Mankato, Minn.--- The Minnesota State women’s hockey team returns home for the first time in over a month as it plays host to the Bemidji State Beavers Nov. 23-24 inside the friendly confines of All Seasons Arena.  The Mavericks look to get back on track after dropping six contests in a row, all away from Mankato, against opponents with a combined  34-5-3 record.  Minnesota State’s remaining first-half counterparts own a 16-21-3 combined mark.

Beavers (2-8-2)	VS.	Mavericks (4-8-2)
6-of-45 (13.3%)	Power-Play	9-of-52 (17.3%)
24-of-33 (72.7%)	Penalty-Kill	52-of-63 (82.5%)
1.7	Goals/Game	1.6
30.5	Shots/Game	23.3
6.3	Penalty Minutes/Game	11.4
Mackenzie Thurston (3G, 7A) Emily Erickson (2G, 5A) Sadie Lundquist (3G, 2A)	Scoring Leaders	Tracy McCann (6G, 6A) Lauren Smith (7G, 2A) Emilia Andersson (2G, 6A)
Abby Ryplanski (3.56 GAA)	Goaltender	Danielle Butters (2.96 GAA)

Inside the MSU/BSU Series:  

• Minnesota State is 22-23-10  all-time against Bemidji State in a series dating back to 1998.  MSU finished 2-2 a year ago against the Beavers in a hotly contested series where three of the four matches were decided by one goal.
• Senior forward Lauren Zrust and juniors Kari Lundberg and Lauren Barnes each tallied a goal last year in four contests against BSU.
• The Beavers were led by senior defender Erika Wheelhouse who collected two goals against the Mavericks a year ago.
• Junior goaltender Danielle Butters stopped 31 of 32 shots but suffered a 1-0 loss in her lone appearance against Bemidji State in 2011-12.
• Neither of the two Bemidji netminders to earn a start this year played against the Purple and Gold last season.
• The Maverick power-play failed to score in seven attempts against BSU a year ago, while the Beavers were two-of-fifteen on the advantage.
• Minnesota State’s largest margin of victory  in the series was a 12-0 win in Bemidji on Feb. 26, 1999, while the Beavers’ came on Oct. 25th, 2002 in the form of a 6-2 victory at All Seasons Arena.

A Little Bit More On the Beavers:

• Bemidji State owns a 2-8-2 overall record and 1-6-1 mark in the WCHA to date, including 2-4-0 away from the Sanford Center.
• The Beavers were swept at home last weekend by No. 10 North Dakota, 3-1 & 7-3.
• Bemidji State is led offensively by seniors Mackenzie Thurston (3-7--10) and Emily Erickson (2-5--7) who are the only Beavers with over five points this season.
• Senior Jessica Havel and sophomore Abby Ryplanski have each started seven games in net for BSU, with the later owning a 3.56 GAA and .880 save percentage to led the Beavers in both categories.
• The Beavers are the second-least penalized team in the country earning only 6.3 penalty/minutes/game.
• BSU is averaging a mere 1.67 goals/game while allowing 3.67 goals/game in 2012-13.
• The Beaver power-play is clicking at 6-of-45 (13.3%) through 12 games, while their penalty-kill comes in at 24-of-33 (72.7%).

MSU vs. the Rest of the Nation:  Individually, junior Tracy McCann sits 17th nationally with three power-play goals, while senior Lauren Smith stands 40th in goals/game (0.50), 17th in power-play markers (3), and 11th in game-winning goals (2)...Fellow senior Emilia Andersson rates 27th in points/game for defensemen (0.57), and junior netminder Danielle Butters stacks up 23rd in save percentage (.915), and seventh in shutouts (2).  

Special Team Success: Team-wise, Minnesota State boasts the nation’s 16th-rated power-play (17.3%) and 14th-best penalty-kill (82.5%). The Mavericks are 12th in the country in combined special teams at 53.0%.

Standing Out: Minnesota State sits sixth in the WCHA standings and in great position for a strong first-half finish.  The Mavericks are  four points shy of fifth-place Minnesota-Duluth and seven points away from the top half of the league with three series remaining before Christmas break.

What Lies Ahead:  The Mavericks look to return to their winning ways after dropping six road contests in a row to counterparts with a combined 34-5-3 over record.  However, the schedule eases up for the Purple and Gold whose next three opponents own a 16-21-3 combined mark

Score Early, Score Often:  Whoever scores first could indicate the eventual winner this weekend as the Mavericks are 3-0-1 to date when tallying the first goal and conversely, 1-8-1 when their opponents score first. Additionally, Minnesota State is 3-1-2 when scoring two or more goals in 2012-13.

Carrying the Load: Top-line forwards Tracy McCann and Lauren Smith have netted 13 of the Mavericks’ 22 goals (59%) this season along with three of the squad’s four game-winners.  The duo also leads Minnesota State in shots on goal with 38 and 47 respectively, while accounting for six of MSU’s nine power-play markers (67%).

2012 Four Nations Cup: MSU defenseman Emilia Andersson competed for Team Sweden during the 2012 Four Nations Cup held in Tikkurila, Finland.  The senior was not able to record a point during the event but her six helpers this year tie a team-high.

Third Period Magic:  MSU has made a habit of scoring late as 15 of its 22 (68%) goals have come in the third period, including five of its last seven.  The Mavericks have added four first period and three second period goals through 14 contests.

Protecting Our House: MSU holds a 3-1-2 mark at All Seasons Arena this year and is 79-132-24 all-time at home.  The Mavericks  have called the arena home since their inception in 1998.

What’s Trending: Keeping the contest close through two periods will be crucial for the Mavericks who boast a 2-0-0 record when leading after the first and second period and stand 1-0-1 when tied after two frames.  Additionally, Minnesota State is 4-1-1 when allowing two goals or fewer and has finished 2-1-0 in one-goal games this season.

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