Minnesota State senior forward Eriah Hayes has been making a name for himself on the men’s hockey team the past couple of seasons and is hoping to conclude his career on a high note later this winter as the Mavericks make a run at an NCAA Tournament berth.
 
Hayes, a La Crescent, Minn., native, is a senior at MSU majoring in sport management. Before coming to MSU, he played his high school hockey at La Crescent before stints with the Topeka Roadrunners of the NAHL and Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL. Since becoming a Maverick, Hayes has increased his goals (8, 11, 13) and points (14, 22, 24) scored each season.
 
 The three-year letterwinner is currently leading MSU with 12 goals and has 21 points this season while serving as one of the team’s captains.
 
Head coach Mike Hastings has noticed Hayes’ leadership both on and off the ice this season.
 
“He is physical, has a nose for the net and his engine runs at a high RPM. He leads by example on the rink and is not going to be done playing hockey after this year,” said Hastings. “Off the ice, I could talk about him for a half hour. He takes responsibility for both himself and the team and is a selfless young man. I’m trying to make sure I enjoy the time I get to coach him.”
 
What led you to MSU to play hockey?
EH: One thing I liked about MSU was that it was very close to home. Being close to my family is definitely something that put MSU on top of my list of options. Another thing that led me to play here was the feel I got on my visit. The guys I met when I came on my visit here were all really great and made me feel really welcomed right away, so after I came on my visit, I knew this was the place.
 
What sets the Western Collegiate Hockey Association as you know it apart from other Division-I conferences?
EH: The thing that sets the WCHA apart from other conferences is the fact that one weekend or one point can make or break your season. It seems that only a few points separate first place and ninth place every year so every weekend in the WCHA is huge. I would also say that there isn’t a team in our league that you see on the schedule and say it’s going to be an easy weekend. If you have an off night, any team can beat you.
 
How has the transition from Coach Jutting to Coach Hastings been for you and the team?
EH: The transition for me has been great; Coach Hastings tells you exactly what he expects out of you and I really like that. He pushes each and every one of us to be the best hockey player and the best person you can be. I think that the transition for the team has been great as well. Everyone seems to be buying into what coach expects from us. It has been a lot of hard work up to this point, and we are starting to see some of that hard work pay off. Hopefully we can continue our success into the playoffs.
 
What does being a captain this season mean to you?
EH: Being chosen as captain was such a huge honor for me. Obviously when your teammates choose you to lead them it is a great feeling, but along with it comes a lot of responsibility. Coach expects me and Tyler Elbrecht to lead both on and off the ice and keep the guys ready at all times.
 
What WCHA series do you circle on the calendar every year and why?
EH: Every weekend in the WCHA is huge, but obviously that one series I look forward to every year is the Minnesota series. It is fun playing at home when they come to town, because it is fun to see Verizon Center fill up with our fans. Obviously I’m not a huge fan of Golden Gopher hockey, so it is always really fun to beat them.
 
Who is your favorite current or former hockey player and why?
EH: My favorite current hockey player would have to be Dustin Brown of the Los Angeles Kings. I love the way he plays the game. Not only can he score goals but he is also a very physical guy out on the ice. His work ethic is second to none and you can see that every shift he is out there. I like him because he plays the game the way I like to and want to play, fast, physical and scores goals given the opportunity.
 
Do you have any special gameday routines or superstitions?
EH: I try to do the same exact thing every game day, one thing I always do is get in a good nap.  Another thing I do before every game is have a cup of coffee and a bagel with peanut butter and honey. I used to be really superstitious and put my gear on from left to right, but I found that I would psyche myself out more times than not, so I have tried to stay away from that kind of stuff. Keeping the same general routine on game days is enough for me.
 
What is your most memorable game/moment as a Maverick and why?
EH: My most memorable moment as a Maverick would have to be my hat trick last year against Nebraska-Omaha. We ended up winning 5-4 in overtime. It was a really fun and exciting game. It was also against Coach Hastings and his former team, which is pretty cool.
 
When you're not on the ice, what do you like to do?
EH: When I’m not on the ice I really enjoy hunting and fishing. I am from a very small town so when I get the chance I usually spend my time in the outdoors. I live right along the Mississippi River, so I spend a lot of time on the water in the summer. My family has a boat so we do a lot of waterskiing, tubing and wakeboarding when we are able to spend time together. Since coming to college, I have found it a lot harder to do these things because when I am not on the ice, I am usually spending my time working out or doing something to get better at the game I love.
 
How has your game grown over the years?
EH: My game has grown immensely over the years. Even from last year to this year, I feel that my game has taken a big step in the right direction. I used to take a lot of penalties, I would go out there looking for the big hit and this usually resulted in me in the penalty box. Coach Hastings has worked with me and told me to keep my body under control and have a good stick, and this has helped me stay out of the box, which helps not only me, but my team as well.
 
What is your favorite road trip and why?
EH: My favorite road trip would have to be Denver. I really enjoy going out there because it is a really cool city and waking up every day and getting to see the mountains is pretty awesome. I have had some success playing against Denver on the road as well, so anytime we get to play out there I really look forward to it.
 
A source tells me you were a star in a sport other than hockey in high school and that you have a very athletic family, can you explain?
EH: I played football, soccer, and baseball in high school and had a lot of success. I had a great senior year on the football field and received some offers to play football after high school, but I knew that hockey was the route I was going to take because I loved the game so much.  I have three sisters, my two younger sisters both play soccer in college, Brittany played soccer at Division-I Youngstown State in Ohio and will graduate this spring, and Autumn currently plays at Southwest Minnesota State over in Marshall, Minn.  I think all of the battles we had in the back yard growing up ended up paying off in the long run.
 
What are your goals for the rest of this season and beyond?
EH: My goals for the rest of the season are to finish in the top half of the conference, which would give us home ice in the playoffs, and also to make the national tournament. Home ice in the playoffs would give us a good advantage over our opponent, because we play really well at home. Our student section has been awesome this year and I think that has a lot to do with our success, it gives the guys a little jump when the student section is rocking.