Ringing out 2016

PucKato is back from a holiday break ...

It's nearly 2017, and the Mavericks don't play again for another week when they go to Alabama Huntsville. Just before Christmas, I wrote about the first half of the Mavericks' and the WCHA's season and looked ahead to the second half and what's to come. You can read that here.

While Minnesota State is off, several WCHA teams have been and will be in action this week. Here's a look at that schedule:

• Northern Michigan dropped two games at the Florida College Classic, falling to Cornell 5-2 and Merrimack 4-2.

• Michigan Tech is playing in the Great Lakes Invitational in Detroit. The Huskies beat Michigan 2-0 on Thursday and will play Western Michigan for the championship on Friday.

• In the Three Rivers Classic in Pittsburgh, Ferris State lost 1-0 to Robert Morris on Thursday and will play Boston College on Friday.

• At Minnesota's Mariucci Classic, Alabama Huntsville will play UMass Friday and either the Gophers or Mercyhurst on Saturday.

• Bemidji State and Alaska Anchorage are playing a WCHA series Friday and Saturday in Anchorage. The games are afternoon ones. Tough schedule to start the second half for the Beavers who, after playing the Seawolves, will go to Bowling Green for a Thursday-Friday series.

• Lake Superior State is playing a non conference series Friday and Saturday at Nebraska Omaha.

• Bowling Green is playing a single game against RIT Friday in Toledo, Ohio.

• Alaska is playing a Saturday-Sunday nonconference series at Notre Dame.

Michaelis earns league honor

Minnesota State freshman forward Marc Michaelis was named WCHA Rookie of the Week for the second time this season on Monday.

The Mannheim, Germany, native had four points in the Mavericks' nonconference series split at Princeton on Friday and Saturday, assisting on his team's lone goal in Friday's 6-1 loss and getting a goal and two assists in Saturday's 5-4 victory.

Michaelis, the WCHA's leading scorer has 10 goals and 16 assists for 26 points in 20 games. He is ninth in the country in scoring, second among freshmen.

The Mavericks were also ranked 19th in the latest USCHO poll, staying put from last week's rankings. They are off off until Jan. 6-7 when they resume WCHA play at Alabama Huntsville.

Mavericks 5, Tigers 4

Freddy's three thoughts from afar:

1. Senior steps up: The Mavericks are going to need a push from their senior class over the second half of the season. Perhaps that started on Saturday night. Senior forward Michael Huntebrinker's goal early in the third period ended up as the game-winner in a wild game in which the Mavericks had two two-goal leads — 2-0 and 4-2 — but couldn't put the Tigers away. The winner, which snapped a 4-4 tie at 4:27 of the third period, was Huntebrinker's third goal of the season but his first since Oct. 29. "We need those guys (seniors) to contribute," coach Mike Hastings said. Before the game, Huntebrinker was moved from the second line to the fourth line. One of his new linemates, freshman Charlie Gerard, assisted on the play.

2. Usual suspects: The Mavericks top line, meanwhile, has been together for the vast majority of the season, and that group was good — as has been the case most of the time, too. Freshman forward Marc Michaelis had a goal and two assists, C.J. Franklin had a goal and an assist and Brad McClure finished two assists. "They had a bit of a challenge," Hastings said. "I think they were minus-2 last night. ... You need to have that group have a significant impact on the game." Through 20 games, Michaelis has 10 goals and 26 points, both of which lead the team. Nicholas Rivera and Daniel Brickley had MSU's other goals, the fourth of the year for both players.

3. Break time: The Mavericks are now off until Jan. 6-7 when they go to Alabama Huntsville. The break will be a good time to rest up. Senior defenseman Carter Foguth sat out again on Saturday, and the penalty kill and the back end could have used his stability again. Besides allowing 36 shots on goal, the Mavericks allowed two power-play goals (one a 5x3), the two goals that turned MSU's 4-2 lead into a 4-4 tie. Jason Pawloski played in goal. Coach Mike Hastings made one change to the defensive lineup, putting in Alec Vanko in place of Ryan Schwalbe. Vanko was +2. "I need to have a plan for us to come back (from break) and be consistent," Hastings said. "At times we can be a very good hockey team, and at times we make it difficult for ourselves."

Read my game story here.

Tigers 6, Mavericks 1

Freddy's three thoughts from afar ...

1. Princeton's for real: Minnesota State ran into one of the hottest teams in men’s college hockey on Friday night and couldn’t do much of anything to cool it off. The Tigers dominated the 19th-ranked Mavericks for their fifth consecutive victory and seventh win in eight games. They outshot the Mavericks 37-27 and hung more goals on MSU than any team has this season. Prior to their current run, the Tigers started the season 0-6-1. Minnesota State’s season has gone the opposite way. After starting the year with five consecutive wins and 6-1-0, the Mavericks have gone 4-6-2.

2. Where are the goals: Sean Flanagan at 12:29 of the third period prevented the Mavericks from getting shut out for the third time in six games and the second time in three games. Flanagan, whose goal made it 6-1, was one of four players with three shots on goal, which led the team. Princeton goalie Colton Phinney stopped 26 shots in goal for the win. Two years ago, he lost 5-0 to the Mavericks in Mankato. Minnesota State was 0 for 4 on the power play. Freshmen Marc Michaelis and Josh French assisted on Flanagan's goal.

3. Goalie questions: Usually at this time of the season, the Mavericks are pretty well set in goal. Right now, coach Mike Hastings hasn't found one who's carrying the ball. Cole Huggins started after a solid performance last week at Ferris State (one night after replacing Jason Pawloski in a loss) but lasted half the game. He left with 20 saves and a 4-0 deficit. Pawloski went the rest of the way and stopped 11 of 13 shots. Minnesota State's defense was hampered with senior captain Carter Foguth not in the lineup, likely to a lingering injury.

Read my game story with some comments from coach Mike Hastings here.

Friday Morning Skate

The Mavericks' road swing continues this week with a nonconference series at Princeton. It's No. 19 Minnesota State's final series of 2016 and last before a break for the holidays. However, it's also the first series of the second half of MSU's schedule. Time for reflecting on the first half will take place after the weekend, though.

The Mavericks don't take a lot of trips east, but coach Mike Hastings says it's part of his and the school's job to give the players experiences like these. The women's hockey team is also eastbound this weekend with a series at Union.

Princeton, meanwhile, is red-hot, having won six of seven after a winless start to the season. That includes sweeps at Bemidji State and home and home against Quinnipiac. For more on the weekend, check out the Freep's College Hockey Gameday package.

The Tigers' Max Veronneau was named one of the NCAA's stars of the week for the second week in a row.

Here is a Q&A with Mavericks goaltender Cole Huggins.

Going around the WCHA ...

It's a light week, schedule-wise, in the conference, but there is one heavyweight fight, with the league's top team, Bemidji State going to and then hosting No. 1-ranked Minnesota Duluth in a nonconference series. The teams play for the Blue Ox Trophy, by the way.

The lone WCHA series will take place in Fairbanks with Bowling Green traveling to Alaska. The Falcons are hoping to bounce back, especially offensively, after getting swept by Michigan Tech a week ago. The Fairbanks Daily News Miner features Nanooks player Josh Erickson, one of the ... uh ... edgier players in the league. Even his coach described him as "an interesting player," one whose style can be good and bad.

Mavericks 3, Bulldogs 2

The Minnesota State men’s hockey team scored three unanswered goals on Saturday night, to pull off a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over Ferris State and get a series split on the road.

Junior forward C.J. Franklin’s power-play goal with 6:58 remaining in the third period was the game-winner, capping the Mavericks’ rally in Big Rapids, Mich.

One night after getting shut out by the Bulldogs, the Mavericks fell behind 2-0 in the first period.

Their scoreless streak nearly extended to five periods, but Max Coatta made it a 2-1 game with 5:12 remaining in the second period, getting assists from Brad McClure and Ryan Schwalbe.

The Mavericks (10-6-2, 7-5-2 in WCHA) cashed in on two power plays in the third period of the penalty-filled game.

Zeb Knutson tied the game at 3:57 firing a shot between the pads of goalie Darren Smith. Franklin and freshman defenseman Ian Scheid assisted.

Franklin’s winner came on a scramble in front of the goal. Freshman forward Marc Michaelis got his team-leading 13th assist and 22nd point on the play, and defenseman Daniel Brickley also assisted.

The Bulldogs’ goals came from Jared VanWormer and Joe Rutkowski, with the latter coming on the power play.

Smith stopped 35 shots in the loss, including all 16 he faced in the first period. Mavericks goalie Cole Huggins stopped 17 shots.

Bulldogs 3, Mavericks 0

For the first time in more than a month, the Minnesota State men's hockey team lost on a Friday night.

