Freddy's three thoughts from afar ...
1. Better late: For much of this early season, Mike Hastings has talked about liking how his team has finished games. The Mavericks needed that good finish on Saturday, scoring three third-period goals after Alabama Huntsville tied the game at 1-all early in the final frame. Reggie Lutz scored the game-winner, batting Julian Napravnik's pass from behind the net out of the air and into the net for a 2-1 lead.
2. New guy in goal: Jaxson Stauber made his first collegiate start in goal and looked the part, getting tested early and stopping 14 of 15 shots for the victory. It was a good time to see what the freshman had and give Dryden McKay a break after five starts and Bowling Green looming on the horizon. The lone goal by the Chargers appeared to get deflected in traffic before going through Stauber's pads at 2:25 of the third period.
3. Still fresh: Lucas Sowder had another point to keep his season-long streak going, assisting on fellow Florida freshman's goal, which came shortly after Lutz's goal. Ryan Sandelin, who was a scratch on Friday, was back in the lineup on Saturday and skated with Sowder and Smith during that shift, also picking up an assist. Sowder has nine points on the year, and Smith has seven.
Read more here.
Around the WCHA: Michigan Tech 4, Bowling Green 2 ... Northern Michigan 6, Ferris State 4 ... Notre Dame 6, Lake Superior 4 ... North Dakota 4, Bemidji State 1 ... Alaska at Alaska Anchorage (late)
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Friday, October 25, 2019
Mavericks 5, Chargers 1
Freddy's three thoughts from afar ...
1. Charlie Hustle: Charlie Gerard was taken off the Mavericks' No. 1 line this week, and when Friday's game began, he was listed as the extra forward on the line chart. Perhaps motivated by the demotion, the junior scored the first two goals of the game. Gerard, who had just one assist in four finished with two goals and an assist.
2. Still scoring: The Florida freshmen were still at it on Friday. Nathan Smith, playing in his third collegiate game, had two assists, and now has seven points. Lucas Sowder had an assist and now has eight points. He has scored in each of the Mavericks' five games. They made up the second line with Walker Duehr, who scored an impressive goal in the second period.
3. High five: After the game coach Mike Hastings said he liked that his team scored five 5-on-5 goals, getting them from four different players: Gerard, Duehr, Chris Van Os-Shaw and Parker Tuomie. Eleven different players had points. MSU didn't score on the power play, going 0 for 2, although one of them lasted just 2 seconds.
Around the WCHA: Bowling Green 3, Michigan Tech 1 ... Northern Michigan 4, Ferris State 3 ... North Dakota 2, Bemidji State 1 (OT) ... Notre Dame 5, Lake Superior State 2 ... Alaska at Alaska Anchorage (late)
1. Charlie Hustle: Charlie Gerard was taken off the Mavericks' No. 1 line this week, and when Friday's game began, he was listed as the extra forward on the line chart. Perhaps motivated by the demotion, the junior scored the first two goals of the game. Gerard, who had just one assist in four finished with two goals and an assist.
2. Still scoring: The Florida freshmen were still at it on Friday. Nathan Smith, playing in his third collegiate game, had two assists, and now has seven points. Lucas Sowder had an assist and now has eight points. He has scored in each of the Mavericks' five games. They made up the second line with Walker Duehr, who scored an impressive goal in the second period.
3. High five: After the game coach Mike Hastings said he liked that his team scored five 5-on-5 goals, getting them from four different players: Gerard, Duehr, Chris Van Os-Shaw and Parker Tuomie. Eleven different players had points. MSU didn't score on the power play, going 0 for 2, although one of them lasted just 2 seconds.
Around the WCHA: Bowling Green 3, Michigan Tech 1 ... Northern Michigan 4, Ferris State 3 ... North Dakota 2, Bemidji State 1 (OT) ... Notre Dame 5, Lake Superior State 2 ... Alaska at Alaska Anchorage (late)
Friday Morning Skate
The Mavericks are on the road for the first time, opening their WCHA schedule at Alabama Huntsville.
Huntsville is as close as MSU will get to Florida this season. That's the home of freshmen Nathan Smith and Lucas Sowder, who are off to impressive starts to their college careers.
Read more about the series in the College Hockey Gameday feature.
Since this is the unofficial opening weekend of WCHA play (Michigan Tech hosted Alaska a couple of weeks ago), I put together a bit of a conference preview this week.
At 0-4-0 and getting outscored 19-3, the early season's been tough for the Chargers, and it gets no easier with the No. 2 Mavericks in town,
Going around the rest of the WCHA ...
Michigan Tech at Bowling Green: The host and No. 17 Falcons (3-2-0) are coming off an impressive sweep of Western Michigan and head into league play this weekend against the Huskies (2-2-0), who were idle last weekend after getting swept at home by the Nanooks.
Northern Michigan at Ferris State: The Bulldogs (2-1-0) got off to a decent start and now host the Wildcats (2-1-1), who came from behind to tie and then defeated Boston University last week, catching some national attention along the way.
Alaska at Alaska Anchorage: A sellout crowd is expected in Anchorage when the Seawolves (0-2-0) host the Nanooks (3-3-0) for a Governor's Cup series. That's because UAA has moved its home games to an 800-seat on-campus arena this year. This weekend marks six straight road games for UAF, which went 3-1-0 at Tech and Penn State the last two weeks.
Lake Superior State at Notre Dame: The Lakers (2-4-0) hope to make some waves on national TV by pulling off an upset or two of the No. 5 Fighting Irish.
Bemidji State at North Dakota: The Beavers (0-0-2) also are looking to pull off an upset when they play two games in Grand Forks against a team that went winless in Mankato a week ago.
Huntsville is as close as MSU will get to Florida this season. That's the home of freshmen Nathan Smith and Lucas Sowder, who are off to impressive starts to their college careers.
Read more about the series in the College Hockey Gameday feature.
Since this is the unofficial opening weekend of WCHA play (Michigan Tech hosted Alaska a couple of weeks ago), I put together a bit of a conference preview this week.
At 0-4-0 and getting outscored 19-3, the early season's been tough for the Chargers, and it gets no easier with the No. 2 Mavericks in town,
Going around the rest of the WCHA ...
Michigan Tech at Bowling Green: The host and No. 17 Falcons (3-2-0) are coming off an impressive sweep of Western Michigan and head into league play this weekend against the Huskies (2-2-0), who were idle last weekend after getting swept at home by the Nanooks.
