNESOTA STATE
12-LaFontaine ... 23-Blueger ... 19-Lehrke
26-Margonari ... 25-Stepan ... 22-McInnis
21-Grant ... 18-Leitner ... 9-Gervais
24-Knowles ... 16-J. Nelson ... 8-Gaede

27-Stern ... 7-Palmquist
28-Jutzi ... 5-Foguth
11-Flanagan ... 6-C. Nelson

35-Williams
34-Huggins
31-Karambelas

Scratches: Buchanan, Herndon, Huntebrinker, Knoll, Josh Nelson

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
29-Allen ... 21-Bailey ... 14-Dusyk
20-Trupp ... 10-Cameron ... 39-Hubbs
27-Friesen ... 9-Tatchell ... 17-Kwas
16-Pettitt ... 19-Murphy ... 18-Duwe

7-Coldwell ... 2-Van Allen
3-Docken ... 37-Williams
5-Sevalrud ... 13-Sproule

33-Gunderson
35-Kamal

Referees: Derek Shepherd, Brad Shepherd. Linesmen: Matt Tyree, Rick Nelson.

Mavericks 3, Seawolves 2

Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...

1. Mixing things up: The line combination of center Teddy Blueger and wings Jean-Paul LaFontaine and Zach Lehrke played Friday like a a group that had been skating together since early October, teaming up for the first two goals of the game. The reality is: LaFontaine was moved from center to wing on that line this week, and Lehrke was playing in his third game since returning to club. They were listed as the top group on the line chart, and they played like it. Lehrke, who had a goal and an assist, now has four power-play assists in three games. With his return the Mavs already have doubled the power-play production of their first 10 games.

2. Not the Seawolves of old: The Mavericks controlled the early pace, thanks to the group mentioned above, but the second period became a good, old-fashioned, grind-it-out affair. It was fast and physical after Anchorage tied things up. New coach Matt Thomas has that team playing well, and, not unlike MSU last year with its first-year coach, he's had the help of a few wily veterans, including Matt Bailey, who scored his eighth goal of the season, as well as sophomore Blake Tatchell and junior Brett Cameron, who also had a goal. There are good hockey teams in the new WCHA, even if they don't have the name recognition of the power conferences. 

3. They'll take the bounce: It's good to hear a coach or a player talk about a bounce going his way and not just talk about their luck on a bad bounce. Freshman defenseman Sean Flanagan scored the game-winning goal on a shot near the boards in the high zone. The puck deflected off a defender and fluttered in behind unsuspecting goaltender Rob Gunderson. The game was tied 2-2 at the time of the goal, which came at 3:10 of the third period. "You look at college hockey today," coach Mike Hastings said, "it's hard to win. You've got to pay a significant price. We got a bounce late. At least we were in position to take advantage of it." From there, MSU held on for the win. Cole Huggins stopped 21 shots for the win.

Deep thought: Did you notice something on one of the MSU uniforms tonight? Chase Grant was wearing an A on his sweater. The junior forward has been made an alternate captain. The Mavericks have been down that extra A since Josh Nelson went out.

Around the WCHA: Ferris State 4, Northern Michigan 1 ... Lake Superior 4, Bowling Green 3 ... Notre Dame 5, Alabama Huntsville 2 ... Bemidji State 4, Miami 4 (OT) ... Michigan Tech 3, Alaska 2

"You look at college hockey today," Hastings said, " it's hard to win. You've got to pay a significant price. We got a bounce late. At least we were in position to take advantage of it."

MSU vs. Alaska Anchorage - Game 1 live blog

Lines can be found under the live chat ...