Ferris State goaltender Darren Smith spoiled their run, stopping 36 shots to shut out the 16th-ranked Mavericks 3-0 in the first game of a WCHA series.

The Bulldogs scored all three of their goals in the second period.

After a scoreless first period in which Minnesota State outshot Ferris State 13-6, the Bulldogs came out of the first intermission charging hard.

Corey Mackin put them up 1-0 just 34 seconds into middle frame, and at 2:28, Chad McDonald made it 2-0 on the power play. Gerald Mayhew added a power-play goal with 4:54 remaining in the period.

Ferris State finished 2 for 6 on the power play. Minnesota State was 0 for 5.

Mayhew's goal prompted an MSU goalie change, as starter Jason Pawloski was pulled after making just 11 saves. Cole Huggins finished the game and stopped all nine shots he faced.

Mayhew also had an assist for a two-point game. Jared VanWormer had two assists.

MSU's C.J. Franklin and Michael Huntebrinker were each turned away five times by Smith.

The shutout loss was the second in four games for the Mavericks (9-6-2, 6-5-2 in WCHA), who also lost 1-0 at Minnesota on Nov. 19. In between, Minnesota State scored 12 goals in two home games against Alaska.

Ferris State and Alabama Huntsville, which won 4-1 at Northern Michigan, moved into a three-way tie with Minnesota State for fourth place in the WCHA standings. They are three points behind Bowling Green, which lost 3-1 at home to second-place Michigan Tech. First-place Bemidji State tied Lake Superior 1-1 and got the extra point with a shootout win.

Friday Morning Skate

The No. 16 Mavericks are on the road to Michigan, set to play WCHA-rival Ferris State on Friday and Saturday. The key is Friday and Saturday, as MSU is looking to put together a full weekend, something it hasn't done — in terms of sweeping a series — since the first weeks of the season.

Some good news for Minnesota State is that senior defenseman and team leader Carter Foguth is expected to be back in the lineup. He was missed on the back end in last week's win and tie with Alaska. If he's in, along with Daniel Brickley, who returned from injury last week, the Mavericks appear to be fully healthy on the blue line for the first time since the third weekend of the season. For more, read the Freep's College Hockey Gameday.

The Bulldogs are coming off a split at Alabama Huntsville but also split at Mankato in late October. They trail MSU by three points in the WCHA standings, while the Mavericks trail Bowling Green by three as well.

In an occurrence seemingly as rare as the planets aligning, all 10 WCHA teams are in action against each other this weekend (although it still won't even out the games-played column in the standings).

Michigan Tech at Bowling Green: This is a matchup of the league's second- and third-place teams and should be a good one. Even Falcons coach Chris Bergeron is putting a little extra emphasis on the importance of the series. The games will take place at the BGSU Ice Arena, which will soon get a name change and with it, an influx of cash. For the Huskies, after a slow start to the season, they appear to be back on track, thanks to a freshman goaltender.

Alabama Huntsville at Northern Michigan: The Chargers have moved up to the middle of the pack in the WCHA and have made themselves a team to be reckoned with. Three of their four wins have come against Ferris State. Meanwhile, the Wildcats have had a rocky first half and are still looking for their first home victory.

Lake Superior State at Bemidji State: The Beavers finally lost a WCHA game last week but still sit comfortably atop the WCHA standings. As well as they have played over the first half of the season, they still believe there's room for improvement, namely with their offense. They will host the Lakers, who split at home with Bowling Green last weekend and did the same at Michigan a week earlier.

Alaska Anchorage at Alaska: The Governor's Cup battle begins this weekend in Fairbanks as the two Alaska teams square off. The host Nanooks, coming off a two-point weekend in Mankato, would like to create some separation between themselves and the bottom of the league. No matter how the games come out, they're going to look good doing it. The Seawolves haven't won the Governor's Cup since 2009.

This week's USCHO column focuses on Lake Superior State.

Mavericks 5, Nanooks 5 (Alaska wins in SO)

Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...

1. Are you not entertained? After the Mavericks won 7-3 on Friday, they and Alaska combined for 10 more goals on Saturday in a wild games that saw the Nanooks go up 3-0 after one period, the Mavericks score four times to take a 4-3 lead after two and Alaska score two quick ones early in the second to jump back ahead 5-4. C.J. Franklin tied the game at 9:33 of the third period, and the Mavericks got a point out of the night and four for the weekend. Franklin's line with Brad McClure and Marc Michaelis finished with three goals and six points. The group had 15 points for the series with the freshman Michaelis getting seven (four goals, three assists).

2. Defense struggles: Coach Mike Hastings admitted that it was a rough night for some of his defensemen, as Alaska's first three goals came on a partial breakaway, a wide-open player in front and a short-handed breakaway. They were chasing early in the third period, too, when the Nanooks scored took back the lead. Sean Flanagan and Ryan Schwalbe were minus-2. As good as it was to have Daniel Brickley (1G, 1A) back in the lineup, it clearly hurt that Carter Foguth was out again with his injury. He is the Mavericks' rock back there.

3. Introducing the shootout: After an entertaining, but scoreless, 3-on-3 overtime in which Mavs goalie Jason Pawloski made good saves early and Nanooks netminder Davis Jones robbed McClure and Michael Huntebrinker in the final minute, Mankato saw the shootout tiebreaker for the first time. It's a sudden-death situation, so it can end after one shooter for each team. Each team's first four shooters missed or were stopped. That included the surprise choice of freshman defenseman Edwin Hookenson as MSU's second shooter. Hastings said "he's been lights out in practice," and gave him a shot to win it. Later, Parker Tuomie matched Tyler Cline in the fifth round, but Zach Stepan was unable to do the same after Ross Heidt scored.

Read my game story here.

Around the WCHA: Michigan Tech 2, Bemidji State 1 ... Bowling Green 5, Lake Superior State 2 .. Alabama Huntsville 5, Ferris State 3 ... Northern Michigan at Alaska Anchorage (late)

Live coverage: MSU vs. Alaska, Game 2

The Mavericks will go for the series sweep against the Nanooks at 7:07 p.m. Saturday at the Verizon Center. The live chat can be found below tonight's lines.

MINNESOTA STATE
20-Michaelis, 15-Franklin, 19-McClure
6-Tuomie, 17-Huntebrinker, 10-Knutson
23-Rivera, 16-Nelson, 12-Coatta
25-Stepan, 26-French, 9-Gerard

8-Brickley, 18-Scheid
11-Flanagan, 27-Schwalbe
4-Lewis, 24-Hookenson

34-Huggins
39-Pawlowski
29-Nelson

Scratches: Bigelbach, Cooper, Foguth, Madry, Vanko

ALASKA
14-Morley, 27-Leiter, 22-Staley
26-Cline, 15-Van Tetering, 9-Basara
18-Mullally, 7-Erickson, 13-Vieth
23-Leer, 39-Heidt

6-Frye, 24-Ladouce
12-Hinz, 32-Thompson
2-Weiss, 10-Kiraly
5-Koberstein

30-Jones
29-Jenks

Mavericks 7, Nanooks 3

Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...

1. Rookie sensation: Marc Michaelis was the star of the show on Friday night, scoring four points, including his first collegiate hat trick, in the win over Alaska. His third goal was the prettiest, as I describe in the gamer (link below), but it was also very important as it gave MSU a 5-3 lead midway through the third period. The floodgates opened after that, and the final score was a rout. "We definitely talked about (extending the lead) in the locker room," Michaelis said. "The next goal would decide the game."

2. Brickley's back: Sophomore defenseman Daniel Brickley (pictured) picked up right where he left off, despite being out for eight games with an injury. He had a goal and an assist and made the Mavericks' power play look like a whole different unit. The Mavericks were 2 for 3 with the man advantage. His goal came on one, and he was running things on the second despite not getting an assist. "He didn’t come back and force the game," coach Mike Hastings said. I think he took what was there — made simple plays, smart plays. … Thought he played a real heady game, didn’t put himself in bad spots. And that’s what you want a good player to do."

3. Foguth's out: The Mavericks gave up three goals, two on the power play, and could have used their captain, senior defenseman Carter Foguth, to calm things down on the back end. He's out with a lower-body injury. Hastings said he's day-to-day but "has made significant strides in the last 48 hours." It's unlikely he'll play in Saturday's rematch with Alaska, though. With Foguth out, freshman Edwin  Hookenson got his first collegiate action. He was +1 with no shots on goal. His defensive partner, Clint Lewis, had a goal and an assist.

Read my game story here.

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

Live coverage: MSU vs. Alaska

Minnesota State is back home to start a WCHA series against Alaska. Live coverage and chat below tonight's lines ...