Northern Michigan at Ferris State: The Bulldogs (2-1-0) got off to a decent start and now host the Wildcats (2-1-1), who came from behind to tie and then defeated Boston University last week, catching some national attention along the way.
Alaska at Alaska Anchorage: A sellout crowd is expected in Anchorage when the Seawolves (0-2-0) host the Nanooks (3-3-0) for a Governor's Cup series. That's because UAA has moved its home games to an 800-seat on-campus arena this year. This weekend marks six straight road games for UAF, which went 3-1-0 at Tech and Penn State the last two weeks.
Lake Superior State at Notre Dame: The Lakers (2-4-0) hope to make some waves on national TV by pulling off an upset or two of the No. 5 Fighting Irish.
Bemidji State at North Dakota: The Beavers (0-0-2) also are looking to pull off an upset when they play two games in Grand Forks against a team that went winless in Mankato a week ago.
Monday, October 21, 2019
Hookenson, Smith earn WCHA honors
Two Mavericks were cited by the WCHA for their play in a 4-4 overtime tie and 2-1 win against North Dakota over the weekend.
Senior Edwin Hookenson was named defenseman of the week, and freshman forward Nathan Smith was named rookie of the week.
Hookenson scored a goal in each game, including his first career game-winner on Saturday. Smith had a four-point game in his college debut on Friday, scoring a goal and assisting on three others. He also won 20 of 29 face-offs in the series.
The No. 2 Mavericks (3-0-1) will open WCHA play on Friday at Alabama Huntsville.
Senior Edwin Hookenson was named defenseman of the week, and freshman forward Nathan Smith was named rookie of the week.
Hookenson scored a goal in each game, including his first career game-winner on Saturday. Smith had a four-point game in his college debut on Friday, scoring a goal and assisting on three others. He also won 20 of 29 face-offs in the series.
The No. 2 Mavericks (3-0-1) will open WCHA play on Friday at Alabama Huntsville.
Mavericks stay at No. 2
Minnesota State, following its 4-4 tie and 2-1 win against North Dakota over the weekend, held steady at No. 2 in the latest USCHO poll released on Monday morning. The Mavericks received three first-place votes. Denver is No. 1. For more notes on Minnesota State's weekend and results from around the WCHA, see this week's MSU Hockey Review in Monday's edition of The Free Press.
USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll Minneapolis, Minn./October 21, 2019 Team (First Place) Record Pts Last Week 1 Denver (47) 6- 0-0 996 1 2 Minnesota State ( 3) 3- 0-1 948 2 3 Massachusetts 3- 1-0 824 4 4 Cornell 0- 0-0 796 5 5 Notre Dame 2- 0-0 691 7 6 Wisconsin 3- 1-0 617 17 7 Providence 3- 1-0 611 13 8 Minnesota Duluth 1- 3-0 601 3 9 Quinnipiac 3- 1-0 549 8 10 Boston College 2- 2-0 524 6 11 Northeastern 3- 0-1 502 15 12 Penn State 3- 1-0 459 9 13 Clarkson 2- 1-1 436 10 14 St. Cloud 0- 0-2 404 11 15 Ohio State 2- 1-1 352 12 16 North Dakota 2- 1-1 290 16 17 Bowling Green 3- 2-0 187 NR 18 Western Michigan 1- 2-1 168 14 19 Harvard 0- 0-0 145 19 20 Minnesota 3- 1-0 78 NR Others receiving votes: Northern Michigan 66, Omaha 64, UMass Lowell 60, Michigan 54, Boston University 18, RIT 15, Brown 13, Alaska 10, Colorado College 7, AIC 6, Dartmouth 4, Arizona State 2, Army 1, Holy Cross 1, Mercyhurst 1. The USCHO.com Poll consists of 50 voters, including coaches and beat writers and sports professionals from across the country. The poll, published weekly by the Associated Press, is a production of USCHO.com, which provides in-depth coverage of college hockey.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Mavericks 2, Fighting Hawks 1
Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...
1. Playoff-esque: Sure, it's only Oct. 19, but the end of Saturday's game sure felt like a postseason game with two good teams battling, one to preserve a one-goal lead and one to try to tie it up and force overtime. Perhaps Minnesota State and North Dakota will meet again in March. That's a long way away and conference play for the Mavericks begins next weekend. But with one goal separating the two teams over 125 minutes, it sure would be fun to see a rematch, maybe even in Detroit.
2. Marvelous McKay: I write a lot about goaltender Dryden McKay in my game story (linked below), so check that out, but he was fantastic in the third period, making 14 saves as North Dakota tried to rally after Edwin Hookenson put MSU 2-1 at 5:21. "After we scored I thought we backed off a bit," Mavericks coach Mike Hastings said. "They made a push." The Mavericks killed off two penalties after that, including one in the final minute that allowed North Dakota to pull its goalie and play 6 on 4.
3. Captains come through: Hookenson's goal was his first game-winner at Minnesota State. The senior alternate captain has seven career goals. Marc Michaelis, on the other hand, is a scorer, and after being held off the score sheet on Friday, had a goal and an assist on Saturday. He went hard to the net in the first minute of the second period and slammed in the rebound of a Lucas Sowder shot to tie the game at 1-1. "Marc's pretty dialed right now on trying to be a complete player. ...," Hastings said. "You need your best players to do that if you want to be successful in games like this."
Read my game story here.
Around the WCHA: Northern Michigan 4, Boston University 3 ... Bowling Green 2, Western Michigan 1 (OT) ... Ferris State 3, Miami 1 ... Michigan 4, Lake Superior State 3
1. Playoff-esque: Sure, it's only Oct. 19, but the end of Saturday's game sure felt like a postseason game with two good teams battling, one to preserve a one-goal lead and one to try to tie it up and force overtime. Perhaps Minnesota State and North Dakota will meet again in March. That's a long way away and conference play for the Mavericks begins next weekend. But with one goal separating the two teams over 125 minutes, it sure would be fun to see a rematch, maybe even in Detroit.
2. Marvelous McKay: I write a lot about goaltender Dryden McKay in my game story (linked below), so check that out, but he was fantastic in the third period, making 14 saves as North Dakota tried to rally after Edwin Hookenson put MSU 2-1 at 5:21. "After we scored I thought we backed off a bit," Mavericks coach Mike Hastings said. "They made a push." The Mavericks killed off two penalties after that, including one in the final minute that allowed North Dakota to pull its goalie and play 6 on 4.
