• Mavericks Stand 5-3-0 Overall After Splitting WCHA Road Series at Bowling Green Last Weekend
    • Gervais Nets First Career Hat Trick
    • Franklin Busts Loose for Four-Point Series vs. Bowling Green

On Tap:   13th-rated Minnesota State (5-3-0 overall, 3-1-0 WCHA) continues Western Collegiate Hockey Association action with  pair of home league contests vs. Bemidji State (3-3-0, 2-0-0 WCHA) this weekend. MSU and BSU play in Mankato at Verizon Wireless Center (4,832) Friday (7:07 p.m.) and Saturday (7:07 p.m.) CST.

Minnesota State Most Recently:  The Mavericks are coming off a two-game home WCHA road split at Bowling Green.  MSU claimed a 5-2 win Friday before dropping a 3-1 decision to the host Falcons Saturday.  Minnesota State has won three of its last four contests.

About Bemidji State:  The Beavers, who enter the series with the Mavericks having swept the University of Alaska last weekend (6-1 and 4-3 in overtime), stand 3-3-0 overall and 2-0-0 WCHA. BSU is led offensively by sophomore forward Brendan Harms (3-3--6) and junior forward Markus Gerbrandt (3-3--6) and sophomore forward Nate Arentz (3-3--6). BSU, which went 10-21-7 overall (10-14-4 WCHA) last year, has used two netminders in freshman Michael Bitzer (2-1-0, .918, 2.33) and senior Andrew Walsh (1-2-0, .904, 3.01) equally early in the season.

Head coach Tom Serratore (Bemidji State '87) is in his 14th year behind the Beaver bench and owns a 214-210-56 record. Minnesota State is 43-50-15 in the all-time series vs. Bemidji State. The Mavericks won three of four games vs. BSU last year and six of the last seven meetings.

MSU All-Time:  The Minnesota State men's hockey program, begun in 1969-70, completed its 45th year of competition last year. MSU is in its 19th year as a member of NCAA Division I (first DI season was 1997-98) and the Mavericks are entering their 16th season as members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. The Mavericks sport an all-time record of 791-604-138 (.561).

Patronage:  A record-setting sell-out crowd of 5,375 fans attended Minnesota State's home game vs. Minnesota Duluth Oct. 18th at Verizon Wireless Center.  The previous mark of 5,201 was established Jan. 30, 2009 in a game vs. Minnesota.   The Mavericks are averaging 3,877 fans per home contest in 2014-15.

Shot Stuff:  Minnesota State leads nation in fewest shots on goal allowed per game (20.0), shots on goal margin (+121) and shots on goal margin/game (+15.12).

Looking Back:  Here's a quick gander as to how Minnesota State has stacked up through its first eight games in the last ten seasons.
Year    Record
2014-15    5-3-0
2013-14    4-4-0
2012-13    3-3-2
2011-12    2-6-0
2010-11    2-2-3
2009-10    3-4-1
2008-09    4-2-2
2007-08    3-4-1
2006-07    2-6-0
2005-06    1-6-1

Listing, Listing:  A quartet of Mavericks appear on this updated top ten list of active NCAA Division I men's hockey career games played leaders.
Rk. Name (School    GP
1. Stephane Pattyn (Sr., F, North Dakota)    132
2. Daniel Bahntge (Sr., F, Merychurst)    128
    Chase Grant (Sr., F, Minnesota State)    128
   JP Lafontaine (Sr., F, Minnesota State)     128
   Zach Palmquist (Sr., D, Minnesota State)    128
6. Mark MacMillan (Sr., F, North Dakota)    127
    Adam Berkle (Sr., F, Bowling Green)    127
    Austin Czarnik (Sr., F, Miami)    127
    Kyle Rau (Sr., F, Minnesota)    127
10. Matt Leitner (Sr., F, Minnesota State)    126
    Five others tied w/    126

In case you're wondering, Minnesota State's record for career games played in 155 by B.J. Abel, who played for the Mavericks from 1999-03. Abel also holds the school record for consecutive games played at 140.

This entire 12-page release in pdf format is available HERE.