MINNESOTA STATE
20-Michaelis, 15-Franklin, 19-McClure
6-Tuomie, 17-Huntebrinker, 10-Knutson
23-Rivera, 16-Nelson, 12-Coatta
25-Stepan, 26-French, 9-Gerard

8-Brickley, 18-Scheid
11-Flanagan, 27-Schwalbe
4-Lewis, 24-Hookenson

39-Pawlowski
34-Huggins
29-Nelson

Scratches: Bigelbach, Cooper, Foguth, Madry, Vanko

ALASKA
14-Morley, 16-Munson, 22-Staley
26-Cline, 15-Van Tetering, 39-Heidt
25-Herdt, 27-Leiter, 9-Basara
18-Mullally, 7-Erickson, 13-Vieth

6-Frye, 24-Ladouce
12-Hinz, 32-Thompson
10-Kiraly, 5-Koberstein

29-Jenks
30-Jones

Friday Morning Skate

Pat Christman/The Free Press

Good morning! The No. 15 Mavericks will be hosting the Alaska Nanooks tonight at the Verizon Center. It's their first rematch of the season, having played in Fairbanks Oct. 21-22. Then-leading scorer Daniel Brickley got hurt in the second game of that series but will be back for the first time since then tonight, as was reported Thursday.

Minnesota State is led in scoring by freshman forward Marc Michaelis (pictured). In some ways, his path from Germany to college hockey actually started in Mankato, although he didn't really know it at the time. Once the recruiting process started, he signed on very quickly.

A few more nuggets about Michaelis that didn't make the story:

• He was surprised early on that he was able to score so much (although his coaches weren't) but not any more, mainly because of who he's playing with. If you play a lot, you should expect a lot, he said. "You get used to playing with C.J. and Luresy," he said about skating on a line with juniors C.J. Franklin and Brad McClure. "They make plays where you don't even expect to make plays. ... I'd call it a little bit lucky, playing with those guys, getting some bounces that went in my favor."

• Michaelis recognizes that nine of his points have come on the power play. That can be good and bad. "We need to score a 5-on-5 goal," he said.

• Coach Mike Hastings said Michaelis made a good impression on him in the preseason and has kept that up. Others have taken notice, too. "I think he's a really good hockey player," Hastings said. "I think if you ask the other 13 forwards who they'd like to play with, I think he'd be at the top of the list, maybe top two."

• One player who stood out to Michaelis in that game he watched in 2012 was Matt Leitner, who was a sophomore at the time. "He was one of those guys I remember watching," he said. With his rink vision and history of being a good puck distributor who can also score, could Michaelis be the next Leitner for MSU? "I hope so," he said.

For more about the weekend series, see The Free Press' College Hockey Gameday feature.

Read more about the Nanooks in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Going around the WCHA ...

Bemidji State at Michigan Tech: This is the league's marquee matchup of the weekend as the first-place Beavers travel to the U.P. Bemidji State still hasn't lost in WCHA play but may be reeling a bit after getting swept at home by previously winless Princeton last weekend. The Huskies, meanwhile, are on a seven-game unbeaten streak, including a sweep last weekend at Alaska.

Bowling Green at Lake Superior State: The Falcons are rolling, too, with a six-game unbeaten streak and only one loss in their last nine. They will play the Lakers, who have just one win in their last seven following their 6-1 start. Bowling Green has the WCHA's leading scorer in junior forward Mitch McLain, who has 17 points.

Northern Michigan at Alaska Anchorage: The Seawolves host the Wildcats with the hope of leapfrogging them in the standings. Anchorage is last in the WCHA and on a 10-game winless streak and sits one point behind Northern Michigan, which is winless in its last seven, although it did tie Omaha and win the 3-on-3 overtime session last Friday. The Wildcats, too, hope this is a weekend in which they can make a move in the standings.

Ferris State at Alabama Huntsville: The Bulldogs travel to the Hockey Capital of the South for a Saturday-Sunday series. They are tied with the Chargers for fifth place in the WCHA. Ferris State has won four of five games. Huntsville has dropped three in a row, four with a 3-on-3 OT loss.

Brickley is back for Mavericks

Minnesota State should get a nice boost this weekend when sophomore defenseman Daniel Brickley returns to the lineup after missing eight games with an upper-body injury.

Brinkley returned to practice in full this week and will get in a game for the first time since Oct. 22 at Alaska when he was hurt in the third period after appearing to lose an edge and crash into the boards with a checking player falling on top of him. Coincidently, the Mavericks will be hosting the Nanooks on Friday and Saturday in Mankato.

“It’s been tough watching the team play when you want to be out there,” the sophomore said after practice Wednesday. 

Brickley has been doing a lot of skating after practice in recent weeks with student-assistant Tim Jackman, so his conditioning should be up to speed, he said.

Brickley turned the heads of fans and pro scouts alike over his first five games of the season, scoring 10 points, nine of which were assists, and helping MSU get off to a 5-0-0 start.

The Mavericks lost the game in which he got hurt and are 3-4-1 since.

“I have to give it up to the guys; the team is real close,” Brickley said. “We all bonded well, and it translated to the ice. The power play was working well at times. We knew where everybody was going to be, and we were all on the same page and meshed really well. We just have to get back to that.”

The Mavericks averaged 4.8 goals per game and were 30 percent on the power play in their first five games. Since then, they’ve averaged 2.33 goals per game and are 12.2 percent with the man advantage.

Read more in The Free Press story here.

Mavericks ranked 15th

After being off over Thanksgiving weekend, Minnesota State dropped one spot to No. 15 in the latest U.S. College Hockey Online rankings. 

A few things threw the pollsters for loop this weekend, including red-hot Bemidji State getting an ice bath in the form of previously winless Princeton. The Tigers (whom MSU will play on the road in a couple of weeks) went to Bemidji and swept the Beavers 4-1 and 3-1.

Bemidji State (35 points) remains firmly atop the WCHA standings at 11-0-1, with an eight-point lead over second-place Michigan Tech (27). Both have played 12 conference games.

Bowling Green, Minnesota State and Ferris State, each of whom has played 10 league games, are next in line at 20, 16 and 14 points, respectively. Alabama Huntsville, which has played 12 games also sits at 14 points.

The Mavericks will host eighth-place Alaska (11 points, 10 games) this weekend before closing out the first of their WCHA schedule at Ferris State and playing Princeton before winter break.

Pawloski honored; MSU moves up

Minnesota State sophomore goaltender Jason Pawloski was named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in last weekend's two nonconference games against Minnesota, a 4-1 win and a 1-0 loss.

The Omaha, Neb., native stopped 62 of 64 shots for a .969 save percentage and a 1.01 goals against average in the series, including 25 in the win in Mankato on Friday and a career-high 37 in Minneapolis on Saturday.

Pawloski is 2-2-1 with a 2.02 goals against average and a .919 save percentage this season. He has started four of MSU's last five games. You can read more about him in today's MSU Hockey Review. For more on the WCHA players of the week this week, go here.

Meanwhile, the Mavericks moved up one spot, to No. 14 in the latest USCHO rankings and USA Today/USA Hockey poll.

In case you're wonder how the Minnesota teams are ranked ...

1. Minnesota Duluth
10. Bemidji State
11. Minnesota
14. Minnesota State
15. St. Cloud State

Gophers 1, Mavericks 0

Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...

1. Tough-luck loss: That was the case for goalie Jason Pawloski, who stopped a career-high 37 shots, only to fall 1-0 to the Gophers. He was nothing short of outstanding, and even made two good saves on a scramble in front of his net before giving up the game's lone goal, a power-play goal by Justin Kloos. The 38 shots were the most MSU has allowed this season. The previous high was 29 to Lake Superior State. The Mavericks' 23 shots on goal tied a season-low when they had that number on opening night against Michigan Tech. They had just 12 shots through two periods, three in the second.

2. Tale of two nights: Other than Pawloski's play, the things the Mavericks did well in Friday night's win over Minnesota didn't show up on Saturday. They didn't get bodies in front of goalie Eric Schierhorn. They didn't get on loose pucks and rebounds. They didn't control the puck up top in the offensive zone. It was a struggle getting any offense going. "I didn’t think we were as hard, and I thought they were harder," coach Mike Hastings said. "I thought they defended a lot better than last night, and our second and third efforts weren’t what they were last night. (We) didn’t get a lot of second and third opportunities. When we got pucks to the net and they were laying between the hash marks, a white jersey was getting there, not a purple one."

3. Break time: The Mavericks will get their first idle weekend of the season over Thanksgiving, and it probably comes at a good time. They have played seven straight weeks to start the season and have a record of 8-5-1. After the week off, they will play three series, including two on the road before the holiday break. The hope is they'll have defenseman Daniel Brickley from injury back sometime in that stretch. With some struggles by their defensemen to control the puck against the Gophers, they sure could have used him on Saturday.

