Mavericks 3, Huskies 1

Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...

1. A good start: The Mavericks are 1-0 for the first time since 2012 and won the season-opening game like a team more veteran than it really is. Five freshman forwards were in the lineup (Jordan Nelson joined fellow senior Zach Stepan on the shelf), along with one rookie defenseman, and they survived a special teams battle to win the game. All four of the game's goals were scored in a penalty-plagued first period, and MSU held off a good push by the Huskies over the second and third periods. "I think you could see as the game wore on (Tech) had a bit more push," coach Mike Hastings said. " I think you could tell it was their third game. … But I thought we had some guys show some fortitude there."

2. It's their team now: Much has been made about the turnover in personnel on this MSU team, and it was (and will continue to be) interesting to see who some of the go-to players end up being. On Friday, junior forward Zeb Knutson scored two goals, and sophomore Defenseman Daniel Brickley had a three-point game (one goal, two assists). Also, senior goalie Cole Huggins made 20 saves, including stops on two breakaways early in the second period that could have turned the tide. "With having five freshmen up front, we need some of the old guard to assert themselves, and I thought they did," Hastings said.

3. A new standard: I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the penalties – nine minors in the first period alone, 18 in the game. The crackdown definitely has begun on obstruction and interference. Hooking, or at least having a stick up, appeared to be a big point of emphasis on Friday. This is happening all over the country, and that should be a good thing, at least over the long haul. The game never got ugly, just kind of annoying with so many whistles and what seemed to be a few ticky-tack calls either way. But the hope is this results in a better game, with skill and skating getting rewarded at both ends of the ice. Stay tuned.

Deep thought: A season-opening crowd of 3,331? Friday was a strange, busy night in Mankato. An outdoor concert by Nelly at Riverfront Park. An on-campus concert by T-Pain for MSU's homecoming. Mankato West High School homecoming. Frankly, I'm surprised by the conflicts involving MSU within itself (hockey opener vs. T-Pain) and involving MSU and the city (hockey opener vs. Nelly). I'd guess there will be a much fuller arena on Saturday.

Read my game story here.

Around the WCHA: UConn 6, Alabama Huntsville 0 ... Western Michigan 2, Ferris State 1 ... Bemidji State 2, Bowling Green 1 ... Northern Michigan 3, Wisconsin 2 ... Minnesota 6, Alaska Anchorage 0

Minnesota State vs. Michigan Tech, Game 1 live blog

The Mavericks and the Huskies, last year's WCHA co-champions, are set to kick off the season at Mankato's Verizon Center. Live updates can be found below tonight's lines.

MINNESOTA STATE

20-Michaelis   ...   15-Franklin   ...   19-McClure

6-Tuomie   ...   17-Huntebrinker   ...   10-Knutson

23-Rivera   ...   26-French   ...   12-Coatta

7-Cooper   ...   27-Schwalbe   ...   9-Gerard

4-Lewis   ...   5-Foguth

8-Brickley   ...   18-Scheid

11-Flanagan   ...   21-Vanko

34-Huggins

39-Pawloski

29-A. Nelson

Scratches: Stepan, J. Nelson, Madry, Hookenson, Bigelbach

MICHIGAN TECH

27-Heinonen   ...   8-Steman   ...   9-Gillies

28-Baltus   ...   15-Lucchini   ...   11-L'Esperance

10-Jackson   ...   25-Neville   ...   7-Sturos

16-Blacklock   ...   20-Smith   ...   13-Beretta

2-Watson   ...   6-Leibinger

22-Hanna   ...   3-Roy

12-Auk   ...   5-Reinke

35-Wintjes

31-Kero

Friday morning skate

The skate is back! It's time to kick off another season of college hockey in Mankato!

Minnesota State will host Michigan Tech in a matchup of last season's MacNaughton Cup winners. Going 2-0 won't give MSU the cup, coach Mike Hastings said, nor will going 0-2 end the season. Still the Mavericks want to get off to a good start to the year, while the Huskies, who are already 0-2, would like to get on track.