MINNESOTA STATE
12-LaFontaine ... 23-Blueger ... 19-Lehrke
26-Margonari ... 25-Stepan ... 22-McInnis
21-Grant ... 18-Leitner ... 9-Gervais
24-Knowles ... 16-J. Nelson ... 8-Gaede

27-Stern ... 7-Palmquist
28-Jutzi ... 5-Foguth
11-Flanagan ... 6-C. Nelson

34-Huggins
35-Williams
31-Karambelas

Scratches: Buchanan, Herndon, Huntebrinker, Knoll, Josh Nelson

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
29-Allen ... 21-Bailey ... 14-Dusyk
20-Trupp ... 10-Cameron ... 39-Hubbs
27-Friesen ... 9-Tatchell ... 17-Kwas
16-Pettitt ... 19-Murphy ... 18-Duwe

7-Coldwell ... 2-Van Allen
3-Docken ... 37-Williams
5-Sevalrud ... 13-Sproule

33-Gunderson
35-Kamal

Referees: Derek Shepherd, Brad Shepherd. Linesmen: Matt Tyree, Rick Nelson.

Friday morning skate (Black Friday edition)

The Mavericks are back home this weekend for another important WCHA series, this one against Alaska Anchorage. There was a time when having Anchorage in town would be just what the doctor ordered. But these are not the Seawolves of old.

Minnesota State is healthier than the last time folks in Mankato saw them, with Zach Stepan back and Zach Lehrke returned to the team. And all of MSU's lineup issues (on defense, Josh Nelson remains out while Carter Foguth began skating this week) have been cause for others to step up and steady their games. One of those players is junior defenseman and alternate captain Brett Stern, who has responded to the challenge.

Check out more on the series in The Free Press' gameday package.

One of the reasons, Anchorage is not the same as the last couple of years (besides a new coach) is the improved play of senior goaltender Rob Gunderson, per the Anchorage Daily News.

Around the WCHA ...

Ferris State at Northern Michigan: NMU has the task this week of slowing down Ferris (8-0-1 in its last nine games), which goes on the road for the first time since Nov. 1-2. The Wildcats' Reed Seckel is featured by The Mining Journal.

Bowling Green at Lake Superior: The Falcons are seeking consistency after splitting a pair of overtime games against Minnesota State last week, and that challenge comes on the road against the Lakers, one of the surprise teams of the WCHA.

Michigan Tech at Alaska: Tech goalie Pheonix Copley goes home for Thanksgiving with the hope of giving the Huskies their first road win of the season. Both teams are coming off of disappointing weekends in league play.

Miami at Bemidji State: The Beavers host the Redhawks in a nonconference series and rematch of the 2009 Frozen Four.

Alabama Huntsville in Notre Dame tournament: The Chargers seek their first win of the season, playing in this year's Shillelagh tournament against the Irish. Western Michigan and Northeastern are the other dams.

Marquette's Matt Wellens and I make our weekend picks.

Mavs get another '14 commitment

Minnesota State had a small early signing class with forwards C.J. Franklin and Zeb Knutson of the Sioux Falls Stampede inking National Letters of Intent this month. The Mavericks will have at least one more player join them next fall, as Brad McClure of the BCHL's Penticton Vees announced his commitment on Monday:

Officially committed to Minnesota State University for next year!! Couldn't be more excited to be a Maverick for the next 4 years!
— Brad McClure (@mcClure20) November 25, 2013

McClure, 20, is the Vees' leading scorer and captain (known as "Captain Clutch"). He has 17 goals and 33 points in 25 games, ranking fourth in the BCHL in both categories. He has 12 points in his last eight games. Last season he had 27 goals and 46 points in 53 games.

The Stratford, Ontario, native originally committed to Ferris State more than a year ago but since changed his mind.

In a Vees press release, coach/general manager Fred Harbison said, "Brad has been an outstanding captain for us and an offensive threat every time he touches the ice. He will be a great addition to the Mavericks."

MSU has a nice pipeline with Penticton. Current player Bryce Gervais, Sean Flanagan and Nick Buchanan played there, and the Vees also have future Mavs Max Coatta,

Mavericks 3, Falcons 2 (OT)

Freddy's three thoughts of the game (from afar) ...

1. I'd keep playing: Minnesota State and Bowling Green may be developing a nice rivalry after playing four games in a 16-day span with three of the games going to overtime. The Mavericks won two of the OT games, getting a very much-needed victory on Saturday night. In their season series, the two teams each scored 10 goals, and Bowling Green had a 117-115 shots-on-goal edge. Doesn't get much closer than that. Perhaps they'll meet again in Grand Rapids.