Read my game story here.

Around the WCHA: Ferris State 7, Lake Superior State 5 ... Bemidji State 5, Northern Michigan 2 ... Bowling Green 8, Alabama Huntsville 3 ... Michigan Tech at Alaska Anchorage (late)

Live coverage: MSU at Minnesota

The Mavericks will go for the series sweep against the Gophers, with Game 2 taking place at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis. No TV tonight. The puck drops at 8:05 p.m. Follow along or join the conversation below tonight's lines:

MINNESOTA STATE 

20-Michaelis, 15-Franklin, 10-Knutson
6-Tuomie, 17-Huntebrinker, 19-McClure
23-Rivera, 16-Nelson, 12-Coatta
25-Stepan, 26-French, 9-Gerard

11-Flanagan, 18-Scheid
4-Lewis, 5-Foguth
14-Bigelbach, 27-Schwalbe

39-Pawloski
34-Huggins
29-Nelson

Scratches: Brickley, Cooper, Hookenson, Madry, Vanko

MINNESOTA

21-Reilly, 25-Kloos, 22-Sheehy
18-Bristedt, 25-Kloos, 16-Ramsey
9-Szmatula, 19-Lettieri, 13-Cammarata
10-Gates, 26-Romanko, 12-Marooney

5-Lindgren, 28-Bischoff
4-Johnson, 2-Sadek
20-Zuhlsdorf, 3-Glover

37-Schierhorn
34-Lehr
1-Kautz

Mavericks 4, Gophers 1

Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...

1. Big crowd, big win: Last season, Minnesota State flopped in front of its biggest home crowds, getting shut out at home three times against Omaha, Minnesota and Bemidji State. On Friday, with 5,048 in the Verizon Center, the Mavericks put on a good show for their home fans. "That was in the back of our heads," said Brad McClure, who scored two goals. "Last year we didn't perform as well as we could in front of big crowds. It was a learning experience. But this was good for our team inside that locker room, too." Indeed, the Mavericks looked like the team that started out so strong at home in October with wins over Michigan Tech and St. Cloud State, scoring four times including two power-play goals.

2. Leaders lead: Coach Mike Hastings said his team needed a good effort from its older players, and the Mavericks got that. McClure, who was moved to Michael Huntebrinker's line, scored both of his goals in 5-on-5 play. Huntebrinker assisted on both. C.J. Franklin had a goal and an assist and could have had so much more, with eight shots on goal, including some high-quality chances. "I think it all starts with us playing hard and getting on their D right away," Franklin said. "We weren't panicking. We were possessing pucks, getting pucks behind their D and forechecking. That's always big.

3. Youngsters, too: Parker Tuomie had perhaps his best game of the season so far. The freshman forward, playing with McClure and Huntebrinker, had a goal and two assists. His power-play goal, which gave MSU a 3-1 lead, came after he was elbowed in the head at center ice. The penalty was just a 2-minute one, but Tuomie got the last laugh, blasting a shot through traffic from the high slot. Freshman defenseman Ian Scheid and two assists, and sophomore goaltender Jason Pawloski was outstanding with 25 saves, only allowing a point-blank power-play shot to get past him.

Read my game story here. Check out Pat Christman's photo gallery here.

Around the WCHA: Ferris State 3, Lake Superior State 0 ... Bemidji State 2, Northern Michigan 1 ... Bowling Green 4, Alabama Huntsville 1

Live coverage: MSU vs. Minnesota

The No. 15 Mavericks will host the No. 7 Gophers at the Verizon Center in the first game of a home-and-home series. Follow along or join the conversation below tonight's lines:

MINNESOTA STATE 

20-Michaelis, 15-Franklin, 10-Knutson
6-Tuomie, 17-Huntebrinker, 19-McClure
23-Rivera, 16-Nelson, 12-Coatta
25-Stepan, 26-French, 9-Gerard

11-Flanagan, 18-Scheid
4-Lewis, 5-Foguth
14-Bigelbach, 27-Schwalbe

39-Pawloski
34-Huggins
29-Nelson

Scratches: Brickley, Cooper, Hookenson, Madry, Vanko

MINNESOTA

9-Szmatula, 25-Kloos, 13-Cammarata
21-Reilly, 17-Novak, 22-Sheehy
10-Gates, 19-Lettieri, 18-Bristedt
23-Norman, 26-Romanko, 16-Ramsey

5-Lindgren, 28-Bischoff
4-Johnson, 2-Sadek
20-Zuhlsdorf, 6-Collins

37-Schierhorn
34-Lehr
1-Kautz

Friday Morning Skate

It's Gopher Weekend! The No. 15 Mavericks will host No. 7 Minnesota at the Verizon Center on Friday night, and the series will move to Mariucci Arena on Saturday. Folks in Mankato are expecting a full house tonight; hopefully the weather doesn't keep ticket-holders away.

These are always games that fans circle on the calendar. Possibly players and coaches, too. In-state bragging rights are always on the line when the Minnesota teams play each other. All five Division I teams currently are ranked in the top 15, something, The New York Times even noted this week.

Tonight's game will be on both Fox Sports North, with former MSU defenseman Andy Hedlund helping with the broadcast, and Charter. Unfortunately, Saturday's game will not be televised but available on the Big Ten Network's streaming service.

For more on the series, see The Free Press' College Hockey Gameday.

Going around the WCHA ...

Northern Michigan at Bemidji State: The Beavers return home with their undefeated conference record to host the Wildcats. The Bemidji Pioneer profiles the player whose overtime goal on Saturday kept their streak alive. Northern Michigan, meanwhile, enters the series having won just once in its last six games.

Bowling Green at Alabama Huntsville: The Falcons appear to have righted their ship after starting the  season 0-6-1. They are 4-1-0 in their last five and getting good play from upperclassmen such as Brett D'Andrea, according to bgsuhockey.com. The Chargers, like Minnesota State, are hoping to bounce back from a one-point home weekend.

Lake Superior State at Ferris State: The Lakers were the surprise team of the WCHA early but have lost three games in a row. They head to Big Rapids where the Bulldogs are playing better hockey after their eight-game winless start.

Michigan Tech at Alaska Anchorage: The Huskies have won five of their last six games and are embarking on a two-weekend Alaska trip. Last Friday, Tech coach Mel Pearson won his 100th game since returning to his alma mater. Anchorage, meanwhile has won just once this season, and the beat-up Seawolves enter the weekend on a six-game losing streak.

Read more about the WCHA in this week's USCHO column.

Tickets going fast for Mavericks-Gophers

Tickets for Friday night’s men’s hockey game at the Verizon Center between the Minnesota State and Minnesota have been selling fast.

As of Thursday morning, according to a Ticketmaster search, less than 100 actual seats were still available for the game, the first of a home-and-home series. Standing-room-only tickets are also available.

“The atmosphere, it’s always a lot more fun to play with a lot more people in the stands,” Mavericks co-captain C.J. Franklin said. “It’s just that little extra push that we might need in the third period or something to get us going. So it’s always nice to have some extra fans in the seats.”

The Verizon Center seats 4,832 for hockey, but, with standing room, the record attendance is 5,446, set Feb. 28, 2015 for a game against Michigan Tech. The Mavericks have been averaging 3,819 fans per game in eight home games this season.

On its Twitter feed, Minnesota State athletics said that students lined up on campus beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday to get their allotment of tickets. Those were all gobbled up by noon.

“I heard about that,” Franklin said. “I heard (the line) was out to the gym. Expecting a good crowd from the students here, and hopefully they can bring some energy along with it.”

The second game of the series will be played at 8 p.m. at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis.

Beavers 2, Mavericks 1 (OT)

Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...

1. Drought continues: Minnesota State started the season 6-1-0 but has since one just once in five games. The Mavericks have scored eight goals in those last five games, five in the last four, including two in two games against Bemidji State. Lots of credit has to go to Michael Bitzer, the Beavers' outstanding goaltender, who has a save percentage of .944 right now, .963 against conference opponents. But MSU's goal-output has to be a concern. With the way the Mavericks scored goals early in the year, it appeared those issues were behind them this season. Not so right now. Coach Mike Hastings said the team's effort and attitude are fine right now, but scoring is the puzzle. "That’s the job, I think, of the staff," he said. "It’s our job to provide them with some answers and how-to."

2. Catch them if you can: Bemidji State is 9-0-1 in league play with a 3-on-3 OT win on Friday, giving it 29 points. With the three-point system, it seems the Beavers are running away with the WCHA. They have a 12-point lead over second-place Michigan Tech and a 13-point lead over third-place MSU. There's a lot of season left, of course, but they're rolling right now. They're a confident team that plays a disciplined style (although one that has more offense that previous versions, making it quite dangerous). Minnesota State will play at Bemidji on Feb. 24-25, the final weekend of the regular season. It will be interesting to see where those teams are at.

