Men's Hockey | 11/30/2016 8:53:00 AM

Off the Hop:    #15 Minnesota State (8-5-1 overall, 5-4-1 WCHA) resumes Western Collegiate Hockey Association action this weekend with two conference games vs. the University of Alaska (4-9-1 overall, 3-6-1 WCHA) this weekend. The Mavericks and the Nanooks play at Verizon Center (4,832) Friday (7:07 p.m. CST) Saturday (7:07 p.m. CST).

About the Minnesota State-Alaska Series:  The Mavericks, which split a road series at Alaska earlier this year (7-1 win, 4-2 loss, Oct. 21-22) own a 5-14-1 all-time mark in the series with the Nanooks. 

Minnesota State Most Recently:  Minnesota State, which was idle last weekend, stands 8-5-1 overall (5-4-1 WCHA) after a nonconference series with the University of Minnesota the weekend of Nov. 18-19.  The Mavericks prevailed by a 4-1 margin over the Gophers in the first game of the series in Mankato before dropping a 1-0 decision in Minneapolis the next night.

About Alaska:  The Nanooks stand 4-9-1 overall and are 3-6-1 in WCHA games on the year after dropping a pair of home league games (4-1 loss and 4-2 loss) to Michigan Tech last weekend.

     Senior forward Marcus Basara has 5-5--10 on the year to sit atop the Alaska scoring charts, while sophomore center Chad Staley (4-5--9), junior defenseman Zach Frye (3-5--8) and senior winter Brandon Morley (0-8--8) follow close behind. Sophomore Jesse Jenks (3-6-1, 3.04, .895) has started 10 games in the Alaska net. The Nanooks are led head coach Dallas Ferguson (Alaska '96) who stands 66-14--39 and is in his ninth season as a college head coach.

Minnesota State On the Web:  Tickets, Releases, statistics, player and staff biographies, etc. on all of Minnesota State's 20 sports are available at the official website of MSU Athletics located at www.msumavericks.com

Minnesota State All-Time:  The Minnesota State men's hockey program, begun in 1969-70, completed its 47th year of competition last year.  The Mavericks are in their 21st year as members of NCAA Division I and in their 18th season as members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.   The Mavericks are 844-627-149 (.567) all-time and stand 216-212-58 (.506) in regular-season games vs. WCHA opponents.

Sean Flanagan Notes: In first season serving as an alternate captain...Three-time letterwinner (2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16) is a two-time WCHA All-Academic honoree and WCHA Scholar-Athlete honoree (at least 3.50 grade point average)...Has 1-4--5 on the year, owns 9-34--43 with 142 shots on goal, is +16 and has 101 blocked shots in 115 career games.

Carter Foguth Notes: In second season serving as team captain...Three-time letterwinner (2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16) was a WCHA All-Academic honoree last year... At 123 games played stands as Minnesota State's active career games played leader...Has 36 blocked shots this year, which is tied for second in the nation...Has 242 blocked shots and is +26 in four seasons with the Mavericks.

Cole Huggins Notes: Three-year letterwinner (2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16) is a two-time WCHA All-Academic pick...Owns school record for shut-outs with 11 and ranks sixth on school's career wins list with 44...Named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week (third time in career) after backstopping Mavericks to 3-1 an 4-0 wins over #17 Michigan Tech Oct. 7-8, owns a 6-3-0 record along with a 2.02 goals against average and a .919 save percentage this year. 

Michael Huntebrinker Notes: Three-year letterwinner (2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16) is in first year as an alternate captain...Two-time WCHA All-Academic honoree and WCHA Scholar-Athlete honoree (at least 3.50 grade point average)...Has 2-5--7 in 14 games played this year... 13-25--38 in 99 career games with the Mavericks.

Jordan Nelson Notes: Three-year letterwinner (2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16) is a two-time WCHA All-Academic honoree and WCHA Scholar-Athlete honoree (at least 3.50 grade point average)...Has points in six of the last 12 games, leads the Mavericks with 121 face-off wins and face-off percentage (.568). The Williston, N.D., native has 15 goals and 17 assists for 32 points in 112 career games played.

Zach Stepan Notes:  Three-time letterwinner (2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16) is a 2012 Nashville Predators draft pick (4th round, 112 overall)...Has 18-30--48 in 112 career games.

C.J. Franklin Notes: Two-year letterwinner is in first season as team captain...2014 Winnipeg Jets draftee (5th round, 129th overall)... Finished third on team in scoring and second in goals with 14-11--25 in sophomore season and saw action in all 41 games...Had a goal and an assist in Minnesota State's 4-1 win over the University of Minnesota on Nov. 18. His goal against the Gophers is his sixth career game-winning goal.

