Mankato, Minn.--- The Minnesota State women’s hockey team looks to gain ground in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association standings this weekend as it plays host to first-place Minnesota at All Seasons Arena in the first weekend of a four-game home stand.

Golden Gophers (22-0-0)	vs.	Mavericks (9-12-3)
36-of-102 (35.3%)	Power-Play	15-of-73 (20.5%)
86-of-94 (91.5%)	Penalty Kill	88-of-106 (83.0%)
5.7	Goals/Game	2.2
37.8	Shots/Game	25.1
10.0	Penalty Minutes/Game	7.4
Amanda Kessel (31-33--64) Hannah Brandt (21-34--55) Megan Bozek (10-22--32) Maryanne Menefee (11-11--22)	Scoring Leaders	Lauren Smith (16-10--26) Tracy McCann (11-8--19) Emilia Andersson (3-13--16) Kathleen Rogan (5-10--15)
Noora Raty (0.95 GAA)	Goaltender	Danielle Butters (2.54 GAA)

Last Time on the Ice:  Minnesota State garnered a split with Bemidji State in its first WCHA series of 2013 last weekend at the Sanford Center.  MSU dropped the series opener, 2-0, before recovering for a 4-3 victory in Saturday’s finale behind an overtime goal with 2:25 remaining from senior Lauren Zrust. Fellow senior Emilia Andersson carried the offensive attack with a one-goal, two-assist performance in the win.

A Little Bit More On the Golden Gophers:  Minnesota owns a perfect 22-0-0 overall record and a 16-0-0 mark in the WCHA including a 10-0-0 record away from home. Last weekend, the Golden Gophers picked up a home-ice sweep over the University of North Dakota by identical 6-3 scores Friday and Saturday night.

Last Time Around:  In their meeting earlier this season, Minnesota captured a series sweep over the visiting Mavericks by scores of 3-0 and 9-1. Junior Danielle Butters recorded 70 saves and senior Lauren Smith tallied the lone marker for Minnesota State in the two-game set.

Minnesota State All-Time:   The MSU women’s hockey program, started in 1998-99, is currently in its 15th season of competition and has compiled a 144-325-44 (.324) record in 513 total games played. The Mavericks are in their 14th year as members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and boast an 81-247-36 (.272) mark in 364 league contests.

Strong Special Teams: Team-wise, Minnesota State boasts the nation’s 10th-best power-play (20.5%) and 19th-rated penalty-kill (83.0%). The Mavericks are fourth in the country in combined special teams at 57.5%. MSU held Bemidji State scoreless on five power-play opportunities in two games a week ago.

Standing Out: With ten regular season league games left, Minnesota State sits in sixth place  in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association standings, a mere six points outside of a coveted top-four position.  With six of the remaining ten contests at home, the Mavericks - who are 4-3-3 at home to date - will have plenty of opportunities to gain additional ground.

To view the complete version of this release in a PDF, click HERE.