Men's Hockey | 12/8/2015 9:20:00 AM

On Tap:    20th-rated Minnesota State (8-6-4 overall, 7-1-4 WCHA) hosts Alabama Huntsville (3-9-2 overall, 2-8-2 WCHA) in Western Collegiate Hockey Association action this weekend in Mankato. MSU and UAH play  at Verizon Wireless Center (4,832) Friday (7:07 p.m.), Saturday (7:07 p.m.) CST.

Minnesota State Most Recently:  The Mavericks are 8-2-4 in the last 14 games after skating to a pair of 2-2 overtime games at 14th-rated Bowling Green in a pair of league road games played in Ohio last weekend. The Mavericks are unbeaten in their last seven games and stand 8-6-4 overall.  Minnesota State is 7-1-4 in WCHA games with the 18 points placing the Mavericks atop the WCHA standings, two points in front of Bowling Green and Michigan Tech.

About Alabama Huntsville:  The Chargers, who enter this weekend after a 4-3 loss and a 1-1 overtime tie in a pair of home league games vs. Northern Michigan last weekend, stand 3-9-2 overall and are 2-8-2 WCHA for the year. UAH is paced offensively by sophomore forwards Max McHugh (4-10--14) and Brennan Saulnier (6-6--12), along with junior forward Chad Brears (5-6--11). Junior Carmine Guerriero (2-5-2, 2.75 GAA, .903 save percentage) has nine starts this year for the Chargers. Mike Corbett (Denver'96) is in his third season as head coach of the Alabama Huntsville men's hockey program and owns a 13-70-7 mark as the Chargers' bench boss.

Mavericks vs. Chargers:  Minnesota State stands 25-19-5 all-time in the series vs. the Chargers and is 14-0-2 in the last 16 meetings between the two schools. Minnesota State's last loss to UAH was in 2001-02.

Poley:  Minnesota State is 20th in this week's USCHO.com poll, marking the first time Mavericks have been ranked since the second week of the season.

Stats Stuff:  As a team Minnesota State is outshooting its opponents 582-417 through the team's first 18 games this year. The Mavericks, who have outshot their opponents in 13 of their 18 games on the season, rank first in the nation for fewest shots on goal allowed per game (23.17) and rank fifth in shots on goal margin with a +9.17 SOGM mark.

Minnesota State has scored the first goal in seven of its 18 games this year and is 4-0-3 in those games.

Minnesota State's seven-game unbeaten streak, in which it has gone 3-0-4, stands tied as the fifth-longest unbeaten streak in the nation.

In the Wings:  Following the two games with Alabama-Huntsville, Minnesota State's next action is Jan. 6-9 when Northern Michigan visits Mankato for a pair of league contests.