Michaelis had quite a month

Minnesota State freshman forward Marc Michaelis was named the WCHA's rookie of the month for December.

Michaelis, who leads the Mavericks and the conference in scoring, had five goals and seven assists for 12 points in six games in the final month of 2016. Michaelis was named WCHA rookie of the week twice in that stretch.

Overall, he has 10 goals and 16 assist for 26 points this season. He ranks second nationally among freshmen in goals, assists and points.

Bowling Green's Mitch McLain, who had five of his league-leading 12 goals in December was named the WCHA's player of the month.

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.