3. Foguth out: Mavericks senior defenseman, co-captain and minutes-muncher Carter Foguth was on the line chart an hour before the game but ended up being scratched. Hastings wouldn't detail his injury, only saying that Foguth woke up Saturday not feeling right. Hastings said he wanted to be cautious and not risk anything by playing him. Alec Vanko, who was a scratch on Friday, got in the lineup, but it was converted forward Ryan Schwalbe, who logged a lot of minutes, along with Clint Lewis. Foguth's injury left MSU without their top two defensemen, as Daniel Brickley remains out with his injury. "You have 5 not in the lineup; you have 8 not in the lineup," Hastings said, referring to Foguth and Brickley, respectively, by their numbers. "We’ve got to collectively find a way. We might not be as gifted offensively with those guy out of the lineup so you better find ways."

Read my game story here.

Deep thought


Around the WCHA: Michigan Tech 4, Lake Superior State 2 ... Bowling Green 5, Northern Michigan 3 ... Alaska 3, Alabama Huntsville 1 ... Penn State 3, Alaska Anchorage 1 ... Michigan State 4, Ferris State 3

Live coverage: MSU vs. Bemidji State, Game 2

Minnesota State and Bemidji State will wrap up their series, following Friday night's 3-on-3 overtime win for the Beavers. Follow along or join the live chat, located below tonight's lines:

MINNESOTA STATE

15-Franklin, 20-Michaelis, 19-McClure
6-Tuomie, 16-Nelson, 10-Knutson
23-Rivera, 17-Huntebrinker, 12-Coatta
25-Stepan, 26-French, 9-Gerard

4-Lewis, 27-Schwalbe
11-Flanagan, 18-Scheid
14-Bigelbach, 21-Vanko

34-Huggins
39-Pawloski
29-Nelson

Scratches: Brickley, Cooper, Foguth, Hookenson, Madry

BEMIDJI STATE

19-L. Fitzgerald, 21-G. Fitzgerald, 18-Harms
9-Marinaccio, 14-Bauman, 22-O'Connor
6-Dickman, 23-Sjodahl, 11-Arentz
13-Soucier, 7-Roo, 15-Heller

28-Beauvais, 2-Bilett
29-Baudry, 32-Whitecloud
20-Eichstad, 3-Muck

1-Bitzer
35-Wilkins

Mavericks 1, Beavers 1 (BSU wins in 3x3)

Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...

1. New rules: Fans in Mankato, as well as both teams, got to experience the WCHA's new tiebreaking format on Friday night. Bemidji State came away with the 3-on-3 victory. Although the game officially went down as a tie after the first five-minute overtime, the Beavers got the extra point for the WCHA standings thanks to Charlie O'Connor's goal in the second session. Had no one scored in that five-minute, open-ice period, there would have been a shootout. "It was fun," BSU coach Tom Serratore said, "for the players and the fans."

2. What happened to the scoring? With one goal on Friday, the Mavericks have just four total over their last three games. Freshman forward Charlie Gerard scored his first career goal to give the Mavericks a 1-0 lead, which they clung to until the Beavers tied it midway through the third period. Freshman Parker Tuomie had four shots on goal and also hit a post during a dominant first period in which MSU needed to get a second goal. Credit Bemidji State goalie Michael Bitzer, too, though as he came up big in the first period and in overtime when MSU had a 5-1 shot advantage.

3. All even: Both Bitzer and Mavericks goalie Jason Pawloski finished the game with 23 saves. It was a hard-ice game between the first- and second-place teams in the WCHA. “You know it’s going to be a real close game when you play these guys,” Mavericks coach Mike Hastings said. “It’s playoff-type hockey.” Said Serratore: “That was a game for the ages. It was an epic battle with no easy ice. It was like a heavyweight fight — punch and counterpunch.”

Read my game story here.

Around the WCHA: Michigan Tech 6, Lake Superior State 1 ... Bowling Green 5, Northern Michigan 1 ... Alaska 3, Alabama Huntsville 3 (Alaska wins in 3x3) ... Penn State 6, Alaska Anchorage 3

Deep thought:

Live coverage: MSU vs. Bemidji State, Game 1

It's a battle between the top two teams in the WCHA, as first-place Bemidji State travels to Mankato to take on Minnesota State. Live updates and chat can be found below tonight's lines:

MINNESOTA STATE

15-Franklin, 20-Michaelis, 19-McClure
6-Tuomie, 16-Nelson, 10-Knutson
23-Rivera, 17-Huntebrinker, 12-Coatta
25-Stepan, 26-French, 9-Gerard

4-Lewis, 5-Foguth
11-Flanagan, 18-Scheid
14-Bigelbach, 27-Schwalbe

39-Pawloski
34-Huggins
29-Nelson

Scratches: Brickley, Cooper, Hookenson, Madry, Vanko

BEMIDJI STATE

19-L. Fitzgerald, 21-G. Fitzgerald, 18-Harms
9-Marinaccio, 14-Bauman, 22-O'Connor
6-Dickman, 23-Sjodahl, 11-Arentz
13-Soucier, 7-Roo, 15-Heller

28-Beauvais, 2-Bilett
29-Baudry, 32-Whitecloud
20-Eichstad, 3-Muck

1-Bitzer
35-Wilkins

Friday Morning Skate

It's a battle of top-15 teams in the nation and one of the top two teams in the conference as No. 11 Minnesota State and No. 15 Bemidji State will play each other at the Verizon Center. The Mavericks trail only the Beavers, who are undefeated in WCHA play, in the league standings.

Minnesota State has split its last three series, most recently winning 2-1 at Lake Superior State. A big key to winning that game was the play of captain and senior defenseman Carter Foguth, who logged a whopping 26:47 of ice time that night. Despite never putting up big offensive numbers, he is as valuable to the Mavericks as any player on the roster.

For a preview of this weekend's series, check out the Freep's College Hockey Gameday.

The Bemidji Pioneer's Jack Hittinger wrote about the Mavericks-Beavers rivalry and the connection between the coaches. (ICYMI, here is my Tuesday column about rivalries in college hockey, many of which have stayed strong even in the post-realignment era.) Earlier this week, Jack opined about BSU's impressive sweep at Alaska.

Time to go around the WCHA ...

Ferris State vs. Michigan State: The Bulldogs got this nonconference series off to a good start on Thursday night with a 4-1 road victory over the Spartans. The series will go to Big Rapids on Saturday night. Freshman goalie Justin Kapelmaster stopped 26 saves and has all three of Ferris' wins this season, starting with one at Minnesota State.

Alaska Anchorage at Penn State and Alaska at Alabama Huntsville: Both Alaska teams were on the road when they received good news about the athletic teams at their schools Thursday — officials have opted to not cut sports at the schools. Early proposals mentioned the elimination of one or both hockey teams, and those were saved by another plan to cut skiing among other sports. But those were saved as well. On the ice, both teams hope to get something going on the road. The Seawolves are 1-7 and have lost four in a row. The Nanooks are 3-7 and coming off two home losses to Bemidji State. The Chargers, meanwhile, are getting set for a six-game home stretch after playing 10 of their first 12 games on the road — in four different states.

Lake Superior State at Michigan Tech: Big series in Houghton as the No. 20 Lakers will try to stay in the top four of the conference. The Huskies are one point behind them. After starting the season 0-4, Tech is 4-2-2 in its last eight games. Lake Superior State has split its last two series after starting 5-0.

Bowling Green at Northern Michigan: This is a matchup of the eighth- (NMU) and ninth-place (BG) teams in the WCHA, and one between two teams that expect to finish much, much higher than that. The Wildcats have won one of their last five games and are winless in three games in their home rink. The Falcons have won twice in their last three games after starting off winless in their first seven. A better PK might be a reason for that improvement, but they are still seeking consistency.

Minnesota State is the focus of this week's USCHO column. See that site's WCHA picks here.

Signing Day

The Chicago Steel's "Mankato Line" of Reggie Lutz, Jake Jaremko and Walker Duehr. USHL photo

The Minnesota State men's hockey team signed nine recruits to national letters of intent for the fall of 2017. The group includes five forwards, three defensemen and a goaltender. All are currently playing in the United States Hockey League.

“We’re excited because of the quality of players and people we’re bringing in,” Mavericks coach Mike Hastings said. “There’s not a position on the team that isn’t impacted by someone in this group.”

The group includes team captains, players who have won championships, a Mr. Hockey winner, an international player and some National Hockey League DNA.

