Anchorage, Alaska --- In the midst of a 12-day road trip, Minnesota State takes on the University of Alaska Anchorage Friday and Saturday.

The Mavericks (12-8-0, 10-4-0 WCHA), split a two-game league road series in Fairbanks last weekend, falling to Alaska in the first game 4-2 before responding with a 6-4 in the rematch. The win Saturday over the Nanooks was the first for the Mavericks in the series vs. Alaska. MSU first played UAF in 1982-83 and now stands 1-11-0 all-time vs. its northern foe.

The Mavericks, who have won eight of their last nine games, continue WCHA road action this Friday and Saturday with a pair of league games at Alaska Anchorage. MSU claimed 3-2 and 7-2 wins over the Seawolves in Mankato Nov. 29 and 30 and stand 40-22-9 all-time vs. UAA. The Mavericks head into this weekend's series owning an eight-game unbeaten streak vs. the Seawolves.

Junior forward Matt Leitner, who scored his fifth goal of the season in last Friday's game at Alaska and followed up with two assists in Saturday's 6-4 victory, heads into the series vs. UAA riding a seven-game scoring streak during which he's racked up 4-7--11. Leitner owns 33-60--93 in 97 career games and ranks 12th on Minnesota State's career scoring list (for the DI) era. Leitner's 29 blocked shots on the season leads MSU forward corps and rank fourth in the nation amongst all forwards.

Junior forward Jean-Paul Lafontaine has 10-9-19 on the year to stand atop the team's scoring chart. His eight power play goals this year stand tied for first in the nation. Lafontaine, who has 9-6--15 in the last ten games, has not missed a game in his three-year Minnesota State playing career and owns a streak of having played in 99 consecutive games. The Oxford, Mich., native owns 32-50--82 career numbers to tie for 18th on the school's DI career scoring list.

Senior forward Zach Lehrke boasts season totals of 3-7--10 in ten games played. Lehrke owns 26-38--66 in 114 games during the course of his four-year Minnesota State career.

Sophomore Teddy Blueger enters the series with Alaska Anchorage with 3-9--12 on the year. Blueger, who leads the Mavericks with 187 face-off wins on the season, has 9-22--31 in 57 career games with the Mavericks.

Freshman netminder Cole Huggins owns a 8-4-0 won-loss record, 2.02 goals against average and .921 sv% on the year. He ranks 12th in the nation in goals against average, 28th in save percentage and his two shutouts on the year is tied for eighth.

Sophomore forward Dylan Margonari ranks fourth on the team with 47 shots on goal, owns 4-4--8 in 18 games played this season.

Freshman defenseman Sean Flanagan has 3-3--6 on the season and has played in 15 games for the Mavericks. Flanagan stands tied for the team lead at +5.

Sophomore forward Bryce Gervais, who has not missed a game in his two-year MSU career and has now played 61 consecutive games, has 5-2--7 in 20 games this season. Gervais owns 13-7--20 in his two seasons at Minnesota State.

Junior defenseman Zach Palmquist drew assists on both Minnesota State goals in last Friday's game at Alaska and has racked up 2-9--11 in the last 16 games. Palmquist, who has tallied 15-40--55 in 99 career games, ranks tenth on the school's scoring by defensemen list for the DI era and has not missed a game in his three-year collegiate career.

Junior forward Chase Grant, who has totalled 18-29--47 in 99 games during the course of his Minnesota State career, is tied for first on the team with +5 on the year. In case you missed it, Grant took this video today of a moose outside the hotel where the Mavericks are staying.

Junior forward Max Gaede, who has played in 91 straight games (last 30 games of his freshman season, all 41 games in 2012-13 and 20 in 2013-14), tallied his first goal of 2013-14 when he scored the game-winner in the 6-4 victory last Saturday at Alaska. Gaede, a San Jose Sharks draftee, now has two career GWGs and owns 5-19--24 during the course of his three-year Minnesota State career.

Senior forward Johnny McInnis, MSU's team captain, heads into the series at UAA owning a four-game scoring streak (2-4--6). McInnis leads the Mavericks with 71 shots on goal and stands third on the team scoring charts with 7-8--15. McInnis, who has 29-27--56 in 113 games during the course of his four-year MSU career, has ten career game-winning goals to tie for fourth on MSU's all-time list.

Sophomore netminder Stephon Williams evened his record at 4-4-0 on the season when he stopped 17 of 18 shots in Minnesota State's 4-1 victory at Alabama-Huntsville Dec. 14th. For his two-year MSU career, the Fairbanks, Alaska native owns a 25-16-2 record, .915 save percentage and 2.21 goals against average.

Junior defenseman Brett Stern, who owns the team lead in blocked shots with 38, owns 0-2--2 on the year has played in all 20 games in 2013-14.

Sophomore defenseman Jon Jutzi, who has 1-9--10 for his two-year MSU career, ranks second on the team with 37 blocked shots. Jutzi has not missed a game during his time with the Mavericks and enters the series at Alaska Anchorage having played in 60 consecutive games.

Freshman forward Zach Stepan, who has charted 3-3--6 in his last five games and leads MSU newcomers with 5-4--9 in 15 GP, rejoined the Mavericks for last Saturday's 6-4 win at UAF having spent the Holiday break with the U.S. National Junior Team that competed in the IIHF World Junior Tournament in Malmo, Sweden.

Freshman defenseman Carter Foguth, who has played in 14 games this year, has totalled 26 blocked shots for the season. Foguth got his first point as a Maverick when he drew an assist on Dylan Margonari's goal in MSU's 3-2 win over NMU Dec. 6.

After going goalless in the ten previous games, freshman forward Jordan Nelson has scored three times in the last five games. Nelson owns a .556 face-off winning percentage (105 wins, 84 losses) in his debut season with the Mavericks.

Senior defenseman Josh Nelson missed 15 games due to injury prior to rejoining MSU's lineup for the two games at UAF last weekend. Nelson, who assisted on a goal by Jean-Paul Lafontaine in Saturday's 6-4 win over the Nanooks, has 6-17--23 in 89 career games.

The Mavericks, who had gone 4-for-46 (.086) on the power play through the first ten games of the year, have gone 20-for-57 (.350) with the man advantage in the last ten contests.

Minnesota State stands tenth in the nation in power play percentage (.223%, 23/103) and is fifth in the nation in penalty kill (.880%, 81/92).

The Mavericks, who tallied five shorthanded goals in 2012-13, have not scored a shorthanded goal in 2013-14.

Minnesota State head coach Mike Hastings is in his second season behind the bench for the Mavericks. The 2012-13 WCHA Coach of the Year owns a career collegiate coaching record of 36-22-3.

Former Minnesota State forward Eriah Hayes (MSU 2009-13) became the ninth former Maverick to play in the National Hockey League when he suited up for San Jose when the Sharks played at Chicago Sunday. Go HERE to see a listing of all nine of MSU-produced players in the NHL.

A pdf of this release, which includes a stats package, is available HERE.