2. Top players step up: Bryce Gervais scored the overtime winner, his fourth goal of the season. After the game coach Mike Hastings said Gervais has "played well the last 2 1/2 weeks." He sure seemed to have plenty of scoring chances all weekend against the Falcons. He was credited with six shots on goal on Saturday and eight for the series. Chase Grant made a tremendous pass to set up the goal. He out-hustled two defenders and got some Stretch Armstrong arms to tap the puck to Gervais in the slot. Jean-Paul LaFontaine had a goal and an assist, and Matt Leitner scored his first goal of the season.

3. Look in the mirror: The game was a reflection of Friday's game in which MSU had a 2-0 lead in the first period and saw it slip away. On Saturday, the Mavericks trailed 2-0 after one period and came back to force overtime and win it in the extra period, just as Bowling Green did the night before. Stephon Williams got the start in goal and stopped 11 shots in the first period. Cole Huggins, who took the loss Friday, came in in the second and stopped all 21 shots he faced for the win. Said Hastings: "We needed a little change. Willy had done a pretty decent job in there, but we needed to do something to change the momentum."

Deep thought: Check out my story in Sunday's Free Press about Gustavus goaltender Marah Sobczak. She got the surprising start in goal today (and the win). It was her first start (and third appearance) since the horrible 2012 car crash that left her and her sister in critical condition and facing quite the uphill climb.

Around the WCHA: Ferris State 4, Alaska 3 ... Northern Michigan 4, Alabama Huntsville 0 .. Bemidji State 2, Lake Superior 1 (OT) ... Michigan Tech 2, Alaska Anchorage 2 (OT)

Falcons 4, Mavs 3 (OT)

Freddy's three thoughts (from afar) ...

1. Good start, rough second and repeat: We've heard this story before, it seems. In a call after the game, coach Mike Hastings said the Mavericks played their best 18+ minutes on the road, getting off to a 2-0 lead in the first period. But everything was back to even after the second. The game turned on Chase Grant's checking-from-behind penalty late in the first period. Bowing Green scored a power-play goal early in the second and had some momentum from there, eventually tying the game with an even-strength goal.

2. Power play problems: The good news for MSU was it scored a power play goal, and the return of Zach Lehrke helped that as he set up Jean-Paul LaFontaine in the first period. The bad news for the Mavericks was they had a seven-minute power play to work with in the second period and couldn't get much going. On another power play in the third, they allowed yet another short-handed goal, the fourth given up this season. The Mavericks remain +1 on their power play this year and are -6 on special teams.

3. Cole in goal: That might not be what we see tomorrow night. Cole Huggins allowed four goals on 25 shots in the loss. In the ol' probably-like-to-have-that-one-back category, he allowed two, the short-handed goal that put the Falcons up 3-2 and the overtime winner scored by Mark Cooper for the hat trick with 31.5 seconds to play. Cooper walked out of a scrum in the corner along the goal line and put the puck over Huggins' shoulder short-side. The Mavs had problems getting the puck out of their own end in the sequence leading up to that. 

Deep thought: I wasn't at Bowling Green tonight but back in Mankato. Took in the MSU women's hockey game against Ohio State. The Mavericks won their first WCHA game of the season after starting 0-8-0 in league play. Mankato native Savannah Quandt scored her first collegiate goal in the win, making life pretty easy for a sportswriter.

Around the WCHA: Ferris State 5 Alaska 3 ... Northern Michigan 3, Alabama Huntsville 0 ... Lake Superior State 3, Bemidji State 2 ... Alaska Anchorage 3, Michigan Tech 1

Friday morning skate

All 10 WCHA teams are in action against each other, a rarity in this league (seriously, this has to happen more often; we should be able to look at the standings and know that first place, second place, etc., mean something). Minnesota State is at Bowling Green, playing the Falcons for the second time in three weeks. Both teams have just one win in their last four games and it came against the other.