3. Captains come through: Hookenson's goal was his first game-winner at Minnesota State. The senior alternate captain has seven career goals. Marc Michaelis, on the other hand, is a scorer, and after being held off the score sheet on Friday, had a goal and an assist on Saturday. He went hard to the net in the first minute of the second period and slammed in the rebound of a Lucas Sowder shot to tie the game at 1-1. "Marc's pretty dialed right now on trying to be a complete player. ...," Hastings said. "You need your best players to do that if you want to be successful in games like this."
Read my game story here.
Around the WCHA: Northern Michigan 4, Boston University 3 ... Bowling Green 2, Western Michigan 1 (OT) ... Ferris State 3, Miami 1 ... Michigan 4, Lake Superior State 3
Minnesota State vs. North Dakota, Game 2
Mavericks' lineup is essentially the same with a little bit of line shuffling for tonight's game against the Fighting Hawks. Follow along on Twitter for game updates and analysis.
MINNESOTA STATE
6-Tuomie, 20-Michaelis, 9-Gerard
23-Rivera, 26-French, 16-Lutz
19-Van Os-Shaw, 11-Spooner, 15-Napravnik
21-Sowder, 8-Smith, 17-Duehr
16-Sandelin
2-Mackey, 3-McNeely
25-Zmolek, 18-Scheid
4-Carroll, 24-Hookenson
29-McKay
1-Stauber
31-Berger
Scratches: Aamodt, Bukes, Borchardt, Gerads, Jaremko, Malinowski, McMahan
NORTH DAKOTA
8-Blaisdell, 19-Senden, 26-Smith
21-Keane, 14-Weatherby, 9-Bowen
18-Adams, 22-Pinto, 29-Kawaguchi
10-Hain, 11-Michaud, 16-Mismash
28-Caulfield
6-Poolman, 24-Bernard-Docker
3-Kiersted, 2-Bast
15-Frisch, 4-Peski
31-Scheel
1-Thome
MINNESOTA STATE
6-Tuomie, 20-Michaelis, 9-Gerard
23-Rivera, 26-French, 16-Lutz
19-Van Os-Shaw, 11-Spooner, 15-Napravnik
21-Sowder, 8-Smith, 17-Duehr
16-Sandelin
2-Mackey, 3-McNeely
25-Zmolek, 18-Scheid
4-Carroll, 24-Hookenson
29-McKay
1-Stauber
31-Berger
Scratches: Aamodt, Bukes, Borchardt, Gerads, Jaremko, Malinowski, McMahan
NORTH DAKOTA
8-Blaisdell, 19-Senden, 26-Smith
21-Keane, 14-Weatherby, 9-Bowen
18-Adams, 22-Pinto, 29-Kawaguchi
10-Hain, 11-Michaud, 16-Mismash
28-Caulfield
6-Poolman, 24-Bernard-Docker
3-Kiersted, 2-Bast
15-Frisch, 4-Peski
31-Scheel
1-Thome
Friday, October 18, 2019
Mavericks 4, Fighting Hawks 4 (OT)
Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...
1. Are you not entertained: First off, that was quite the entertaining hockey game between two pretty darn good teams. Lots of pace and skill out there. Although overtimes are a deadline buster for me, it was they type of game where the 4,500-plus folks might have wanted more. Unfortunately for them, NCAA rules now prohibit games from going to 3-on-3 in nonconference play. They still allow it to break ties for conference points, however. The two coaches, Mike Hastings and Brad Berry, discussed continuing the game afterward, Hastings said:“We looked at each other and said why wouldn’t we play 3 on 3? And I think he was thinking the same thing. But it’s my understanding that if it’s nonconference this is it."
2. A star is born: One game does not a career make, but Nathan Smith was certainly impressive in his collegiate debut. Smith, who missed the Mavericks' exhibition and opening series against Arizona State, had a goal and three assists. He centered a line with fellow Floridian Lucas Sowder and Junior Walker Duehr. Hastings said it was associate head coach Todd Knott's idea to put Smith and Sowder together. They've known each other since they were 6, Smith said, and they sure appeared to have some chemistry. "We're just used to each other," Smith said. "We can communicate and know where each other is at." Sowder had a goal and two assists, same as he had last weekend against ASU.
3. Strong finish: Hastings said he liked that, for the third game in a row, the Mavericks' third period was their best period. Trailing 4-3 going into the final frame, MSU knotted the game on Connor Mackey's goal at 6:15. Both teams had chances to score after that, but goalies Dryden McKay and Adam Scheel shut their doors. North Dakota got a late power play that looked like it was going to carry over to overtime, but Marc Michaelis drew a penalty on a short-handed rush in the closing seconds of regulation. The Mavericks couldn't score on their 45-second power play in OT. They outshot the Hawks 2-1 in the extra period.
Deep thought: Hastings said that Jake Jaremko was sick, which is why he was a scratch on Friday.
Read my game story here.
Around the WCHA: Alaska 4, Penn State 0 ... Bowling Green 2, Wester Michigan 1 ... Northern Michigan 4, Boston University 4 (OT) ... Miami 4, Ferris State 3 ... Michigan 4, Lake Superior State 0
1. Are you not entertained: First off, that was quite the entertaining hockey game between two pretty darn good teams. Lots of pace and skill out there. Although overtimes are a deadline buster for me, it was they type of game where the 4,500-plus folks might have wanted more. Unfortunately for them, NCAA rules now prohibit games from going to 3-on-3 in nonconference play. They still allow it to break ties for conference points, however. The two coaches, Mike Hastings and Brad Berry, discussed continuing the game afterward, Hastings said:“We looked at each other and said why wouldn’t we play 3 on 3? And I think he was thinking the same thing. But it’s my understanding that if it’s nonconference this is it."
2. A star is born: One game does not a career make, but Nathan Smith was certainly impressive in his collegiate debut. Smith, who missed the Mavericks' exhibition and opening series against Arizona State, had a goal and three assists. He centered a line with fellow Floridian Lucas Sowder and Junior Walker Duehr. Hastings said it was associate head coach Todd Knott's idea to put Smith and Sowder together. They've known each other since they were 6, Smith said, and they sure appeared to have some chemistry. "We're just used to each other," Smith said. "We can communicate and know where each other is at." Sowder had a goal and two assists, same as he had last weekend against ASU.
