Getting healthy

Minnesota State looked like a healthier team during practice on Monday afternoon.

Michael Dorr, Eriah Hayes, Max Gaede and J.P. Burkemper all participated in the workout, although afterward, coach Troy Jutting didn't say who, if any, would be ready to play this weekend at Michigan Tech (now ranked No. 16 in the country). My impression is that Dorr and Hayes are head of the others, which would be huge for the Mavs, but I expect to learn more later in the week.

Meanwhile, Chase Grant, Brett Stern, Danny Heath and Tyler Elbrecht were not on the ice. Elbrecht has had his cast removed from his surgically repaired left arm and tweeted that his doctor "is excited about the progress."

Rest up

Like the Mavericks, I'm off today and Saturday, so the blog will be a little quiet over the weekend. If you're looking for a little Friday-morning reading, may I suggest you head on over to Brad Schlossman's North Dakota coverage. He has links to all sorts of happenings around the WCHA. Enjoy the weekend.

Mavs in the pros

Former Minnesota State standout Ryan Carter was put on waivers by the Florida Panthers this week but quickly claimed by the New Jersey Devils, who are in need of center help. Carter played in six games for Florida this season with no points and a -1 rating. 

Said Devils coach Pete DeBoer of the 28-year-old Carter: "He's versatile. He plays the game the right way. He plays with energy. I think he can kill penalties. He's one of those guys that can play a role and help us."

As for a few of the other Mavericks in the pros ...

• David Backes, the captain of the St. Louis Blues, has two goals and two assists in nine games.

• Tim Jackman has played in eight games for the Calgary Flames and has no points.

• Travis Morin is the all-time leading scorer in Texas Stars history. That's the top AHL affiliate of Dallas. He has two goals and eight assists in six games this year.

• Jon Kalinski is with the Adirondack Phantoms of the AHL but has yet to play due to an injury suffered during the preseason.

• Ben Youds has played four games with the AHL's Rockford IceHogs and has one assist.

Sad day for hockey

The University of Alabama-Huntsville today announced that it will be dropping Division I hockey at the end of this season and relegating the sport to club status. It's a sad day for a once-great Division II program that struggled to find permanency in the Division I ranks.

Coach Chris Luongo broke the news to his team on Sunday night, and on Monday the university's interim president, Malcolm Portera, said the main reason for the move is financial. You can read Portera's memo here.

Huntsville has been operating an independent program since the breakup of College Hockey America. While other surviving schools in that conference found places to land (Bemidji State in the WCHA, for example), UAH did not. It was even rejected by the CCHA for membership.

This summer, as college hockey realigned itself for 2013-14 with two new conferences and a merger of sorts between the remaining WCHA and CCHA teams, some college hockey followers implored the WCHA to bring Huntsville into its restructured conference.

I'm not sure how far those talks went, if they went anyplace at all. Portera's memo says the school had discussions with other athletic directors, presidents and commissioners. But if the commitment wasn't there from the UAH powers that be, it's hard to think the WCHA or anyone else in college hockey could have saved the program.

It's too bad. Not only will this leave college hockey with one less program — 57 — but it means the end of program that did some interesting things in its history. The Chargers won two Division II titles in the 1990s and was runner-up twice, playing Bemidji State in all of those games. Huntsville also made the Division I tournament twice as the CHA tournament champion.

Huntsville will play Minnesota State for the last time on Dec. 9-10 in Mankato.

Denver 10, Minnesota State 2 (update)

Minnesota State lost another player to injury on Saturday — freshman defenseman Brett Stern — and sure didn't have the jump it had on Friday, and No. 3 Denver went to town on the Mavericks, hanging 10 goals on the board.

Three Pioneers players had four-point games, as they became the first team to put up double digits against MSU since Feb. 21, 2004 when North Dakota won 10-1.

The Mavericks were being thumped 8-0 before they got a 5x3 power-play goal — their first PPG of the season — in the third period by Jean-Paul LaFontaine. Moments later, LaFontaine assisted on another power-play goal, one by Zach Palmquist. Matt Leitner assisted on both goals. LaFontaine scored two goals in the series and now leads the Mavericks with three.

Both goalies played. Austin Lee was pulled after allowing four goals on 20 shots. Phil Cook came in and allowed six goals on 19 shots.

An idle weekend couldn't come at a better time for MSU, which will return to action Nov. 4-5 at Michigan Tech.

On the bright side, MSU fans, it's only one loss, one sweep. Minnesota State is tied with North Dakota and Minnesota-Duluth in the WCHA standings.

UPDATE: Read the USCHO recap and see video of postgame comments by Troy Jutting here.

How 'bout a chat?

If you're watching tonight's Minnesota State-Denver game on Facebook or listening to it on KTOE, why not stick around the PucKato blog for a live chat via Cover It Live? What else are you going to do on a Saturday night?

To paraphrase Elton John: Saturday night's all right for blogging!

Pioneers 4, Mavericks 2 (updated)

Denver Post photo

Minnesota State opened its Western Collegiate Hockey Association with a tough, 4-2 loss at third-ranked Denver. Playing without six injured players who were back in Mankato, the Mavericks hung tough, taking a 1-0 lead and tying the game 2-2 early in the third period.

"The kids played hard, they played real hard," coach Troy Jutting said in a phone interview after the game. "I'm really proud of the kids' effort. They battled hard."

But in the when-it-rains-it-pours category, the Mavericks suffered another injury. Chase Grant went out with a lower-body injury, and Jutting said he might be out for awhile. He certainly won't play Saturday.

"It's unreal," Jutting said. "Five games into the season, and we can't dress a full roster."

Here are stories by the Denver Post and USCHO.

Here's a period-by-period recap of the game:

FIRST PERIOD
Jean-Paul LaFontaine put back his own rebound after a big Evan Mosey shot from the point to give Minnesota State a 1-0 lead over Denver. Justin Jokinen also assisted on the play. Each team went scoreless on one power play during the period, and MSU goalie Austin Lee stopped 12 shots, including three big-time saves.

SECOND PERIOD
Luke Salazar scored two goals in the second period to give Denver a 2-1 lead. On the tying goal, Jason Zucker took a shot that was blocked right to Salazar, catching Austin Lee out of position for an easy goal. The second came with 48.2 seconds left in the period. Salazar got behind the defense after the Mavericks went scoreless for the third time on the power play (but nearly scored with a shot off the post). They are 0 for 20 now this season. Shots were 10-7 for Denver in the frame.

THIRD PERIOD
The Mavericks quickly tied the game when Zach Lehrke scored from Adam Mueller at the 1:17 mark. Like the Mavericks, the Pioneers came into the game scoreless on the power play. But Denver finally scored with the man advantage at 6:18 when Drew Shore fired a shot through traffic from the right circle. Minnesota State did have a 4x3 power play but couldn't do much with it. Nick Shore sealed the game with an empty-net goal in the final minute. Denver outshot MSU 16-10 in the period, so 38-25 for the game.

Read the boxscore here.