Staying on the subject of the WCHA, this weekend marks a the start of an important eight-game stretch of conference play for the Mavericks. Four series in four weeks with two on the road (Bowling Green and Alabama Huntsville on Dec. 13-14) and two at home (Alaska Anchorage next weekend followed by Northern Michigan).

Remember, this is the week last season when MSU started to figure things out. The Mavericks went 7-1 in league play from Nov. 23 to Dec. 15 with the seven wins coming consecutively. And they're in better shape conference-wise right now at 2-2 than they were at this point last year when they were 1-5.

Minnesota State has more options this week with the return of Zach Lehrke and a healthy Zach Stepan back in the lineup. Carter Foguth (foot) and Michael Huntebrinker (arm) remain out with their injuries. No update yet on Josh Nelson (lower body) but it's not looking great at the moment.

Read more about the series in The Free Press' gameday preview.

Earlier this week, Bowling Green coach Chris Bergeron raved about MSU's depth. But according to the Bowling Green Sentinel-Tribune, the Falcons have some pretty good depth, too.

Going around the WCHA ...

Alaska at Ferris State: At 5-0-1, the Bulldogs are off to a fantastic start in WCHA play. They've been home for four of those games and at Huntsville for the other two. They're home again this weekend against the Nanooks, who are returning to Michigan after a bye week.

Alabama Huntsville at Northern Michigan: It was a long bus ride from northern Alabama to the Upper Peninsula, but the winless Chargers made a stop along the way, practicing in Green Bay, Wis., and checking out historic Lambeau Field. As for the Wildcats, they are getting help from a couple of surprising players.

Lake Superior at Bemidji State: This is a matchup of the league's two surprise teams. The Lakers continue to look strong, while a Beavers team that can score (we all know they can defend) should be downright scary to the rest of the conference. But Lake Superior hasn't given up much this year so far.

Michigan Tech at Alaska Anchorage: The Huskies are hoping to win on the road, while the Seawolves have been pretty good in their own barn. Also, things are much happier around Anchorage these days after some early season success.

So what should we expect to see this weekend? According to Marquette, Mich.-based scribe Matt Wellens and me, a lot of splits. For more on the WCHA, check out our USCHO notebook.

Cavalry's comin'

The Mavericks, and especially their feeble offense, received some good news this week when Zach Lehrke returned to the team.

Lehrke had announced just before the season that he was quitting hockey due to a medical condition that causes severe, painful cramping, often during and after practices and games. But after missing seven weeks and 10 games, he decided he could fight through the pain and perhaps help out his team.

Coach Mike Hastings welcomed Lehrke back, as long as he was committed for the rest of the season.

"There's no going back anymore," Lehrke said.

Hastings and Lehrke said they're taking things day to day and neither would speculate on whether or not he'll have a spot in the lineup this weekend at Bowling Green. But if he's in good condition, I see no reason why he couldn't step in and help this team, especially with its thin lineup.

This weekend is the start of an important stretch of four conference series in as many weeks and a chance for the Mavericks to right their ship a bit. Lehrke, who was so strong on the power play last year and had 25 points last year, could make a difference. It will also help to get Zach Stepan back from injury. He's expected to skate on Wednesday.

Gophers 3, Mavericks 0

Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...

1. They gave them a game: Mavericks coach Mike Hastings called the game's opening 20 minutes "a playoff-style first period," and indeed it was a physical, tight-checking period with few great chances for either team. Minnesota, which is a darn-good, highly skilled team, came out of it 1-0, but it was a game, unlike the first period of Friday's series opener. And it stayed a good game until the Gophers scored two quick goals in the final half of the third period.

2. Top billing or undercard: Who would have thought a few weeks ago that Michael Shibrowski vs. Cole Huggins would be quite the goaltending battle on a Saturday night at Mariucci. Huggins, the Mavericks freshman, got his third consecutive start and was very good, stopping 33 shots. He said he'd like to have the first one back, and the second was "kind of a fluke goal" (still, a back-breaker). Meanwhile Shibrowski won over the Minnesota fans. The senior and career backup was making his third career start and fifth appearance, and stopped 25 shots for the shutout.