3. Strong finish: Hastings said he liked that, for the third game in a row, the Mavericks' third period was their best period. Trailing 4-3 going into the final frame, MSU knotted the game on Connor Mackey's goal at 6:15. Both teams had chances to score after that, but goalies Dryden McKay and Adam Scheel shut their doors. North Dakota got a late power play that looked like it was going to carry over to overtime, but Marc Michaelis drew a penalty on a short-handed rush in the closing seconds of regulation. The Mavericks couldn't score on their 45-second power play in OT. They outshot the Hawks 2-1 in the extra period.
Deep thought: Hastings said that Jake Jaremko was sick, which is why he was a scratch on Friday.
Read my game story here.
Around the WCHA: Alaska 4, Penn State 0 ... Bowling Green 2, Wester Michigan 1 ... Northern Michigan 4, Boston University 4 (OT) ... Miami 4, Ferris State 3 ... Michigan 4, Lake Superior State 0
Minnesota State vs. North Dakota
Marc Michaelis, Nick Rivera and Nathan Smith are in the lineup for the Mavericks. Dallas Gerads remains out, and, interestingly, Jake Jaremko is one of the scratches.
Here are tonight's lines:
MINNESOTA STATE
6-Tuomie, 20-Michaelis, 9-Gerard
23-Rivera, 26-French, 15-Napravnik
19-Van Os-Shaw, 11-Spooner, 14-Sandelin
21-Sowder, 8-Smith, 17-Duehr
16-Lutz
2-Mackey, 3-McNeely
25-Zmolek, 18-Scheid
4-Carroll, 24-Hookenson
29-McKay
1-Stauber
31-Berger
Scratches: Aamodt, Bukes, Borchardt, Gerads, Jaremko, Malinowski, McMahan
NORTH DAKOTA
10-Hain, 11-Michaud, 16-Mismash
18-Adams, 22-Pinto, 29-Kawaguchi
8-Blaisdell, 19-Senden, 26-Smith
21-Keane, 14-Weatherby, 9-Bowen
5-Johnson
6-Poolman, 24-Bernard-Docker
3-Kiersted, 2-Bast
17-Tychonick, 4-Peski
31-Scheel
1-Thome
Here are tonight's lines:
MINNESOTA STATE
6-Tuomie, 20-Michaelis, 9-Gerard
23-Rivera, 26-French, 15-Napravnik
19-Van Os-Shaw, 11-Spooner, 14-Sandelin
21-Sowder, 8-Smith, 17-Duehr
16-Lutz
2-Mackey, 3-McNeely
25-Zmolek, 18-Scheid
4-Carroll, 24-Hookenson
29-McKay
1-Stauber
31-Berger
Scratches: Aamodt, Bukes, Borchardt, Gerads, Jaremko, Malinowski, McMahan
NORTH DAKOTA
10-Hain, 11-Michaud, 16-Mismash
18-Adams, 22-Pinto, 29-Kawaguchi
8-Blaisdell, 19-Senden, 26-Smith
21-Keane, 14-Weatherby, 9-Bowen
5-Johnson
6-Poolman, 24-Bernard-Docker
3-Kiersted, 2-Bast
17-Tychonick, 4-Peski
31-Scheel
1-Thome
Friday Morning Skate
It's another big weekend in Mankato as North Dakota comes to town for the first time since 2013. It will be a matchup of the No. 2 Mavericks against the No. 16 Fighting Hawks.
For Minnesota State, much has already been made about its depth and tough lineup to crack, but, as senior defenseman and alternate captain Edwin Hookenson can attest, hard work and stick-to-itiveness can eventually earn a player a permanent and important role on the team.
The Mavericks' lineup tonight could look a bit different than last week if Nick Rivera and Nathan Smith are ready to return from injury. Both were back on the ice this week this week, as was Marc Michaelis, who left Saturday's game against Arizona State in the third period.
Read more about the matchup between MSU and UND in this week's College Hockey Gameday.
From the North Dakota side of things, Brad Schlossman writes that the Fighting Hawks are going to try to do something few teams have been able to do recently — win in Mankato. Like MSU, North Dakota has been dealing with an injury to an important veteran player.
Schlossman also takes a look at the courtship of college free agents, which this weekend's series will have, notably MSU defenseman Connor Mackey and UND defenseman Colton Poolman. (I'll add Michaelis to that mix, too, as, like Mackey, he met with several NHL teams prior to the season).
Read more on the MSU-UND series from USCHO's Jack Hittinger here and here.
Going around the WCHA ...
There are no league games this weekend, but Alaska, which swept Michigan Tech in Houghton last weekend, opened a series at Penn State on Thursday, losing 7-0. They will play again tonight.
Friday-Saturday matchups include:
• Ferris State at Miami: The Bulldogs (1-0) will take on former Bowling Green coach Chris Bergeron and the Redhawks (0-2-1) in a matchup of two teams trying to make big improvements from a year ago.
• Bowling Green vs./at Western Michigan: These teams will play three games in a row after this weekend, as the Broncos (1-0-1) defeated the Falcons (1-2) in the third-place game of the Icebreaker last Saturday in Toledo.
• Northern Michigan at Boston University The Wildcats (1-1) continue a nonconference schedule against well-known college hockey teams, heading east to take on the Terriers (1-0). Last week, NMU split a home series against Michigan State.
• Lake Superior State at Michigan: The Lakers (2-2) are going downstate to face the Wolverines (0-1-1) in an intratstate matchup. The two teams split at Sault Ste. Marie last season.
For Minnesota State, much has already been made about its depth and tough lineup to crack, but, as senior defenseman and alternate captain Edwin Hookenson can attest, hard work and stick-to-itiveness can eventually earn a player a permanent and important role on the team.
The Mavericks' lineup tonight could look a bit different than last week if Nick Rivera and Nathan Smith are ready to return from injury. Both were back on the ice this week this week, as was Marc Michaelis, who left Saturday's game against Arizona State in the third period.
Read more about the matchup between MSU and UND in this week's College Hockey Gameday.
From the North Dakota side of things, Brad Schlossman writes that the Fighting Hawks are going to try to do something few teams have been able to do recently — win in Mankato. Like MSU, North Dakota has been dealing with an injury to an important veteran player.
Schlossman also takes a look at the courtship of college free agents, which this weekend's series will have, notably MSU defenseman Connor Mackey and UND defenseman Colton Poolman. (I'll add Michaelis to that mix, too, as, like Mackey, he met with several NHL teams prior to the season).
Read more on the MSU-UND series from USCHO's Jack Hittinger here and here.
Going around the WCHA ...
There are no league games this weekend, but Alaska, which swept Michigan Tech in Houghton last weekend, opened a series at Penn State on Thursday, losing 7-0. They will play again tonight.