Minnesota State senior goaltender Cole Huggins (pictured) will be asked to carry "the ball out of the gate," and is ready for the responsibility, knowing, with his team's turnover in personnel, that he and Jason Pawloski could see a few more shots per game this season.

Huggins is one of several returning goalies in the WCHA. In fact, nine of the league's 10 teams return their primary starter in goal, if not a second regular in net. The only team that enters the season with questions in goal is Michigan Tech — although the Huskies do return plenty of talent both up front and on defense.

For more on the series, check out The Freep's college hockey gameday preview.

A couple of other things to know about the weekend:

• The WCHA's new rules of play will be in effect. If tied games can't be decided in a regular 5-minute overtime, a 5-minute 3-on-3 overtime will take place. If that doesn't decide things, the game will go to a shootout. Regulation/first-OT winners will receive 3 points for the WCHA standings. If the game goes beyond that, it will officially be a tie in the eyes of the NCAA, but, for the the league standings, the winner will get 2 points and the loser will get 1.

• It's homecoming at Minnesota State, and the school is inducting its athletic hall of fame members. The group includes David Backes, now of the Boston Bruins. Backes will be the first men's hockey player from the Mavericks' Division I era to go into the hall.

• Saturday is Hockey Night in Mankato with several activities, including live music and food vendors, taking place outside the Verizon Center between 4:30 p.m. and game time.

Going around the WCHA, several teams are in action this weekend:

• Ferris State is playing home-and-home against Western Michigan of the NCHC. The Bulldogs lost the opener in Big Rapids on Thursday night 5-3, making them 0-3 already. The rematch is tonight in Kalamazoo.

• Alabama Huntsville (2-0 after its stunning sweep at Ferris State) is on the road again playing two games at Connecticut of Hockey East.

• Bemidji State will see its first action of the season, hosting short-handed Bowling Green in a WCHA series.

• There will be three games involving the Alaska schools in Anchorage with the Seawolves hosting Minnesota of the Big Ten tonight and playing rival Alaska in a nonconference game on Saturday. The Nanooks will then play the Gophers on Sunday. Gophers coach Don Lucia, by the way, inked a two-year contract extension on Friday.

• Northern Michigan will meet Wisconsin halfway and play a two-game series against the Big Ten school in Green Bay, Wis. The games will be the first regular-season ones for the Badgers' new coaching staff.

• Looking for more previews? Here is USCHO's WCHA outlook, and here is College Hockey News' preview. CHN also looks at the high bar that's been raised at Bowling Green. Also check out USCHO's weekly predictions.

Finally ... practice!

My column in today's Free Press takes a look at the oddity of the college hockey schedule, one in which many teams play games (exhibitions and real ones, conference games even) before they go through an official regular-season practice. Check out the column here.

The Mavericks on Monday began preparing for their first real and WCHA games of the season, which will take place Friday and Saturday when Michigan Tech comes to Mankato. The games in Houghton last January were some of the most entertaining league games of the season (although I still remember the 27 inches of lake-effect snow that fell upon the UP that weekend), and the two teams went on to share the MacNaughton Cup as regular-season conference champs.

Meanwhile, USCHO has put out its WCHA preview and team-by-team capsules for the season.

Season begins ... and how!

College hockey wasted no time turning heads.

The season began on Saturday, and already there have been some stunning events.

Let's start in Big Rapids, Mich., where Alabama Huntsville pulled off the shocking road sweep of No. 20 Ferris State and now sits on top of the WCHA standings. The Chargers won 2-1 and 4-3 thanks to two goals by Max McHugh (one each game) and 67 saves (37 and 30) by Matt Larose. 

In Duluth, Michigan Tech (Minnesota State's opponent next week) was swept by No. 6 Minnesota Duluth, falling 6-0 and 4-3. Saturday's game was a rough one for the Huskies, whose goaltenders allowed six goals on 27 shots. On Sunday, Tech was up 2-0 and 3-1 before the Bulldogs mounted their comeback. UMD scored twice in the third period, including Alex Iafallo's game-winner with 15 seconds left in regulation.

