Mavericks ink seven recruits

Minnesota State will have a pretty highly anticipated group of freshmen coming in next season, seven players who coaches and fans have been excited about for awhile.

“They have been verbally committed for awhile,” coach Mike Hastings said of the group. “I’m excited about what the future is going to be here.”

On Wednesday, the first day of the NCAA's early signing period, seven players inked National Letters of Intent to join Minnesota State in 2019.

The group includes forwards Ryan Sandelin and Nathan Smith. Sandelin, a Hermantown native, is the son of Minnesota Duluth coach Scott Sandelin. Smith, a Tampa, Florida, native was drafted in the third round by the Winnipeg Jets last summer.

"Horns Up! Super excited to say I have signed my NLI to officially become a Maverick," Sandelin tweeted on Wednesday afternoon.

Hastings said the entire class, which includes two other forwards, two defensemen and a goaltender, will have a chance to compete as soon as they get to Mankato. And the competition should be fierce, as this season’s team, ranked No. 3 in the country and off to a 7-1-0 start, has just three seniors, only one of whom plays regularly.

“Any time you have competition in all three groups, you’re going to get better every week,” Hastings said. “This group brings that.”

Here’s a look at the class:

• Sandelin plays for the Penticton Vees of the British Columbia Hockey League. The 6-foot, 191-pound right wing is tied for his team’s lead with 14 goals and has 22 points in 23 games so far this season. He has already passed last season’s point total of 21 in 55 games with the Vees. In three seasons at Hermantown High School, he had 139 points, including 57 goals.

• Smith leads the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders with 14 points in 14 games. The 6-foot, 184-pound center is in his second season in the United States Hockey League. He had 47 points in 51 games a season ago.

• Another Florida native, Lucas Sowder of the Wenatchee Wild, is a 5-11, 165-pound left wing who ranks in the top 20 in BCHL scoring with eight goals and 25 points in 23 games. He’s in his third season in Wenatchee and had 22 goals and 60 points in 48 games a season ago.

• Cade Borchardt, a Burnsville native, is a 5-10, 187-pound right wing for the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede. He has nine points in 13 games this season, which is tied for second on his team. Last year with the Madison Capitols, he had 42 points, including 14 goals, in 59 games. He racked up 88 points in three seasons at Burnsville High School.

• Colby Bukes is a 5-11, 184-pound defenseman for the Muskegon Lumberjacks and has 12 points in 14 games, which ranks third among USHL defensemen. A native of Littleton, Colorado, Bukes had 28 points in 59 games last season with Muskegon.

• Tony Malinowski is a 6-3, 195-pound defenseman for the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers. He has four points and is plus-9 through 12 games this season. Last year, the Clarkson, Michigan, native had eight points and was minus-1 in 40 games with the Bucs.

• Jaxson Stauber is the lone goalie on the list. A Plymouth native and graduate of Holy Family Catholic in Victoria, the 6-3, 171-pounder is in his second season with the Sioux Falls Stampede. Through seven games he is 3-3 with a .883 save percentage and a 3.01 goals-against average. He played in 22 games last season, winning eight and had numbers of .900 and 3.09.

Read more here or check out MSU's press release here. You can read about the MSU women's recruits here.