Friday-Saturday matchups include:
• Ferris State at Miami: The Bulldogs (1-0) will take on former Bowling Green coach Chris Bergeron and the Redhawks (0-2-1) in a matchup of two teams trying to make big improvements from a year ago.
• Bowling Green vs./at Western Michigan: These teams will play three games in a row after this weekend, as the Broncos (1-0-1) defeated the Falcons (1-2) in the third-place game of the Icebreaker last Saturday in Toledo.
• Northern Michigan at Boston University The Wildcats (1-1) continue a nonconference schedule against well-known college hockey teams, heading east to take on the Terriers (1-0). Last week, NMU split a home series against Michigan State.
• Lake Superior State at Michigan: The Lakers (2-2) are going downstate to face the Wolverines (0-1-1) in an intratstate matchup. The two teams split at Sault Ste. Marie last season.
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Mavericks get D commitment
Minnesota State got a commitment from Langley (BCHL) defenseman Jake Livingstone on Monday afternoon. He tweeted out his commitment, which you can see here:
The 6-foot-2, 201-pound Livingstone has 16 points in 13 games this season, which currently ranks second among BCHL defensemen. Another MSU recruit, Akito Hirose of Salmon Arm has 13 points, which ranks fourth.
Proud and very excited to announce my commitment to Minnesota State. Thank you to my family, coaches and those who have helped me along the way. #hornsup— Jake Livingstone (@jlivingstone99) October 14, 2019
The 6-foot-2, 201-pound Livingstone has 16 points in 13 games this season, which currently ranks second among BCHL defensemen. Another MSU recruit, Akito Hirose of Salmon Arm has 13 points, which ranks fourth.
Mavericks move to No. 2; WCHA honors
Minnesota State moved up to No. 2 in the latest USCHO poll after their season-opening sweep over Arizona State over the weekend. The bump was also aided by Minnesota Duluth's split with UMass-Lowell. The Mavericks are also No. 3 in the USA Today/USA Hockey rankings. Denver is No. 1 in both polls.
Meanwhile, two MSU players were cited by the WCHA for their play over the weekend. Dryden McKay was named the league's goaltender of the week, and Lucas Sowder was named rookie of the week.
USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll Minneapolis, Minn./October 14, 2019 Team (First Place) Record Pts Last Week 1 Denver (38) 4- 0-0 979 2 2 Minnesota State ( 8) 2- 0-0 918 3 3 Minnesota Duluth ( 3) 1- 1-0 882 1 4 Massachusetts 1- 0-0 784 4 5 Cornell 0- 0-0 715 5 6 Boston College 2- 0-0 649 10 7 Notre Dame 2- 0-0 608 8 8 Quinnipiac 2- 0-0 598 9 9 Penn State ( 1) 2- 0-0 509 13 10 Clarkson 1- 0-1 506 11 11 St. Cloud 0- 0-2 499 7 12 Ohio State 1- 0-1 477 12 13 Providence 1- 1-0 453 6 14 Western Michigan 1- 0-1 401 14 15 Northeastern 2- 0-0 349 15 16 North Dakota 2- 0-0 278 18 17 Wisconsin 1- 1-0 273 16 18 UMass Lowell 3- 1-0 204 NR 19 Harvard 0- 0-0 130 19 20 Boston University 1- 0-0 119 20 Others receiving votes: Bowling Green 71, Minnesota 33, Brown 11, Colorado College 11, Northern Michigan 8, Michigan 7, Omaha 6, Dartmouth 5, AIC 4, RIT 4, Arizona State 2, Mercyhurst 2, Robert Morris 2, Alaska 1, Bemidji State 1, Lake Superior 1.
Meanwhile, two MSU players were cited by the WCHA for their play over the weekend. Dryden McKay was named the league's goaltender of the week, and Lucas Sowder was named rookie of the week.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Mavericks 5, Sun Devils 0
Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...
1. Major victory: The Mavericks led 1-0 in the first period, but things didn't turn until the beginning of the third period when they had a five-minute major penalty to work with after Steenn Pasichnuk's high hit on Dallas Gerads at center ice. Marc Michaelis and Reggie Lutz scored goals 34 seconds apart during the major, and the rout was on from there. Minnesota State tacked on two more goals after that to get the series sweep and start the season 2-0. Sun Devils coach Greg Powers didn't agree with the major call:
2. Fresh faces: The Mavericks had two freshmen in the lineup on Saturday, as Parker Tuomie returned to the lineup. Tuomie was listed as the extra skater, so Lucas Sowder stayed on the top line with Marc Michaelis and Charlie Gerard. Sowder had a goal for a three-point weekend. Ryan Sandelin also scored a goal. "There's some pressure (playing on the top line)," Sowder said. "But I just have to take a deep breath and look at it as just another hockey game."
3. McKay keeps rolling: Goaltender Dryden McKay picked up his fifth career shutout, stopping 14 shots. On Friday he made a few breakaway saves, but he had probably one tough stop on Saturday. The sophomore continues to get praise from his teammates for his calm demeanor, but certainly he has a good group playing defense in front of him. ASU's lone goal scorer from the weekend, Johnny Walker, was held to just one shot on goal on Saturday. He had four on Friday.
Read my game story here.
Around the WCHA: Alaska 2, Michigan 1 ... Northern Michigan 2, Michigan State 0 ... Maine 2, Alaska Anchorage 1 (OT) ... Bemidji State 2, St. Cloud State 2 (OT) ... Denver 4, Lake Superior State 1 ... Omaha 5, Alabama Huntsville 0 ... Western Michigan 5, Bowling Green 2
1. Major victory: The Mavericks led 1-0 in the first period, but things didn't turn until the beginning of the third period when they had a five-minute major penalty to work with after Steenn Pasichnuk's high hit on Dallas Gerads at center ice. Marc Michaelis and Reggie Lutz scored goals 34 seconds apart during the major, and the rout was on from there. Minnesota State tacked on two more goals after that to get the series sweep and start the season 2-0. Sun Devils coach Greg Powers didn't agree with the major call:
Postgame comments from @asucoachpowers to the media. pic.twitter.com/v73L1KPJym— Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) October 13, 2019
3. McKay keeps rolling: Goaltender Dryden McKay picked up his fifth career shutout, stopping 14 shots. On Friday he made a few breakaway saves, but he had probably one tough stop on Saturday. The sophomore continues to get praise from his teammates for his calm demeanor, but certainly he has a good group playing defense in front of him. ASU's lone goal scorer from the weekend, Johnny Walker, was held to just one shot on goal on Saturday. He had four on Friday.