In Bowling Green, Ohio, on Saturday, Bowling Green won an exhibition game over Windsor 3-2 but suffered a big loss for next weekend's opener at Bemidji State when a post-game fracas resulted in three disqualification penalties for fighting, meaning those players — All-WCHA defenseman Mark Friedman, Mitch McLain and Jakob Reichert — won't be eligible for the first game of that series. 

The DQs added insult to injury for BG. On Friday the Falcons lost their top returning scorer, junior Brandon Hawkins, who apparently has left the program. Hawkins had 28 points last season and was voted in the coaches preseason poll as an All-WCHA forward. Tough blow for this season's league favorites.

Besides Minnesota State's victory over Regina on Saturday, Alaska Anchorage (Simon Fraser), Northern Michigan (Victoria) and Alaska (Simon Fraser) also won exhibitions, and Lake Superior State tied Laurentian 3-3 on Sunday in a game that went to 3-on-3 play and a shootout (won by Laurentian). And if you're doing any comparing, St. Cloud State on Sunday played Regina and won 6-2 (shots were 30-17).

Mavericks 5, Cougars 3

Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...

1. Strong start: It may have been just an exhibition game, but Saturday night was all right for the Mavericks. Recall that they lost their exhibition last year and proceeded to start the regular season with four losses in a row. On Saturday, after surrendering an early Regina goal, MSU scored four goals in a row — three in the first period and one 22 seconds into the second. Brad McClure scored twice, which might also be a good sign, as noted in my game story (link below). "Everyone was pretty hyped up in the first period," McClure said. "It was definitely something to build on."

2. Welcome to college hockey: Exhibition games are a great opportunity to watch the newcomers, and MSU's rookies made an impact in the game. Marc Michaelis, who was listed as the first-line left wing, playing with McClure and C.J. Franklin, had a goal and an assist and four shots on goal. Defenseman Ian Scheid made a wise pass to set up MSU's first goal, and third-line left wing Nicholas Rivera set up the second. Parker Tuomie and two shots on net and was the left wing on the second line, and Josh French, who hit a post, was the fourth-line center. Charlie Gerard had three shots on goal. He was listed as an extra forward. Michael Bigelbach and Edwin Hookenson were the fourth defensive pairing on the chart.

3. Home and health: Coach Mike Hastings was pleased about two things after the game: 1. That no players were hurt in the game and 2. That they won at home. There was a decent student turnout for the game. Official attendance was listed at 2,015, and, for once, that seemed low. Teams can dress as many players as they want for exhibitions and just one player, senior Zach Stepan, did not dress. He is out with a lower-body injury and is week to week, Hastings said. Each of MSU's three goalies played a period, and each allowed a goal as they combined for 17 saves. The Mavericks had 41 shots on goal.

Deep thought: The game had a female referee as Krissy Morrison worked the game. It wasn't a super-busy night for her and Jordan Lee. They called 10 minor penalties in all (four on MSU).

And one more thing: The Minnesota State women's team won 2-1 on Saturday at the Verizon Center to complete a sweep over RIT to start the season. Mankato East graduate Savannah Quandt, a senior, scored the game-winner, the first GWG of her career. The Mavericks are 2-0. They won three games last season.

Read my game story here.

Read my MSU men's hockey preview story here.

Around the WCHA: Minnesota Duluth 6, Michigan Tech 0 ... Alabama Huntsville 2, Ferris State 1 ... Bowling Green 3, Windsor 2 (exhibition) 

MSU vs. Regina (exhibition)

The Mavericks kick off the season with an exhibition game against the University of Regina. Follow along or join the conversation below tonight's lines.

20-Michaelis  15-Franklin  19-McClure
6-Tuomie  17-Huntebrinker  10-Knutson
23-Rivera  16-Nelson  12-Coatta
7-Cooper  26-French  27-Schwalbe
9-Gerard  13-Madry

8-Brickley  18-Scheid
4-Lewis  5-Foguth
11-Flanagan  21 Vanko
14-Bigelbach  24-Hookenson

34-Huggins
39-Pawloski
29-Nelson

Scratches: Stepan