• Mavericks Enter Series With Michigan Tech Riding Seven-Game Winning Streak
• Four Seniors to Play in Last Home Regular-Season Contests
• Leitner Extends Point-Scoring Streak to 12 Games
• Huggins Named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week

On Tap:    Winners of its last seven games and coming off a two-game league road sweep at Lake Superior State, Minnesota State (21-13-0, 17-7-0 WCHA) closes out the Western Collegiate Hockey Association regular season with home games vs. Michigan Tech (14-16-6, 12-10-4 WCHA).

The Mavericks and the Huskies square-off at Verizon Wireless Center (4,83200) 7:37 p.m. Friday and 7:07 p.m. Saturday.

MSU Most Recently:  Minnesota State claimed 5-0 and 4-3 road wins at Lake Superior State last Friday and Saturday.

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 19 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 Huskies Report:  Including sweep over Northern Michigan last weekend, Michigan Tech heads into the series with Minnesota State having won seven of its last ten games. Junior forward Blake Pietila stands atop the MTU scoring charts with eight goals and 19 assists for 27 points and sophomore forward Alex Petan follows with 11-15--26. Sophomore Pheonix Copley (10-10-5, .909, 2.55) has seen the bulk of the netminding chores.  Head coach Mel Pearson is in his third season behind the MTU bench and enters the weekend with a 43-55-14 career coaching record.

What the What: The Mavericks, who had gone 4-for-46 (.086) on the power play through the first ten games of the year, have gone 42-for-116 (.362) with the man advantage in the last 24 contests.

Minnesota State is third in the nation in power play percentage (45/171, 2631%) and is fifth in the nation in penalty kill (126/145, 86.9%).

Minnesota State's record this year in Friday games is 9-9. In Saturday games, the Mavericks stand 13-4. The Mavericks are 13-1 in home games this year, 8-10 on the road and 0-2 in neutral site contests.

During the course of Minnesota State's seven-game winning streak, the Mavericks have outscored their opponents 30-8.

Winning: The Mavericks have won 20 games in a season during their NCAA Division I-era four times, but never in back-to-back seasons until now:

Minnesota State 20-Win Seasons (DI-Era)
Year              Record        
1999-2000    21-14-4
2002-03     20-11-10
2012-13    24-14-3
2013-14    21-13-0

Including other eras, Minnesota State has had 13 20-win seasons and the school record for wins in a season is 30 (the Mavericks went 30-9-1 in 1979-80 en route to a NCAA DII national championship).

Huggins Named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week: Minnesota State freshman goaltender Cole Huggins was named Western Collegiate Hockey Association Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in two wins last week.

The Centennial, Colo., native went 2-0-0 with a 1.50 goals against average and .932 save percentage in helping the Mavericks sweep Lake Superior State in Sault Ste. Marie.  He registered his fourth shut-out of the year by stopping all 14 shots in Friday's 5-0 win, then had 30 saves the next night in 4-3 victory.

Huggins was named WCHA Rookie of the Week earlier this year following two games with Bowling Green Nov. 15-16.

Seniors Playing in Last Home Regular-Season Games:  Minnesota State has four seniors who will be playing in their final home regular-season games this weekend in goaltender Evan Karambelas, defenseman Josh Nelson and forwards Johnny McInnis and Zach Lehrke.  The three skaters have combined for 355 games, 79 goals and 102 assists for 181 points.   The seniors will be recognized at an on-ice ceremony following Saturday's game vs. Michigan Tech.

Post-Michigan Tech:  Minnesota State will host a to-be-determined opponent in the first round of the WCHA play-offs  in a best-of-three series March 14, 15 and 16 (if necessary). The four winners of the three best-of-three WCHA first-round play-off series will travel to Grand Rapids, Mich., for the WCHA Final Five slated for March. 21-22.

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