3. Offensive issues: The Mavericks' inability to finish plays and score goals continues to baffle. Captain Johnny McInnis said, "I don't want to say it's embarrassing because we played the best team in the country. But it's pretty unacceptable as a team to score one goal on the weekend. I don't care who we're playing." The Mavericks are now averaging 1.9 goals per game and hit the road again next week for Bowling Green, which already has a pair of shutout wins in its barn.

Read the game story here.

Around the WCHA: Ferris State 4, Bowling Green 2 ... Michigan Tech 2, Lake Superior 1 ... Alaska Anchorage 4, Bemidji State 4 (OT) ... St. Cloud State 4, Alabama Huntsville 3

Minnesota State at Minnesota - Game 2 live blog

Lines are posted below the live chat ...

MINNESOTA STATE

26-Margonari ... 18-Leitner ... 9-Gervais
21-Grant ... 23-Blueger ... 22-McInnis
24-Knowles ... 12-LaFontaine ... 8-Gaede
14-Herndon ... 16-J. Nelson ... 10-Knoll

27-Stern ... 7-Palmquist
28-Jutzi ... 6-C. Nelson
4-Buchanan ... 11-Flanagan

34-Huggins
35-Williams

Scratches: Foguth, Huntebrinker, Karambelas, Josh Nelson, Stepan

MINNESOTA

11-Warning ... 7-Rau ... 24-Fasching
16-Condon ... 25-Kloos ... 13-Cammarata
21-C. Reilly ... 22-Boyd ... 19-Lettieri
14-Serratore ... 26-Isackson... 17-Ambroz

5-M. Reilly ... 6-Parenteau
2-Skjei ... 12-Holl
28-Bischoff... 10-Marshall

1-Shibrowski

32-Wilcox
31-Coyne

Referees: Marco Hunt, Stephen McInchak. Linesmen: Anthony Czech, Jeff Schultz.

Gophers 4, Mavericks 1

Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...

1. Tale of two halves: If the Mavericks had played the entire game like they did when they were down 3-0, they might have had a chance to pull of the upset over the No. 1-ranked Gophers. Coach Mike Hastings called his team "passive" early, and defenseman Zach Palmquist described MSU's play as "sluggish." "Kids against men," former Minnesota coach Doug Woog said, sitting next to me in the Mariucci Arena press box. And that's indeed how it looked for 30 minutes. When the Mavericks finally woke up, they really tested goalie Adam Wilcox (34 saves, including 15 of 16 in the third period).

2. Second goal a killer: Despite being on their heels early on, the Mavericks did block some shots (15 for the game) and disrupted some of Minnesota's pretty passing (maybe a little too cute at times for coach Don Lucia's liking). Freshman goaltender Cole Huggins was more than solid, too. Had MSU escaped the first period down 1-0, it might have been in good shape. Instead, Mike Reilly's goal with 1:27 remaining in the first period made it a two-goal game. No matter what they say about the two goal lead being the worst lead in hockey, I think that rule doesn't apply very often at Mariucci Arena.

3. No offense, but ... For the fifth time this season, the Mavericks have been held to one goal or less. Of course last week, one goal was enough to win a game. Finishing is a real issue right now for this team. Palmquist scored MSU's lone goal, ripping an open shot from the slot after a nice feed from Jean-Paul LaFontaine, who was falling down near the goal line and poked the puck out to the defenseman. Wilcox made impressive saves on Johnny McInnis and Bryce Gervais during a third-period power play when the score was still 3-0. But the Mavericks also seemed to miss the net a lot, something that's not going to give them the second and third chances they're looking for in the offensive zone.

Around the WCHA: Bowling Green 3, Ferris State 3 (OT) ... Lake Superior 5, Michigan Tech 3 ... St. Cloud State 10, Alabama Huntsville 0 ... Bemidji State 4, Alaska Anchorage 1

Minnesota State at Minnesota - Game 1 live blog

Lines are posted below the live chat ...

