On Tap:    Winners of its last five games and idle last weekend, Minnesota State (19-13-0, 15-7-0 WCHA) resumes action this weekend with a pair of Western Collegiate Hockey Association games at Lake Superior State (16-15-1, 12-12-0 WCHA) in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.

The Mavericks and the Lakers square-off at LSSU's Taffy Abel Arena (4,000) 7:37 p.m. Friday and 7:07 p.m. Saturday. Please note that times listed are Eastern Time Zone.

The two games represent the first meetings between the two teams.

MSU Most Recently:  Minnesota State last played Feb. 14 and 15 when it picked up a pair of 4-0 league home wins over Alabama Huntsville.

Mavericks, Bulldogs Clinch Home Play-Off Series:  Not only have Ferris State and Minnesota State clinched a spot in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association play-offs, the two teams have also clinched first and second place, guaranteeing a home play-off series for both schools.

The first round of the league play-offs are best-of-three affairs, featuring the top ten teams in five series played at the five top seeds and run March 15, 16 and 17 (third game played if necessary).

Minnesota State's 17 wins in conference  play this year represent the most-ever won by the Mavericks in WCHA play.  MSU won 16 last year in finishing in a tie for fourth in the final league standings.

The Laker Report:  Including a home sweep over Alabama Huntsville last weekend, Lake Superior State heads into the series with Minnesota State having won five of its last eight games. Freshman forward Alex Globke stands atop the LSSU scoring charts with 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points and seniors Kevin Kapala (9-5-1, 2.39, .931) and Kevin Murdock (7-10-0, 3.81, .891) have split the netminding chores. Murdock spent the 2010-11 season tending the net for Minnesota State.  Head coach Jim Roque is in his ninth season behind the LSSU bench and enters the weekend with a 136-161-45 career coaching record.

What the What: The Mavericks put 65 shots on goal in the 4-0 win over Alabama Huntsville Feb. 15th in marking the most shots on goal during the school's NCAA Division I era. The previous high was 60 shots vs. American International Dec. 28. 2002. The school record for shot on goal is 84 (vs. St. Scholastica, Jan. 26, 1991).

The Mavericks, who had gone 4-for-46 (.086) on the power play through the first ten games of the year, have gone 40-for-114 (.350) with the man advantage in the last 22 contests.

Minnesota State is third in the nation in power play percentage (43/165, 26.1%) and is fourth in the nation in penalty kill (121/138, 87.7%.

Minnesota State leads the country in PIMs per game (17.7)
 
Bryce Gervais leads the Mavericks with two shorthanded goals on the year. The Mavericks have scored four shorthanded goals in the last eight games.

Minnesota State's record this year in Friday games is 7-9. In Saturday games, the Mavericks stand 12-4. The Mavericks are 13-1 in home games this year, 6-10 on the road and 0-2 in neutral site contests.

Post-Lake Superior State:  Minnesota State closes out the 2013-14 regular season with home games vs. Michigan Tech March 7-8.

The complete 13-page release as a pdf is available HERE.
.