Here's a look at each player with comments from MSU assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Todd Knott:

Jake Jaremko won Minnesota’s Mr. Hockey in 2015 after his senior year at Elk River, where he racked up 68 points in 26 games. A 5-foot-10, 180-pound assistant captain, he leads the Chicago Steel in scoring with 14 points, including four goals, in 13 games and had 20 goals and 48 points in 60 points there a year ago.

“He’s very talented,” Knott said. “He’s a good skater, very fast, and has a good skill set and good vision.”

Reggie Lutz, Jaremko’s high school teammate at Elk River and current teammate in Chicago, is a 5-10, 175-pound forward and has five goals and 11 points in 13 games this season. Last spring, he led the Faribanks Ice Dogs to the North American Hockey League championship, and was named Robertson Cup MVP after scoring nine goals and 12 points in 12 playoff games.

“He’s always found a way to score,” Knott said. “In high school (35 goals as a senior), last year in Faribanks (30 regular-season goals). He has a knack.”

Walker Duehr is a 6-3, 205-pound winger from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Chicago forward has seven goals and 11 points in 13 games in is his third season in the USHL. He had 23 points in 38 games last season at Tri-City, helping the Storm win a Clark Cup title, and seven in 49 a year earlier. He’s still draft eligible and is a cousin of MSU junior forward Zeb Knutson.

“He’s our power forward,” Knott said. “He’s a long-body kid that can skate. He has very good tools and is a big kid who can protect pucks.”

The Green Bay Gamblers' Jared Spooner and Connor Mackey.
Green Bay Gamblers photo

Jared Spooner, is a 6-0, 185-pound forward, who has six goals and 10 points in 14 games for the Green Bay Gamblers, where he is a team captain. He had 17 points in 55 games last season and spent the previous season in the NAHL in his hometown of Bismarck, North Dakota.

“He’s a very honest player who plays a 200-foot game,” Knott said, comparing Spooner to former MSU player Dylan Margonari. “He’s a warrior of a kid.”

Dallas Gerads, a 5-9, 195-pound Blaine native who has seven points this season for Dubuque. He is the team captain for the Fighting Saints, with whom he had 30 points a year ago. He also spent a season with Rio Grande Valley of the NAHL.

“He plays a similar role (to Spooner),” Knott said. “He’s old school; he’d rather go through you than around you.”

Connor Mackey was named the USHL’s defenseman of the week the last two weeks. The 6-2, 190-pound Barrington, Ill., native has 13 points in 14 games and is the top-scoring defenseman in the league. The Gamblers' assistant captain is the son of Dave Mackey, who played in 126 NHL games for the Blackhawks, North Stars and Blues from 1987 to 1994.

“He’s got very good hockey sense,” Knott said. “There aren’t a lot of holes in his game.”

Riese Zmolek is a 6-1, 205-pound Rochester Century graduate. Back from injury, he’s played in just two games for Cedar Rapids but had 11 points in 56 games last season. He is he son of former NHL defenseman Doug Zmolek, who played for the Sharks, Stars, Kings and Blackhawks from 1992 to 2000.

“He’s got good hockey sense; he plays the game the right way,” Knott said, comparing him to current MSU captain Carter Foguth. “He’s an honest, defense-first player who makes the game hard on the other team’s best players.”

Jack McNeely is a 6-3, 185-pounder from Lakeville North. He has one assist and is plus-2 in 12 games with the Tri-City Storm. He is the Storm's captain. A year ago, he had 10 assists and was minus-2 in 70 games, including the Storm's playoff run to the USHL title.

“He’s a long-body, athletic kid who plays a simple game,” said Knott, comparing him to former MSU player Brett Stern. “He’s worked extremely hard to get stronger. (Tri-City) has done a great job with him and his development.”

Matiss Kivlenieks, is a 6-2, 190-pound goalie from Riga, Latvia (Teddy Blueger's hometown), who ranks sixth in the USHL with a 1.86 goals-against average and seventh with a .928 save percentage. He played last season with Coulee Region of the NAHL where he won 16 games and had a .925 save percentage. He’s also played twice for Latvia’s U20 national team.

“With goalies, it’s about history,” Knott said. “He started at the Junior B level in Minnesota when he was 17 and worked his way up. He’s been through a lot already.”

In other signing news from Wednesday, Hastings' daughter, Hannah, a catcher for the Mankato West High School softball team, inked her NLI to continue playing at Minnesota State.

Top 15 matchup coming

Minnesota State slipped a spot in the national polls today, following its WCHA series split at Lake Superior State over the weekend. The Mavericks, who are 7-3-0 overall and 5-3-0 in the WCHA are ranked 11th in the nation by USCHO and USA Today/USA Hockey.

That sets up a battle of top-15 teams this weekend as Minnesota State hosts Bemidji State, which moved up to 15th in the USCHO top 20 (just receiving votes in the USA Today top 15) after its sweep at Alaska. The Beavers are in first place in the WCHA with an 8-0-0 record (8-2-0 overall). 

Lake Superior State, meanwhile, which is 6-2-0, 4-2-0, is ranked 20th.

Mavericks 2, Lakers 1

Freddy's three thoughts from afar ...

1. Bounce back: The Mavericks split their third series in a row, but it was the first time in which they needed to win the second game to get out of the weekend wth points. "That, to me, could be defined as a character win," coach Mike Hastings said in a phone interview afterward. "Our mental toughness was a lot more evident." Hastings said his team went away too easily on Friday after giving up a couple of quick goals, but it responded on Saturday, playing a physical style seldom shown so far this season. "I thought we were harder than we've bee in our last four games," Hastings said. "We were more physical; we have to make that a staple of our team."

2. Isn't that special? All three goals were scored on special teams with the Mavericks going 1 for 4 on the power play. Brad McClure scored on the power play for the game's first goal, which came in the final minute of the first period. Jordan Nelson gave MSU a 2-0 lead with a short-handed goal, the Mavericks' second shorty of the weekend. Lake Superior State was 1 for 6 on the power play. McClure now leads MSU with five goals. His goal snapped an 0 for 15 slump on the power play. Marc Michaelis assisted on the goal and now has a team-leading 12 points.

3. Goalie change: After relieving Cole Huggins, who struggled in giving up the Lakers first three goals on Friday, Jason Pawloski got the start on Saturday. It was his second start of the season and his first win. Pawloski stopped 19 of 20 shots, including all 12 he faced in the third period. "They're a good hockey team," Hastings said of the 6-2-0 Lakers. "But I thought we deserved tonight's game. I'm happy for our guys. I thought they stuck together. That was a real important road win."

Around the WCHA: Michigan 5, Michigan State 1 ... Ferris State 3, Bowling Green 1 ... Wisconsin 2, Northern Michigan 0 ... Alabama Huntsville 3, Alaska Anchorage 2 (OT) ... Bemidji State 3, Alaska 1

Lakers 5, Mavericks 1

Freddy's three thoughts from afar:

1. Lakers are legit: I was covering Mankato West football tonight, so I don't have a lot of insight tonight. However, it does appear that Lake Superior State is for real. Five more goals tonight, a 6-1 record ... the Lakers are flying high. Two goals in the game's first 3:34 got them going in the right direction and had MSU reeling for the rest of the night.

2. Powerless: Minnesota State's power play went 0 for 5, putting the team at 1 for 25 over the last four games, three of which have been losses. The Mavericks' lone goal on Friday was a short-handed one by freshman forward Marc Michaelis, who took over the team's point lead with 11. His goal made it a 2-1 game at 7:23 of the second period, but the Mavericks couldn't get the equalizer.

3. Tough night: Didn't look like the best night for goalie Cole Huggins, who allowed three goals on 13 shots before being lifted. Jason Pawloski allowed one goal (the fifth was an empty-netter) on 15 shots the rest of the way. Meanwhile, the Lakers' Gordon Defiel, who shut out MSU on 57 shots last year in the playoffs, stopped 24 of 25 shots for the win. From the little I saw online, he made a few tough saves, too.

Around the WCHA: Michigan State 3, Michigan Tech 2 (OT) ... Bowling Green 4, Ferris State 1 ... Northern Michigan 5, Wisconsin 2 ... Alabama Huntsville 5, Alaska Anchorage 2 ... Bemidji State 6, Alaska 2

Friday Morning Skate

The Mavericks are on the road for the second time this season, playing at surprising Lake Superior State today and Saturday. Both teams started the season 5-0 before dropping a game to Alaska.

Minnesota State is 1-2 in its last three games, and a big difference between those games and the first five is the success rate of the power play. The Mavericks were 9 for 30 when they were undefeated but 1 for 22 since. They hope they can get a little of that mojo back soon.

Read more about this weekend's matchup in the Freep's College Hockey Gameday.