MINNESOTA STATE

26-Margonari ... 18-Leitner ... 9-Gervais
21-Grant ... 23-Blueger ... 22-McInnis
24-Knowles ... 12-LaFontaine ... 8-Gaede
14-Herndon ... 16-J. Nelson ... 10-Knoll

27-Stern ... 7-Palmquist
28-Jutzi ... 6-C. Nelson
4-Buchanan ... 11-Flanagan

34-Huggins
35-Williams

Scratches: Foguth, Huntebrinker, Karambelas, Josh Nelson, Stepan

MINNESOTA

11-Warning ... 7-Rau ... 24-Fasching
16-Condon ... 25-Kloos ... 13-Cammarata
21-C. Reilly ... 22-Boyd ... 19-Lettieri
14-Serratore ... 27-Guertler ... 17-Ambroz

5-M. Reilly ... 6-Parenteau
2-Skjei ... 28-Bischoff
10-Marshall ... 20-Brodzinski

32-Wilcox
1-Shibrowski
31-Coyne

Referees: Marco Hunt, Stephen McInchak. Linesmen: Anthony Czech, Jeff Schultz.

Friday morning skate

The Mavericks head to Minneapolis today to take on the No. 1-ranked Gophers. This will be the first time since the 1998-99 season that the two teams will play each other as nonconference opponents. Minnesota is in the Big Ten now (although it has yet to play a conference game), having departed the WCHA after last season.

For Minnesota State, the key to the weekend might be trying to get its stagnant offense flowing again. The Mavericks are averaging just 2.25 goals per game, and their power-play is working at just a 9.3 percent clip, not exactly numbers we expected to see during the preseason when their forward depth was compared to the best in the country. Matt Leitner has no goals and three assists in six games, and Jean-Paul LaFontaine has one goal and two assists in eight games. Johnny McInnis leads the team in scoring with three goals and three assists.

The Mavericks will also have to try to slow down the Gophers, who are averaging 4.38 goals per game, which ranks second in the country. Freshman goalie Cole Huggins will get the first shot at doing that, coach Mike Hastings said. Hastings said on Thursday that Stephon Williams is taking well to the competition from Huggins and had a good week of practice. More on the series in the Freep's College Hockey Gameday.

As for the Gophers, they are relying on a darn-good freshman class, one that already has 39 points, including 16 goals. They accounted for all five goals in Minnesota's 5-4 win at Notre Dame last Saturday. They have filled in nicely for a team that lost five players early to the pros.

Around the WCHA this weekend ...

Bowling Green is at Ferris State in a matchup of the league's top two teams. The Falcons hoped to have standout forward Ryan Carpenter back from a broken finger finally, but he suffered a setback when he broke his foot in practice this week.

Lake Superior plays at Michigan Tech in what should be another good series. Before the season started, this series looked perhaps to be a reprieve in the Huskies' brutal early season schedule. Now, not so much.

Alaska Anchorage goes to Bemidji State where the Beavers seem to have turned around their offensive woes from a year ago. Both of these teams are much-improved from last season and have a chance to make hay or keep pace in this year's standings.

Alabama Huntsville hosts St. Cloud State in a nonconference series that could get ugly for the winless Chargers. An upset of the third-ranked Huskies would be huge for Huntsville.

Meanwhile, you can see Matt Wellens' and my WCHA picks here, as well as our weekly WCHA notebook here.

Check back on the blog later for my live chat during Minnesota State's game at Mariucci Arena.

Signing day

Minnesota State won't be bringing in a huge class of freshmen next season, but the two who signed NLIs on Wednesday sure are big. The Mavericks closed the deal on Sioux Falls Stampede forwards C.J. Franklin and Zeb Knutson, both of whom committed early last season and have done nothing but get better since.

Read more about them and the future of the MSU women's team here.

Minnesota State has just two seniors on this year's roster: forward Johnny McInnis and injured defenseman Josh Nelson. However, their roster is short some bodies with forwards Zach Lehrke and J.P. Burkemper departing just before the season started. Also remember that Corey Leivermann left the team last Christmas to go to Division III Gustavus, and Charlie Thauwald transferred to D-III Wisconsin-Eau Claire over the summer.