Read my game story here.
Around the WCHA: Alaska 2, Michigan 1 ... Northern Michigan 2, Michigan State 0 ... Maine 2, Alaska Anchorage 1 (OT) ... Bemidji State 2, St. Cloud State 2 (OT) ... Denver 4, Lake Superior State 1 ... Omaha 5, Alabama Huntsville 0 ... Western Michigan 5, Bowling Green 2
Minnesota State vs. Arizona State, Game 2
The Mavericks will go for the series sweep against the Sun Devils
MINNESOTA STATE
21-Sowder, 20-Michaelis, 9-Gerard
16-Lutz, 5-Jaremko, 17-Duehr
19-Van Os-Shaw, 11-Spooner, 14-Sandelin
22-Gerads, 26-French, 15-Napravnik
6-Tuomie
2-Mackey, 3-McNeely
25-Zmolek, 18-Scheid
4-Carroll, 24-Hookenson
29-McKay
1-Stauber
31-Berger
Scratches: Aamodt, Bukes, Borchardt, Rivera, Malinowski, McMahan, Smith
ARIZONA STATE
8-Jenuwine, 61-Sanchez, 7-Walker
23-Koumontzis, 19-Sandhu, 16-Lemieux
10-Busch, 27-Gruber, 28-Pasichnuk
21-Zhong, 20-Buncis, 29-Knierim
39-B. Pasichnuk, 24-Maniscalco
60-Gourley, 4-Wilson
17-Semik, 22-Judson
2-Stuart
30-Debrouwer
31-Robbins
45-Prawdzik
For in-game updates, be sure to follow me on Twitter.
MINNESOTA STATE
21-Sowder, 20-Michaelis, 9-Gerard
16-Lutz, 5-Jaremko, 17-Duehr
19-Van Os-Shaw, 11-Spooner, 14-Sandelin
22-Gerads, 26-French, 15-Napravnik
6-Tuomie
2-Mackey, 3-McNeely
25-Zmolek, 18-Scheid
4-Carroll, 24-Hookenson
29-McKay
1-Stauber
31-Berger
Scratches: Aamodt, Bukes, Borchardt, Rivera, Malinowski, McMahan, Smith
ARIZONA STATE
8-Jenuwine, 61-Sanchez, 7-Walker
23-Koumontzis, 19-Sandhu, 16-Lemieux
10-Busch, 27-Gruber, 28-Pasichnuk
21-Zhong, 20-Buncis, 29-Knierim
39-B. Pasichnuk, 24-Maniscalco
60-Gourley, 4-Wilson
17-Semik, 22-Judson
2-Stuart
30-Debrouwer
31-Robbins
45-Prawdzik
For in-game updates, be sure to follow me on Twitter.
Friday, October 11, 2019
Mavericks 4, Sun Devils 1
Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...
1. What are you doing here? Who had Riese Zmolek scoring the first goal of the season for Minnesota State? Not many, probably. The junior defenseman entered the season with just three career goals, but he got things going on Friday, jumping into the rush, taking D partner Ian Scheid's pass and going right to the net with it in the first period. Marc Michaelis said he wasn't surprised to see Zmolek around the goal mouth: "He's more known for his dirty work, but he doesn't get enough credit for other things he does. To get rewarded for it is nice." Zmolek still did the dirty work, blocking four shots. Said coach Mike Hastings: "He was good tonight. Offensively, defensively, blocking shots. He has a warrior-type mentality, and I thought he was really good tonight."
2. Good in goal: Dryden McKay stopped 25 of 26 shots, including a couple of breakaways, showing no rust after the offseason. McKay, who won 24 games as a rookie, allowed a lone goal to talented ASU junior Johnny Walker during 4-on-4 play in the first period. "I like seeing a young man be rewarded for his work," Hastings said. "He had a great summer. He came in in better shape than when he left. You want to see him have some success, not only for our team but for the work that he’s put in. … I thought he was sharp when we needed him to be."
3. Hey, rookie! Freshman forward Lucas Sowder had two assists in the game, his first two collegiate points. The Florida native played left wing on the top line with Michaelis (two goals) and Charlie Gerard, filling the spot normally occupied by Parker Tuomie, who was out with an injury. Tuomie, who did not practice most of the week, said he's feeling better and probably could have played if it was a late-season game or playoff game. First-year forwards Ryan Sandelin and Cade Borchardt also played, and Jaxson Stauber dressed as a backup goalie.
Read my game story here.
Around the WCHA: Alaska 3, Michigan Tech 2 ... Bemidji State 4, St. Cloud State 4 (OT) ... Michigan State 5, Northern Michigan 3 ... Maine 7, Alaska Anchorage 1 ... Denver 3, Lake Superior State 1 ... Omaha 6, Alabama Huntsville 1 ... RIT 3, Bowling Green 2 (OT)
1. What are you doing here? Who had Riese Zmolek scoring the first goal of the season for Minnesota State? Not many, probably. The junior defenseman entered the season with just three career goals, but he got things going on Friday, jumping into the rush, taking D partner Ian Scheid's pass and going right to the net with it in the first period. Marc Michaelis said he wasn't surprised to see Zmolek around the goal mouth: "He's more known for his dirty work, but he doesn't get enough credit for other things he does. To get rewarded for it is nice." Zmolek still did the dirty work, blocking four shots. Said coach Mike Hastings: "He was good tonight. Offensively, defensively, blocking shots. He has a warrior-type mentality, and I thought he was really good tonight."
2. Good in goal: Dryden McKay stopped 25 of 26 shots, including a couple of breakaways, showing no rust after the offseason. McKay, who won 24 games as a rookie, allowed a lone goal to talented ASU junior Johnny Walker during 4-on-4 play in the first period. "I like seeing a young man be rewarded for his work," Hastings said. "He had a great summer. He came in in better shape than when he left. You want to see him have some success, not only for our team but for the work that he’s put in. … I thought he was sharp when we needed him to be."
3. Hey, rookie! Freshman forward Lucas Sowder had two assists in the game, his first two collegiate points. The Florida native played left wing on the top line with Michaelis (two goals) and Charlie Gerard, filling the spot normally occupied by Parker Tuomie, who was out with an injury. Tuomie, who did not practice most of the week, said he's feeling better and probably could have played if it was a late-season game or playoff game. First-year forwards Ryan Sandelin and Cade Borchardt also played, and Jaxson Stauber dressed as a backup goalie.