Zeb Knutson Notes: Two-year letterwinner (2014-15, 2015-16) finished sixth on school's point-scoring charts in 2015-16 with six goals and 11 assists for 17 points...Ranks seventh on Minnesota State's scoring chart with 3-5--8...Has totalled 11-17--28 in 62 career games.

Clint Lewis Notes: Lettered as a freshman in 2015-16...Missed most of season due to injury (saw action in six games)...Had an assist in each game vs. Ferris State (Oct. 28-29) and enters the series with Alaska owning 2-4--6 in 14 games played in 2016-17.

Brad McClure Notes: Two-time letterwinner (2014-15, 2015-16) is in first  year as an alternate captain...Posted 5-8--13 numbers while playing in all 41 games as a sophomore...Leads the Mavericks in shots on goal with 56, which stands tied for tenth in the country, also leads the Mavericks in goals with seven (tied for 22nd in the nation). The Stratford, Ont., native scored twice in Minnesota State's 4-1 win over Minnesota.

Aaron Nelson Notes: Two-year letterwinner was a WCHA All-Academic selection last year.

Daniel Brickley Notes: Lettered in first season with Mavericks (2015-16)....Named to 2015-16 WCHA All-Rookie Team...Collected 2-9--11 in 36 games played as a freshman... Had three assists in Friday's 7-1 win at Alaska (Oct. 21) and with 1-9--10 on the year stands tied for second on the Mavericks in scoring. 

Max Coatta Notes: Lettered in first season with Mavericks (2015-16)...Named to 2015-16 WCHA All-Rookie Team.....Tied for third in the WCHA in rookie scoring with 5-6--11 in 28 league games...Collected 5-8--13 in 36 games played as a freshman...Enters Alaska series with 7-11--18 in 50 career games.

Steen Cooper Notes: Lettered in first season with Mavericks (2015-16)...Collected 1-0--1 in 10 games played as a freshman... Scored first career goal in 2-2 overtime tie in WCHA road game at Northern Michigan (Nov. 21)...Enters weekend with 1-0--1 in 14 career games.

Chandler Madry Notes: Lettered in first season at Minnesota State (2015-16)...Had 2-1--3 in nine games played in debut season with Mavericks...Registered first career goal in 2-0 home win over Alaska Anchorage (Nov. 27, 2015)...Also scored in a game at Michigan Tech (Jan. 16, 2016)... Scored his first career game-winning goal in 6-4 victory over St. Cloud State (Oct. 15, 2016), has 3-1--4 in 12 career games.

Jason Pawloski Notes:  Lettered in first season with Mavericks (2015-16)....8-2-5 won-loss record with .901 save percentage and 1.85 goals against average in first year of college hockey...Named WCHA Rookie of the Week after backstopping Mavericks to a two-game home league sweep over Alaska Anchorage with a 2-0-0 record, a 1.00 goals against average and a .947 save percentage (Nov. 27-28)...Got his first win of 2016-17 when he stopped 18 shots in Minnesota State's 2-1 win at Lake Superior State, Nov. 5...Owns a 10-4-6 career record with a 1.80 GAA and .914 sv%, was named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week after stopping 62 of 64 shots for a .969 sv% in the series vs. Minnesota two weeks ago. His 37 saves in the second game of the series with the Gophers marked a career-high for the Omaha, Neb., native.

Ryan Schwalbe Notes:  Lettered in first year with Minnesota State (2015-16)...Had 0-3--3 in 28 games in debut season with Mavericks while playing both forward and defense...Had 24 shots on goal and blocked eight shots...First career point came in 3-2 win at Ferris State (Nov. 7) when he assisted on a goal by Casey Nelson...Enters Alaska series with 0-3--3 in 42 career games played.

Alec Vanko Notes: Lettered in freshman season (2015-16)...Registered 0-4--4 and was +3 in 12 games played in debut season with Minnesota State...Scored first career goal in 7-1 win at Alaska (Oct. 21, 2016)...Oregon, Wis., native has 2-1--3 in ten games played this year.

Michael Bigelbach Notes: Played two seasons with Omaha (USHL) where he served as an alternate captain for the Lancers in 2015-16...Had 2-10--12, along with 105 PIMS with Omaha in 2015-16...Toiled in the North American Hockey League in 2013-14, playing 44 games with Minot (4-10--14) and 18 games with Janesville (0-2--2)...Assisted on Jordan Nelson's game-winning goal in Minnesota State's 2-1 victory at Lake Superior State, Nov. 5...Has 0-2--2 and is +1 in seven games played on  the year.