Going around the WCHA ...

Ferris State at Bowling Green: Two conference teams that were winless until last Saturday will square off this weekend. For the Falcons, they hope they can limit some of the damage by having success in league play, as they have only played two WCHA games so far.

Alabama Huntsville at Alaska Anchorage: Huntsville has had quite the road swing over the first six weeks of the season. Alaska will be the fifth state the Chargers have played in already. The others were Michigan (twice), Connecticut, Alabama and Minnesota. The Seawolves, meanwhile, are excited to get a couple of injured players back in the lineup.

Bemidji State at Alaska: The Beavers take their undefeated conference record on the road. Read a feature story about sophomore forward T.J. Roo, a BSU legacy player. The Nanooks, meanwhile, hope to hand the first conference loss to a third straight team.

Michigan Tech at Michigan State: The Huskies are coming off their first sweep of the season and will step out of league play to take on the 1-4-0 Spartans of the Big Ten.

Northern Michigan at Wisconsin: Another WCHA-Big Ten matchup and a rematch of a season-opening series in Green Bay, Wis., in which the Wildcats and Badgers split.

Mavericks slip to 10th

Minnesota State dropped a spot, from No. 9 to No. 10, in both national polls on Monday, following its series split at home against Ferris State. The Mavericks are 6-2-0, still one of the better records in college hockey and their own best October since joining the WCHA in 1999.

Minnesota Duluth was the unanimous No. 1 in the USCHO.com poll after its sweep of previous No. 1 North Dakota, which dropped to third. Denver is No. 2 and received one first-place vote in the USA Today/USA Hockey poll.

Bemidji State, which is also 6-2-0, is the only other WCHA team in the top 20, moving up to No. 18. Lake Superior State, this coming weekend's opponent for Minnesota State, is also receiving votes.

Bulldogs 4, Mavericks 3

Freddy's three thoughts of the game:

1. Stay in your seats: Minnesota State didn't give fans much to cheer about for 2 1/2 periods but then made a crazy comeback over the final 10 minutes to tie the game only to give up the game-winner with 1:01 to play. Alec Vanko, Michael Huntebrinker and Brad McClure scored MSU's goals to turn a 3-0 deficit into a 3-3 game. Huntebrinker's goal came with 3:18 remaining after coach Mike Hastings opted to pull goalie Cole Huggins for an extra attacker with about 4 minutes to go. Some call that the Dean Blais Rules, but it's become the Mike Hastings Rules. It worked and it looked like overtime was inevitable, maybe even 3-on-3 or a shootout, but the WCHA's preseason player of the year, Gerald Mayhew showed why he deserved those accolades as he got his team its first (non-shootout) win of the season.

2. Welcome to college hockey: Minnesota State's freshmen have been the talk of the WCHA over the first month of the season, but this weekend's tough, physical, grind-it-out series might have been an eye-opener to the rookies. It's not always going to be so easy. As a group, they didn't do much against Ferris State. Marc Michaelis did assist on Huntebrinker's goal and had two helpers in the series. Nicholas Rivera appeared to score a goal, but it was waved off as the Bulldogs wen to the other end and scored (the call on the ice stood upon review, giving Ferris, and not MSU, the 1-0 lead). Rivera, who had five shots on goal, is a tough kid, though, and seemed to fit in with the style of play.

3. Power outage: The Mavericks went 0 for 6 on the power play and were 1 for 8 on Friday night. After clicking at nearly 30 percent over their first five games, they are 1 for 20 in the last three games, two of which they didn't have defenseman Daniel Brickley available (upper body injury). Trailing 3-1 with 6 1/2 minutes left, the Mavericks had a 5-on-3 power play for 80 seconds, but they couldn't find a way to score. Goalie Justin Kapelmaster did make one point-blank save during that stretch. The Mavericks also missed the net plenty of times during the game. Of their 70 shot attempts, 21 missed the net. They finished with 31 on goal.

Read my game story here.

Around the WCHA: Bowling Green 4, Miami 1 ... Alaska 4, Lake Superior State 3 ... Michigan Tech 5, Northern Michigan 1 ... Bemidji State 4, Alaska Anchorage 0 ... St. Cloud State 5, Alabama Huntsville 2

Live coverage, MSU vs. Ferris State, Game 2

The live chat can be found below tonight's lines:

MINNESOTA STATE

20-Michaelis, 15-Franklin, 19-McClure
6-Tuomie, 17-Huntebrinker, 10-Knutson
23-Rivera, 16-Nelson, 12-Coatta
25-Stepan, 26-French, 27-Schwalbe

4-Lewis, 5-Foguth
11-Flanagan, 21-Vanko
14-Bigelbach, 18-Scheid

34-Huggins
39-Pawloski
29-Nelson

Scratches: Brickley, Cooper, Gerard, Hookenson, Madry

FERRIS STATE

9-McDonald, 8-Dorantes, 17-VanWormer
24-Maloney, 24-Pefley, 20-Mayhew
7-Killins, 18-Szajner, 16-Andrew
11-Lutz, 22-Tackett, 2-Fernandez

10-Lowney, 27-Tierney
5-Torantes, 3-Clarke
26-Rutkowski, 23-Kallen

35-Kapelmaster
1-Smith

Mavericks 4, Bulldogs 2

Freddy's three thoughts of the game:

1. Veterans come through: Two goals by Brad McClure. Another by Jordan Nelson. Hard-area play by C.J. Franklin. A rock-solid performance by Cole Huggins. The older players for Minnesota State came through in a tough game on Friday night. Nothing got out of hand like other games between the Mavericks and the Bulldogs, but it was a grind with a lot of stopping and starting and a lot of special teams play. McClure, who has been working closely with student-assistant and longtime NHLer Tim Jackman (see my game story below), scored a pair of beauties, tying the game in the first period and giving the Mavericks 4-1 lead in the second.

2. And a couple of youngsters: Freshman forward Ian Scheid scored what would end up being the game-winning goal, putting MSU up 3-1 midway through the second period on the power play. It was his third goal in as many games. He also had a good play out of the penalty box, racing into the defensive zone and diving to the ice to break up a slap shot from the point. He's off to a good start with six points in seven games. Another rookie, Michael Bigelbach, got the nod on D with Daniel Brickley out with injury. He didn't play a ton of minutes but did assist on McClure's second goal.

3. A little revenge: The Mavericks lost to the Bulldogs in the championship game of the WCHA tournament last March in Grand Rapids, Mich. They were held to just 14 shots on goal that game, and the 2-1 loss ended their season. On Friday, they got back to their goal-scoring ways after scoring just two in last Saturday's loss at Alaska, and even chased Final Five MVP Darren Smith from the game in the second period. Smith finished with 15 saves, and freshman Justin Kapelmaster got his first collegiate action after that, stopping all six shots he faced the rest of the way. It will be interesting to see which goalie starts on Saturday for the winless Bulldogs.

Read my game story here.

Around the WCHA: Michigan Tech 2, Northern Michigan 0 ... Miami 2, Bowling Green 1 (OT) ... Lake Superior State 3, Alaska 2 ... Bemidji State 2, Alaska Anchorage 1 (OT) ... St. Cloud State 5, Alabama Huntsville 1

Live coverage: MSU vs. Ferris State

The live chat can be found below tonight's lines:

MINNESOTA STATE

20-Michaelis, 15-Franklin, 19-McClure
6-Tuomie, 17-Huntebrinker, 10-Knutson
23-Rivera, 16-Nelson, 12-Coatta
25-Stepan, 26-French, 27-Schwalbe

4-Lewis, 5-Foguth
11-Flanagan, 21-Vanko
14-Bigelbach, 18-Scheid

34-Huggins
39-Pawloski
29-Nelson

Scratches: Brickley, Cooper, Gerard, Hookenson, Madry

FERRIS STATE

21-Mackin, 8-Dorantes, 17-VanWormer
15-Maloney, 24-Pefley, 20-Mayhew
9-McDonald, 12-Recktenwald, 16-Andrew
11-Lutz, 22-Tackett, 2-Fernandez

10-Lowney, 27-Tierney
5-Torantes, 3-Clarke
26-Rutkowski, 23-Kallen

1-Smith
35-Kapelmaster

Friday Morning Skate

The No. 9 Mavericks are back home following their split at Alaska to take on Ferris State in a WCHA series. In their last meeting, the Bulldogs defeated MSU 2-1 for the league playoff championship and got the WCHA's lone berth into the NCAA tournament.

Minnesota State will be without sophomore defenseman Daniel Brickley, its leading scorer. He represents a lot of points (10, with nine assists) and a lot of minutes on the ice. Those minutes, coach Mike Hastings said, "will be absorbed by the group, not by one individual."

Read more about what's ahead in The Free Press' College Hockey Gameday.