Read my game story here.
Highlights from tonight’s 4-1 victory over the Sun Devils 😈 pic.twitter.com/NvmHby7sN0— Minnesota State Hockey (@MavHockey) October 12, 2019
Around the WCHA: Alaska 3, Michigan Tech 2 ... Bemidji State 4, St. Cloud State 4 (OT) ... Michigan State 5, Northern Michigan 3 ... Maine 7, Alaska Anchorage 1 ... Denver 3, Lake Superior State 1 ... Omaha 6, Alabama Huntsville 1 ... RIT 3, Bowling Green 2 (OT)
Minnesota State vs. Arizona State
Tonight's lines:
MINNESOTA STATE
21-Sowder, 20-Michaelis, 9-Gerard
16-Lutz, 5-Jaremko, 17-Duehr
19-Van Os-Shaw, 11-Spooner, 14-Sandelin
22-Gerads, 26-French, 15-Napravnik
28-Borchardt
2-Mackey, 3-McNeely
25-Zmolek, 18-Scheid
4-Carroll, 24-Hookenson
29-McKay
1-Stauber
31-Berger
Scratches: Aamodt, Bukes, Rivera, Malinowski, McMahan, Smith, Tuomie
Notes: Rivera and Smith were also scratches during the exhibition game and are still dealing with injuries. Tuomie did not practice late in the week due to an injury.
ARIZONA STATE
23-Koumontzis, 61-Sanchez, 7-Walker
8-Jenuwine, 19-Sandhu, 16-Lemieux
10-Busch, 27-Gruber, 29-Knierim
37-Garcia, 28-S. Pasichnuk, 25-Marrocco
20-Buncis
39-B. Pasichnuk, 24-Maniscalco
17-Semik, 22-Judson
60-Gourley, 4-Wilson
30-Debrouwer
31-Robbins
45-Prawdzik
Be sure to check out Twitter for updates from tonight's game.
MINNESOTA STATE
21-Sowder, 20-Michaelis, 9-Gerard
16-Lutz, 5-Jaremko, 17-Duehr
19-Van Os-Shaw, 11-Spooner, 14-Sandelin
22-Gerads, 26-French, 15-Napravnik
28-Borchardt
2-Mackey, 3-McNeely
25-Zmolek, 18-Scheid
4-Carroll, 24-Hookenson
29-McKay
1-Stauber
31-Berger
Scratches: Aamodt, Bukes, Rivera, Malinowski, McMahan, Smith, Tuomie
Notes: Rivera and Smith were also scratches during the exhibition game and are still dealing with injuries. Tuomie did not practice late in the week due to an injury.
ARIZONA STATE
23-Koumontzis, 61-Sanchez, 7-Walker
8-Jenuwine, 19-Sandhu, 16-Lemieux
10-Busch, 27-Gruber, 29-Knierim
37-Garcia, 28-S. Pasichnuk, 25-Marrocco
20-Buncis
39-B. Pasichnuk, 24-Maniscalco
17-Semik, 22-Judson
60-Gourley, 4-Wilson
30-Debrouwer
31-Robbins
45-Prawdzik
Be sure to check out Twitter for updates from tonight's game.
Friday Morning Skate
Happy opening day!
The No. 3 Mavericks start the regular season tonight with the first of two games against Arizona State at the Mankato Civic Center. The two teams have played each other just once, tying last December in Arizona (the Sun Devils won the shootout).
Among Minnesota State's seniors is Ian Scheid, who has been the mark of consistency over his first three seasons. He's racked up 75 points, scoring 24, 26 and 25 points. He believes that offensive production comes from some advice his late father gave him when he was a young player.
On Wednesday, the Mavericks named their captains for the season. Marc Michaelis and Nick Rivera will wear C's, while Edwin Hookenson will wear an A.
The Sun Devils already have a series under their belts, splitting at home against Mercyhurst last weekend. They know they have a tough task ahead of them on this long road trip to Mankato.
Going around the WCHA ...
Alaska at Michigan Tech: The first and only conference series takes place in Houghton where the Huskies (2-0) take on the Nanooks (0-2).
Alaska Anchorage at Maine: This is quite the road trip for the Seawolves, going cross-continent to take on the Black Bears (0-1)
Michigan State at Northern Michigan: The Wildcats are going to find out quickly what life is like without Atte Tolvanen in goal when they host the Spartans to kick off the season.
Denver at Lake Superior State: A pair of 2-0 teams will go at it this weekend in Sault Ste. Marie. The No. 2 Pioneers swept at Alaska last week and now go the U.P. to take on the Lakers, who swept Merrimack at home last week.
St. Cloud State at Bemidji State: The Beavers will host the No. 7 Huskies for an in-state showdown to start the season. It will be St. Cloud State's first trip to Bemidji since 2014-15.
Alabama Huntsville at Omaha: The 0-2 Chargers will continue a tough start to the season when they go on the road to face the Mavericks. UAH dropped two games at UMass-Lowell last weekend.
Bowling Green in IceBreaker vs. RIT, Ohio State/Western Michigan: The No. 17 Falcons got a win in new coach Ty Eigner's debut against his old boss, Chris Bergeron, and Miami last Sunday. Now they're in Toledo, Ohio, for what should be a competitive tournament.
The No. 3 Mavericks start the regular season tonight with the first of two games against Arizona State at the Mankato Civic Center. The two teams have played each other just once, tying last December in Arizona (the Sun Devils won the shootout).
Among Minnesota State's seniors is Ian Scheid, who has been the mark of consistency over his first three seasons. He's racked up 75 points, scoring 24, 26 and 25 points. He believes that offensive production comes from some advice his late father gave him when he was a young player.
On Wednesday, the Mavericks named their captains for the season. Marc Michaelis and Nick Rivera will wear C's, while Edwin Hookenson will wear an A.
The Sun Devils already have a series under their belts, splitting at home against Mercyhurst last weekend. They know they have a tough task ahead of them on this long road trip to Mankato.
Going around the WCHA ...
Alaska at Michigan Tech: The first and only conference series takes place in Houghton where the Huskies (2-0) take on the Nanooks (0-2).
Alaska Anchorage at Maine: This is quite the road trip for the Seawolves, going cross-continent to take on the Black Bears (0-1)
Michigan State at Northern Michigan: The Wildcats are going to find out quickly what life is like without Atte Tolvanen in goal when they host the Spartans to kick off the season.
