Recruits sign with Mavericks

Four recruits signed their letters of intent to play at Minnesota State on Wednesday afternoon. The group includes one forward, two defensemen and a goaltender. Here's a look at the group:

Mike Huntebrinker, F, Waterloo Blackhawks (USHL): The 5-11, 187-pound forward missed the start of the USHL season after undergoing offseason wrist surgery, but he's made a big impact since getting healthy, scoring three goals and assisting on four others in just four games. Mike Hastings' first recruit (he committed less than two months after the coach took the MSU job), Huntebrinker had 17 goals and 17 assists last season, including a strong late-season surge that carried over to the Clark Cup playoffs, in which he had 10 points in 13 games. “I think Mike can come in and contribute offensively right away,” Hastings said.

Cole Huggins, G, Coquitlam Express (BCHL): The 6-0, 180-pound netminder is off to a great start this season.  He currently ranks as the BCHL’s leader in save percentage at .938 through 18 games. The 20-year-old Colorado native has a 10-5-1 record with a 2.25 goals-against average. “I really like his demeanor in the net,” Hastings said. “I like what he brings, and I think he can help us between the posts.”

Sean Flanagan, D, Penticton Vees (BCHL): The 6-1, 170-pounder was traded to the Vees from the Salmon Arm SilverBacks on Wednesday. A puck-moving defenseman who could be a future power play presence, he has three goals and five assists in 20 games this season. He had 31 points in 60 games with Salmon Arm last year. He was an alternate captain with the SilverBacks before the trade.

Carter Foguth, D, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL): More of a physical, defensive defenseman a la Tyler Elbrecht, the 6-2, 210-pound Foguth is in his third season in the USHL and a two-year captain with the Lumberjacks. He has one goal and one assist through 14 games this season. In 97 career games, he has 12 points and 233 penalty minutes.

“We’re losing two senior defensemen (Elbrecht and Evan Mosey), and I think it’s a good mix,” Hastings said of Flanagan and Foguth. "We need to get a little better on the blue line."

Read The Free Press' story here.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota State women's team signed two defensemen on Wednesday, including Mankato's own Savannah Quandt. Quandt, a senior at Mankato East and standout for East/Loyola, was a forward when she committed to MSU as a sophomore, but after getting moved to D, she has shined, and Mavericks coach Eric Means says he'll likely keep her there. The other player is Stillwater's Sara Bustad. Read more here.

Mavericks 3, Engineers 3 (OT)

Pat Christman/The Free Press

Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...

1. It's how you finish: The first 50 minutes of Friday's game were pretty ugly for the home team, as Minnesota State trailed 2-1 and was getting outshot 20-12 after the first two periods and then fell behind 3-1 at 7:19 of the third. But the Mavericks woke up and scored a pair of late goals to salvage the tie. Johnny McInnis (pictured) scored a goal with 9:22 to play, and freshman Bryce Gervais tied it up with 3:04 to go. McInnis had a solid game, as he also assisted on rookie Teddy Blueger's first-period power-play goal and had a team-leading four shots on goal.

2. A bit boxed up: Against Alabama Huntsville last week, Minnesota State committed just six penalties in the series. Against a strong, defensive RPI team, they went to the box eight times. Nothing horrible (RPI did the same) but certainly less than ideal. Chase Grant was called for three penalties, including two that negated MSU power plays. The Engineers scored two power play goals and got robbed on a couple of other Grade A chances by goaltender Phil Cook. Cook finished with 26 saves, including 11 the second period.

3. Hastings' home debut: The game, of course, was the first official home game for new MSU coach Mike Hastings. Hastings hasn't lost yet (1-0-2), but he didn't seem too pleased with the way Friday's game went overall, especially in front of the home crowd (announced at 3,266). "It's not a rainy day, it's not gloom and doom," he said. "But we have to be better and take responsibility — from the head coach on down."

Deep thought: Speaking of third-period heroics, the MSU women's team came from behind to tie Minnesota Duluth and then claim an extra WCHA point with a shootout win on Friday at All Seasons Arena. Trailing 3-0, the Mavericks got goals from Casey Hirsch, Tracy McCann and Kathleen Rogan in the final 9:14. Rogan's game-tying goal came with an extra attacker on the ice with 11 seconds to play. MSU is now 3-2-2.

