Minnesota State got its hour of practice time on Friday at the DCU Center in Worcester, Mass. The Mavericks appear to have the same lineup as they did during last weekend's Final Five in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Saturday's Free Press will have lots of coverage from the regional, but here are a few highlights from the day:
• Johnny McInnis was the star of the show Friday, as the Massachusetts media were fascinated by his situation of being the rare New Englander who plays college hockey in the west. He grew up in Boston, which is less than an hour east of Worcester and played prep hockey at Lawrence Academy, which is about 40 miles north of here and just 15 miles or so from UMass Lowell, MSU's opponent on Saturday. Truth is, he wasn't really recruited by a Hockey East school, and MSU gave him his opportunity. "Now it's kind of come full circle for me," he said. "It's been a long road ... but I wouldn't change a thing about it."
• Lowell coach Norm Bazin said that his team and Minnesota State are not all that different from each other. And he wasn't talking about the Division II history or even the recent turnarounds that both programs have undergone. "I think both teams have a similar style," he said. "(The Mavericks) play an up-tempo style. They're an aggressive team. They're very much a puck-pursuit team. It should be a very interesting game tomorrow because I think both teams are similar from those aspects."
• Minnesota State is approaching this year's regional a little differently than last year, namely because it comes in knowing what to expect, from the travel to the TV coverage to the press conferences, etc. "Experience ... is the best teacher that you can have," MSU coach Mike Hastings said. "And whether it is positive or negative, we have had an experience of being in an NCAA regional. It didn't go real well for us last time. It is not brand new for us anymore."
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