Denver at Lake Superior State: A pair of 2-0 teams will go at it this weekend in Sault Ste. Marie. The No. 2 Pioneers swept at Alaska last week and now go the U.P. to take on the Lakers, who swept Merrimack at home last week.
St. Cloud State at Bemidji State: The Beavers will host the No. 7 Huskies for an in-state showdown to start the season. It will be St. Cloud State's first trip to Bemidji since 2014-15.
Alabama Huntsville at Omaha: The 0-2 Chargers will continue a tough start to the season when they go on the road to face the Mavericks. UAH dropped two games at UMass-Lowell last weekend.
Bowling Green in IceBreaker vs. RIT, Ohio State/Western Michigan: The No. 17 Falcons got a win in new coach Ty Eigner's debut against his old boss, Chris Bergeron, and Miami last Sunday. Now they're in Toledo, Ohio, for what should be a competitive tournament.
Sunday, October 6, 2019
Previewing the season
Today's Free Press has a couple of MSU hockey preview stories to check out:
• First, there's a feature on Marc Michaels and how the senior center is approaching a final college season with so much riding on it, both team-wise and personally.
• Then there's a general, position-by-position story, looking at a Mavericks team stacked with returning players throughout the line chart.
• It will be a tough lineup to crack, to be sure, but some of the newcomers sure made a case for themselves on Saturday night.
Saturday, October 5, 2019
Mavericks 5, Cougars 2
Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...
1. Welcome, freshmen: Minnesota State's lineup looks like it will be tough to crack with so many returning players, but the rookies made a good first impression on Saturday. Goals from Ryan Sandelin, Tony Malinowski and Cade Borchardt and solid play from Lucas Sowder and Colby Bukes (Nathan Smith and Jaxson Stauber were out with minor injuries) mean tough decisions are coming in making out the lineup for next weekend's regular-season games against Arizona State. Sandelin "was pretty complete from start to finish," coach Mike Hastings said.
2. Goalies looked good: Sophomore goaltender Dryden McKay, coming off an outstanding rookie season, was tested by a solid Canadian college team and stopped 18 of 19 shots over two periods before giving way to sophomore Jacob Berger. "I thought McKay was really good," Hastings said. "He made a couple that he shouldn't have, and we need him to do that. We’re getting used to him doing that." Berger, who didn't play at all as a freshman, gave up a snipe of a shot less than a minute into the third but that was all. "I thought he settled down after that," Hastings said. "When I went in the locker room, I said, 'Great job That first one might have rattled me, but it didn’t rattle you, and I thought you did a real good job the rest of the game.'"
3. Isn't that special? The Mavericks were 1 for 5 on the power play and 2 for 2 on the penalty kill. They did have two long 5x3 power plays, one that was part of a 5-minute major, but managed just the one goal. "There were a lot of special teams tonight, so it was good to work on those and get the dust off," junior Jared Spooner said. Hastings said he didn't really like much about the special teams but put that on himself. "That's on me more than on them," he said. "We didn't spend a tremendous amount of time (on them in practice). We will this week."
Deep thought: Be sure to check out Sunday's Free Press for stories previewing the Mavericks' 2019-20 season.
Read my game story here.
Around the WCHA: Michigan Tech 2, Robert Morris 1 (OT) ... Lake Superior State 6, Merrimack 2 ... UMass Lowell 5, Alabama Huntsville 1 ... Northern Michigan 4, U.S. Under-18 Team 3 (exhibition) ... Denver at Alaska (late)
1. Welcome, freshmen: Minnesota State's lineup looks like it will be tough to crack with so many returning players, but the rookies made a good first impression on Saturday. Goals from Ryan Sandelin, Tony Malinowski and Cade Borchardt and solid play from Lucas Sowder and Colby Bukes (Nathan Smith and Jaxson Stauber were out with minor injuries) mean tough decisions are coming in making out the lineup for next weekend's regular-season games against Arizona State. Sandelin "was pretty complete from start to finish," coach Mike Hastings said.
2. Goalies looked good: Sophomore goaltender Dryden McKay, coming off an outstanding rookie season, was tested by a solid Canadian college team and stopped 18 of 19 shots over two periods before giving way to sophomore Jacob Berger. "I thought McKay was really good," Hastings said. "He made a couple that he shouldn't have, and we need him to do that. We’re getting used to him doing that." Berger, who didn't play at all as a freshman, gave up a snipe of a shot less than a minute into the third but that was all. "I thought he settled down after that," Hastings said. "When I went in the locker room, I said, 'Great job That first one might have rattled me, but it didn’t rattle you, and I thought you did a real good job the rest of the game.'"
3. Isn't that special? The Mavericks were 1 for 5 on the power play and 2 for 2 on the penalty kill. They did have two long 5x3 power plays, one that was part of a 5-minute major, but managed just the one goal. "There were a lot of special teams tonight, so it was good to work on those and get the dust off," junior Jared Spooner said. Hastings said he didn't really like much about the special teams but put that on himself. "That's on me more than on them," he said. "We didn't spend a tremendous amount of time (on them in practice). We will this week."
Deep thought: Be sure to check out Sunday's Free Press for stories previewing the Mavericks' 2019-20 season.
Read my game story here.
Around the WCHA: Michigan Tech 2, Robert Morris 1 (OT) ... Lake Superior State 6, Merrimack 2 ... UMass Lowell 5, Alabama Huntsville 1 ... Northern Michigan 4, U.S. Under-18 Team 3 (exhibition) ... Denver at Alaska (late)
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
More preseason accolades
Besides being third in the first USCHO poll of the season, Minnesota State was picked fourth in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine rankings, which also came out this week. The Mavericks are the only WCHA team in the Top 15 of that poll. Bowling Green also received votes. Here's the Top 5:
1. Minnesota Duluth
2. Denver
3. UMass
4. Minnesota State
5. Cornell
Meanwhile over at College Hockey News, the Mavericks are third in the CHN preseason top 10 behind UMD and Denver. The website also picked Mavericks senior forward Marc Michaelis for its All-CHN preseason team.
USCHO also published its WCHA preview this week.
1. Minnesota Duluth
2. Denver
3. UMass
4. Minnesota State
5. Cornell
Meanwhile over at College Hockey News, the Mavericks are third in the CHN preseason top 10 behind UMD and Denver. The website also picked Mavericks senior forward Marc Michaelis for its All-CHN preseason team.
USCHO also published its WCHA preview this week.
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