Read The Free Press game story here.

Up next: The Mavericks and the Engineers play at 7:07 p.m. Saturday.

Around the WCHA: Michigan Tech 5, Minnesota 3 ... Notre Dame 4, Minnesota Duluth 1 ... St. Cloud State 8, Alabama Huntsville 3 ... Lake Superior 2, Bemidji State 0 ... Nebraska Omaha 5, Northern Michigan 2 ... Colorado College 6, Air Force 2 ... North Dakota 5, Alaska Anchorage 0 ... Denver 5, UMass-Lowell 1

Friday morning skate

Finally, it's gameday!

Unfortunately, PucKato remains back in Mankato while the Mavericks are in Huntsville, Ala., for their first series of the season and first series for new coach Mike Hastings. I'll be monitoring the game from the radio and will tweet some updates throughout the day as well as post some recaps afterward.

The Mavericks' linechart will look a little different than the exhibition game, as senior Eli Zuck and freshman Dylan Margonari were left behind with injuries. The top two lines will look the same, with J.P. Burkemper taking Margonari's spot on the third line. The fourth most likely will include the combination of Max Gaede, Brett Knowles and Corey Leivermann, with Charlie Thauwald going as the extra forward.

Defensively, all seven healthy defensemen are on the trip, with freshman Nick Buchanan as the extra. Hastings suggested senior Phil Cook is the likely starter in goal tonight but did not commit to a Saturday starter. Freshman Stephon Williams is on the trip.

Read more about the Mavericks, Hastings and preview the Huntsville series here.

The Chargers, meanwhile, are a program that was on the chopping block a year ago only to be given an 11th-hour reprieve. They're still without a conference affiliation but would love to make a good impression on the WCHA this weekend. Reportedly, WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod will be at tonight's game, and tickets are free, even though MSU is the only Division I team playing at Huntsville this season.

Going around the rest of the WCHA ...

Minnesota opens the season by hosting future Big Ten brethren Michigan State. The Gophers appear to be great, but there are questions in goal, where Kent Patterson must be replaced.

St. Cloud State begins the year at New Hampshire in a matchup of teams that had similar seasons a year ago.

Wisconsin will meet Northern Michigan halfway, playing a series in Green Bay, Wis. For the Badgers, sophomore defenseman Jake McCabe has some big skates to fill.

Minnesota Duluth hosts Ohio State, and the Bulldogs have all kinds of holes to fill after the departure of so much talent to graduation and early departures. Among those tough tasks is replacing Kenny Reiter in goal. Two-year backup Aaron Crandall will get the nod, but the Buckeyes' Brady Hjelle might have had that job had he not transfered from UMD.

Colorado College opens the season by hosting Clarkson, and the Tigers are hoping to have another strong start to the season like they did last year — while avoiding the late-year collapse that took place in February.

Nebraska Omaha will play in the IceBreaker Tournament in Kansas City with Army tonight and Notre Dame or Maine on Saturday. Red Mavericks coach Dean Blais believes his team might have the best defensive corps in the WCHA this season.

Alaska Anchorage will host Canisius and Air Force in the Kendall Hockey Classic to open the season.

Michigan Tech opened the season with a 4-2 loss Thursday night at Lake Superior State; the two teams will play again on Saturday night in Houghton, Mich.

North Dakota and Bemidji State are still in exhibition mode and will play the U.S. Under-18 team today and Saturday, respectively. Denver does not play this weekend.

Other coverage includes WCHA previews by USCHO, Inside College Hockey and College Hockey News. The latter also has a Q&A with Mike Hastings, and you can read USCHO's Minnesota State preview here.

Hastings hits the ice (updated)

For the first time since spring of 2008, Mike Hastings ran a hockey practice as head coach. On Monday, the new Minnesota State coach was on the ice with the Mavericks. It was the first day of preseason practice, and coaches get two hours of ice time per week with their entire roster. The official start of the season is Saturday, Oct. 6, and MSU will play an exhibition game against Lethbridge on Oct. 7.