Josh French Notes:  Spent two campaigns with Omaha (USHL) where he had 16-32--48 and served as an alternate captain for the Lancers in 2015-16...Led Omaha in points and assists and was named team MVP and Forward of the Year in 2015-16...Posted eight points on a goal and seven assists and was +10 with Omaha in 2014-15...Made debut for Minnesota State he played in season-opening games with Michigan Tech, Oct. 7 and has played in every game this year... Registered first career point with an assist on Charlie Gerard's goal vs. Bemidji State Nov. 11.

Charlie Gerard Notes:  Played with three different teams in the USHL in 2015-16 - Collected 10 goals and five assists for 15 points in 26 games with Madison, 3-5--8 in 18 GP with Fargo and 6-4--10 with Muskegon...Totalled 17-16--33 with Madison in 2014-15...Member of Ohio Blue Jackets U18 team in 2013-14 where he racked up 29 goals and 15 assists in 36 games played...Notched first career goal when his scored in a 1-1 home tie with Bemidji State (Nov. 11) and has 1-0--1 in six games played to date.

Edwin Hookenson Notes:  Spent three seasons with Nanaimo (BCHL) where he served as an alternate captain for the Clippers and earned team's Coaches Award in 2015-16...Had six goals and 17 assists for 23 points in 58 games in 2015-16...Registered 5-23--28 in 58 games and was named team's Most Improved Player in 2014-15 in helping lead Nanaimo to an Interior Division regular-season title and play-off series victories over Alberni Valley and Powell River and a place in the BCHL championship series....Played with Swift Current (Sask.) Legionnaires midget AAA program where he served as team captain and had 7-23--30 in 44 games in 2012-13. 

Marc Michaelis Notes:  Two-year USHL vet spent a pair of seasons with Green Bay where he had 10-41--51 in 59 games in 2015-16... Assisted on a Parker Tuomie power play goal in the 4-1 win over Minnesota Nov. 18 and with 5-9--14 on the year to lead the Mavericks in scoring. His 14 points stands tied for ninth nationally amongst all rookies and ranks second amongst all WCHA first-year performers.

Nick Rivera Notes:  Team captain for Omaha (USHL) in 2015-16...Had 23-18--41 with 132 PIMs and +5 in 48 games with Lancers in 2015-16...Had 14-14--28 and was +12 in 58 games with Omaha in 2014-15 and collected 18-9--27 with Wenatchee (NAHL) in 2013-14...Scored twice and had two assists in earning WCHA Rookie of the Week honors for his play in Minnesota State's two games at Alaska Oct. 21-22)...Enters Alaska series with 2-3--5 in 14 games played.

Ian Scheid Notes:  Played the first five games of the 2015-16 season with Fargo (USHL) before being traded to Sioux City where he had 5 goals and 11 assists for 16 points in 47 games...Spent the 2014-15 campaign with Austin (NAHL) where he registered 12-23--35 in 55 games with the Bruins and was named NAHL All-Rookie First Team...Scored his first career game-winning goal in 4-2 victory over Ferris State (Oct. 28)...Has played every game for Minnesota State in debut season...Had two assists in Minnesota State's 4-1 win over Minnesota Nov. 18th and with 3-6--9 on the year stands second amongst all WCHA first-year blueliners in points.

Parker Tuomie Notes:  Former Sioux Falls (USHL) captain...Had a goal and three assists, along with 10 shots on goal, in earning WCHA Rookie of the Week honors for his role in Minnesota State's two wins over St. Cloud State (Oct. 14-15)...Had his first career three-point game when he scored a goal and assisted on two others in Minnesota State 4-1 win over the University of Minnesota Nov. 18th...Has 3-4--7 on the year and is tied for eighth on Minnesota State's scoring charts.

Noteables:  Minnesota's freshmen have racked up 14-25--39 in 14 contests so far this season to stand seventh in scoring in the nation as a group.

Minnesota State has outshot its opponents in ten out of 14 games this year. The 38 shots on goal by Minnesota last the last time the Mavericks played are the most given up by Minnesota State in 2016-17.

On Tap: Following this weekend's series vs. Alaska, Minnesota State continues WCHA action with a two-game road series at Ferris State Dec. 9-10. The Mavericks will  close out their pre-holiday schedule with a pair of nonconference games at Princeton Dec. 16-17.