The Mavericks are finding out that they probably need to have a roster of 28 players to account for injuries and to create competition. They have 26 players right now, although one player, Blake Thompson, won't be eligible until the first semester ends.

The point is, while Franklin and Knutson are the only players who are signing during the early signing period, I wouldn't be surprised to see others added to that class during the regular signing period in April.

Huggins earns league honor

Minnesota State goaltender Cole Huggins was named the WCHA's rookie of the week for his performance in last weekend's series against Bowling Green.

Huggins stopped 33 shots for the shutout in the Mavericks' 1-0 overtime victory over Bowling Green on Saturday at the Verizon Wireless Center. On Friday, he stopped all nine shots he faced in relief of starter Stephon Williams in the Mavericks' 4-3 loss.

In four appearances this season, including starts the last two Saturdays, Huggins has a .964 save percentage and a 1.11 goal-against average.

After Saturday's game, MSU captain Johnny McInnis said the Mavericks have a lot of faith in both Huggins and Williams right now.

"It's going to be a healthy relationship (between Huggins and Williams," he said. "It's a good problem to have."

For more on MSU's goalie situation, go here.

Mavericks 1, Falcons 0 (OT)

Freddy's three thoughts of the game

1. A knack for big goals: Johnny McInnis is Mr. Saturday Night for Minnesota State. The Mavericks' captain scored his second huge goal in as many weekends to help his team get a series split. Saturday's overtime goal against Bowling Green was his ninth career game-winner and was reminiscent of an overtime goal he scored against Nebraska Omaha two years ago at the Verizon Wireless Center. He also made life a little more palatable for a sportwriter who didn't know how much copy he'd be able to squeeze out out of a scoreless tie!

2. Huggins has the net: Freshman goaltender Cole Huggins stopped 33 shots for his second career win and first shutout. Huggins, who also won a week ago at Bemidji State, stopped 24 shots over the first two peridos and backstopped a defensive corps that was down to five players -- including two sophomores and two freshmen (neither of which was Carter Foguth) -- after Brett Stern got the early boot for a checking-from-behind penalty. Rookie Casey Nelson rebounded nicely after a tough night Friday, and sophomore Nick Buchanan played his best college game so far.

3. Must win Important win: Being November and all, coach Mike Hastings didn't want to declare Saturday's game to be a must win, but it was huge to get two points out of the series, rather than one or zero, after Friday's rather rough outing. There's a lot of work that needs to be done and plenty of injuries to recover from (Hastings doesn't expect to get any injured players back before next weekend's series at Minnesota), but the Mavericks were able to make sure they didn't get themselves too deep into hole in the WCHA standings.

Box score

Around the WCHA: Ferris State 5, Bemidji State 3 ... Alaska 3, Lake Superior 2 (OT) ... Michigan Tech 3, Michigan State 2 (OT) ... Northern Michigan 5, Western Michigan 4 ... Huntsville at Anchorage (late)

MSU vs. Bowling Green - Game 2 live blog

Lines are posted below the chat ...



MINNESOTA STATE
21-Grant ... 18-Leitner ... 9-Gervais
26-Margonari ... 12-LaFonatine ... 22-McInnis
24-Knowles ... 23-Blueger ... 8-Gaede
14-Herndon ... 16-Nelson ... 10-Knoll

27-Stern ... 7-Palmquist
28-Jutzi ... 11-Flanagan
4-Buchanan ... 6- Nelson

34-Huggins
35-Williams
31-Karambelas

Scratches: Foguth, Huntebrinker, Nelson, Stepan

BOWLING GREEN
13-Berkle ... 14-Wojtala ... 20-Pohlkamp
23-Tate ... 11-DeSalvo ... 25-Mingo
12-Williamson ... 26-Cooper ... 17-Murphy
2-Mercier ... 27-Wallace ... 10-Dufour

15-Perrier ... 28-Walker
4-Sullivan ... 3-Kucera
29-Freibergs ... 8-DelGadillo

32-Sholl
31-Burke

Referees: Jared Moen, Mike Elam. Linesmen: Rick Nelson, Matt Tyree