"It's really nice to be handling it again," said Hastings, who spent the last three seasons on the bench at Nebraska Omaha and the year before that as an assistant at Minnesota. Prior to that, he spent 14 seasons as the head coach of the USHL's Omaha Lancers.

Monday's 40-minute, up-tempo practice at All Seasons Arena was a good one, Hastings said, but it's still early.

"For me, I'm still learning about the team, and they're still learning about how things are going to be done," he said.

Other notes:

• Hastings said he wants the Mavericks to play an aggressive brand of hockey, both offensively and defensively, and much of Monday's practice seemed focused on that. "We've got a long way to go to play that type of style," he said. "You have to be in elite shape, and we're not there yet. ... But I like the group; I like what I see."

• Hastings said team captains have yet to be voted on but he's counting on the leadership of the Mavericks' seniors. That group includes last year's captain, defenseman Tyler Elbrecht, and one of the team's top goal scorers, Eriah Hayes. It also includes goalie Phil Cook, forward Eli Zuck and defenseman Evan Mosey.

• Hastings is also aware that success will depend on a big step forward by a group of freshmen coming off a solid year. That group includes three notables: WCHA All-Rookie selection Jean-Paul LaFontaine, last year's MSU points leader Matt Leitner and defenseman Zach Palmquist.

• The Wenatchee Wild of the NAHL was on hand to watch practice. The Washington-based team practiced at ASA and also toured the university. The team will do the same at other colleges throughout the state this week, according to assistant coach and former MSU goaltender Chris Clark. Good to see Chris again.

• Update: MSU has put its preseason prospectus on the web. Read that here.

Hastings named Mavericks coach

Pat Christman/The Free Press

About 24 hours after introducing Mike Hastings as a candidate for the Minnesota State hockey job, the university named him its third men's hockey coach in program history. He agreed to a four-year deal that will pay him $225,000 annually with a portion of that funded privately.

Here is the MSU press release about the signing.

You can also read my story in Sunday's edition of The Free Press here.

Meanwhile, here are a few nuggets from Saturday in interviews with Hastings, athletic director Kevin Buisman and MSU President Richard Davenport:

• Davenport said Hastings was the No. 1 candidate going in and that Hastings confirmed that immediately: "After my first one-on-one meeting with him, I made up my mind." ... Buisman also said that Hastings' name consistently and independently came near the top of every list he asked for from trusted hockey people.

• What happened between Friday afternoon and Saturday morning (when the two parties agreed in principle on a contract)? Hastings said there were family things to get in order, like explaining to his children about a possible move. "And I'm sure Mankato was trying to do their due diligence."

• Hastings thinks the pieces are in place for some real improvement at MSU, between the current players, incoming freshmen and what appears to be some newfound commitment to hockey: "I think it's a program that's on the rise; I really do. ... There's a lot there to work with."

• Hastings returned to Omaha on Saturday morning and will come back to Mankato on Sunday afternoon. His first official day of work is Monday, and there will be a press conference at 10:15 a.m. at the Verizon Wireless Center. He has some work to do from the get-go, meeting his team, talking to assistant coaches (and deciding on their future), etc. Then he'll be off to do some recruiting and scouting.

• I couldn't get much for player reaction tonight. But Johnny McInnis, via Twitter, said: "Excited to get to work. I think people understand what we have here as a program and are capable of doing something special. It's time to prove it. As always, it's a great day to be a Maverick." ... I'm looking forward to talking to more players once they meet with their new coach.

• Hastings has had many brushes with greatness in terms of working with coaches. He has spent the last three seasons working for Dean Blais and a year prior to that on the staff with Don Lucia. As a player at St. Cloud State (two years before a lower vertebrae injury ended his playing career), he played one season when Herb Brooks was the coach there. Before he became he Omaha Lancers' coach, he was an assistant on that team, working for Mike Guentzel, now the associate head coach at Minnesota and a person many thought might be a top candidate for the MSU job. He also played junior hockey for Frank Serratore, now the coach at Air Force.

What do you think?