Mavericks need the break

Seven straight weekends of games — including trips to the U.P., lower Michigan and Alaska — alone is enough to justify a needed break for Minnesota State. But the Mavericks also need some time off to get healthy for the big showdown with Michigan Tech coming up in 10 days.

"Yeah, we need a break," coach Mike Hastings said on Monday. "Academically, we need to get things taken care of this week, and athletically, we need to take care of our bodies so we can handle what we have coming up."

After a rough-and-tumble weekend at Alaska, Hastings said Teddy Blueger (lower body) and C.J. Franklin (upper body) are being evaluated for their injuries this week — "I hope to have an idea of exactly where they're at (midweek)," Hastings said, while Brett Knowles (concussion) is day to day after being checked from behind. All of those injuries occurred Friday night, and all three players were unavailable Saturday.

Here's a Vine of the hit on Knowles:



There was a suspension from that game, but it wasn't on Nolan Kaiser, who hit Knowles, it was on Josh Erickson, for a major contact-to-the-head penalty in overtime. But I was wrong in my description of that penalty in earlier posts and tweets. Erickson's hit was on Matt Leitner. Another hit to the back of Chase Grant's head moments later (by a different Alaska player) was not penalized.

Hastings said Dylan Margonari, who missed the Alaska trip as well as the Mavericks' previous two games after being checked from behind against Ferris State on Jan. 31, is getting better but "is not full-go yet." Zeb Knutson, who missed the Alaska trip due to an illness, is healthy.