You can also read about senior forward Jordan Nelson and how he's become Mr. Reliable to both his Maverick family and his own family in North Dakota where his sister has been is battling leukemia for the last 10 months. On the ice, Nelson has been rock-solid so far this year. He and wingers Nicholas Rivera and Max Coatta were MSU's best line in Alaska, Hastings said, as the group accounted for three goals and eight points.

"He's playing like a senior," Hastings said of Nelson. "A lot of players come to you and ask for more. He wants it — but is able to take advantage of his more. He's getting more ice time, he's producing offensively, he's committed defensively. He's taking advantage of those opportunities. That's what you want your seniors to do."

As for Ferris State, it is 0-6-1 with a shootout win over Northern Michigan on Saturday. Several Bulldogs have been battling injuries, including the WCHA's preseason player of the year Gerald Mayhew, who has played in just three games.

"(Mayhew) and (last season's WCHA rookie of the year Corey) Mackin, they're hard," Hastings said. "They play hard; they play with an edge. There's no difference; they're the same team we played last time we played them."

Going around the WCHA ...

The Alaska teams are both on the road, with Alaska going to Lake Superior State and Alaska Anchorage going to Bemidji State. In an attempt to keep their hockey programs afloat amid big budget cuts, the Alaska universities proposed the cutting of other sports on Thursday and are requesting a waiver to be below the minimum number of sports requirement to be in the NCAA. If approved, that may save hockey at both institutions. They were

As for Bemidji State, which is sitting in first place in the WCHA, it's coming off its first two losses of the season, at No. 1 North Dakota. They're not "good losses" per se, coach Tom Serratore told the Bemidji Pioneer, but the team can learn from them.

Northern Michigan and Michigan Tech will play a home-and-home series this weekend, with the rivalry starting in Houghton.

In nonconfernece action, Bowling Green travels to Miami, and Alabama Huntsville is on the road again, going to St. Cloud State. The Falcons will try to overcome their surprising winless start to the season, while the Chargers are winless in their last six games since starting the season with two wins at Ferris State.

For more on the WCHA, read the USCHO weekly column here.

Brickley hurt, Rivera honored

It was a good-news, bad-news day for the Minnesota State men's hockey team.

The bad news was that sophomore defenseman Daniel Brickley will be out "for awhile," according to coach Mike Hastings, with an upper body injury. Brickley was hurt late in the third period of Saturday's 4-2 loss at Alaska. He got off to a great start to the season, scoring 10 points, which leads the Mavericks and the WCHA. His strong play this season, along with an excellent freshman season, has drawn much attention from pro scouts. They'll have to wait a few weeks, it seems, to get their eyes on him again.

The good news was that freshman forward Nicholas Rivera was named WCHA Rookie of the Week for his performance in last week's series split at Alaska. Rivera finished the series with four points, including two goals and an assist in Friday's 7-1 victory. Lake Superior State's Diego Cuglietta (offensive) and Collin Saccoman (defensive) were the other league players of the week. Hastings has had good things to say about Rivera from the start of the season. On Monday, Hastings said Rivera, senior Jordan Nelson and sophomore Max Coatta were the Mavericks' most consistent line all weekend against the Nanooks.

Meanwhile, the Mavericks remained in ninth place in both national polls, USCHO and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine.

Nanooks 4, Mavericks 2

Freddy's three thoughts from afar ...

1. Tough night: After starting the season 5-0-0 for the first time since 1998, Minnesota State wasn't able to match that season's six-win start, falling to Alaska. Not a lot appeared to go right for the Mavericks. C.J. Franklin was lost early in the second period for a contact-to-the-head major/game misconduct penalty. Daniel Brickley left the game late in the third period with an apparent injury. The Mavericks also went 0 for 6 on the power play while allowing two power-play goals to the Nanooks. Trailing 3-2, Minnesota State outshot Alaska 11-5 the rest of the way but con't get the equalizer.

2. Goalie change: Coach Mike Hastings opted to start Jason Pawloski in goal despite Cole Huggins' hot start. The moving wasn't surprising here as it seemed to be a good time to give Huggins a break and see what the sophomore could do. Pawloski put up good numbers last season before getting hurt. Didn't turn out too well, however, as Pawloski allowed three goals on 13 shots before being pulled midway through the second period. Speaking of goalies, Alaska's Jesse Jenks had a solid game, making 25 saves, including 11 in the third period when the Mavericks were making a strong push.

3. Top players: The Mavericks got goals from defensemen Sean Flanagan and Ian Scheid. For Scheid, a freshman, it was his second goal of the weekend. Freshman forward Nicholas Rivera had an assist for a four-point weekend. Another positive for the Mavericks was the return of senior forward Zach Stepan to the lineup. Stepan was cleared to play last week but was a scratch on Friday. On Saturday, he played on a line with Josh French and Ryan Schwalbe and finished the game plus-1.

Mavericks 7, Nanooks 1

Freddy's three thoughts from afar ...

1. Freshmen jell quickly: Nicholas Rivera scored two goals and assisted on another, Marc Michaelis had two goals and Ian Scheid scored another in the road victory to keep MSU undefeated through five games. Those are all first-year players. Each week and game, it seems, a different freshman emerges for this team. This night it was Rivera. Michaelis has been so good so far and already has eight points for the season. First career goals for Rivera and Scheid — and for sophomore defenseman Alec Vanko, who didn't get much playing time as a rookie.

2. Brick by Brick: Daniel Brickley continued to impress. He finished the game with three assists and now has 10 points on the season. Already, he's just one point shy of last season's total. Lots of scouts watched him play last weekend against St. Cloud State. The good news for the Mavericks is they have him this season. The question will continue to be: How much longer after that? In Mankato, of course, there are lots of comparisons to the development of Casey Nelson. But with MSU playing in Fairbanks this weekend, one wonders if you can compare him to another former great WCHA defenseman, Colton Parayko.

3. High scoring: With seven goals in the game, the Mavericks already have 24 goals for the season, an average of 4.8 per. It's early, of course, but that production has to be pleasing to coach Mike Hastings, especially considering the goals are being spread all around. No one player has more than three. Last year, it took MSU 12 games to get to 24 goals and they averaged 2.56 for the season. They finished 3 for 9 on the power play on Friday, upping their percentage to 30 percent (9 for 30) for the season.

Read more here.

Friday morning skate

The ninth-ranked Mavericks are in Alaska, set to start a two-game, WCHA series against the Nanooks and hoping to keep their unblemished record intact. It's amazing what a difference a season makes. A year ago, MSU was 0-4 and heading out on the road with a lot of questions. Now, it's 4-0 and going on the road feeling pretty good. Every season has to be treated differently, coach Mike Hastings says.

Don't expect too many changes to Minnesota State's lineup compared to last week. If anything, Zach Stepan could see some action. Hastings said the senior forward has been cleared to play, but the coach, on Wednesday, made no guarantees about what his Friday-night line chart would look like.

More on the series on my College Hockey Gameday preview.

ICYMI earlier in the week: my College Hockey Notebook and my Tuesday column on the importance of nonconference wins in the WCHA.

As for the Nanooks, they're hoping to bounce back from a pair of losses in their own tournament last weekend. It was the first time Alaska went winless in the Goal Rush. Sophomore forward Chad Staley is optimistic, however, and sees a team that has good depth and a balanced attack.

Going around the WCHA ...

Bemidji State at North Dakota: The undefeated Beavers face their toughest task of the season as they go to Grand Forks to take the No. 1 Fighting Hawks. Bemidji State, now ranked No. 18, always seems to play UND tough. Star goalie Michael Bitzer stunned them two years ago in his first collegiate start. Indeed, the Fighting Hawks are aware of the pest the Beavers can be.

Bowling Green vs./at Ohio State: The Falcons face an in-state foe when they take on the No. 19 Buckeyes in a home-and-home series. Surprisingly winless, Bowling Green has a number of issues and areas in need of improvement, including goaltending and team intensity.

Northern Michigan at Ferris State: The Wildcats go below the bridge to take on the Bulldogs in a WCHA series. Each team is 0-2 in league play. Northern Michigan is 1-3, but there might be bigger concerns in Big Rapids where Ferris State is 0-5 to start the season.

Michigan Tech at Michigan: The Huskies step out of conference play for a series below the bridge (is that how the Michigan folks say it?) against the Wolverines. They can help themselves out (and their league-mates) big-time with a win or two against the nation's 11th-ranked team.

Lake Superior State at Alabama Huntsville: The Chargers are finally hope after an up-and-down road swing, one that started with a pair of wins at Ferris State but continued with three losses and a tie/3-on-3 loss. They will face a Lakers team that scored 13 goals during its opening weekend.