Men's Hockey | 2/24/2015 10:22:00 AM

    • Mavericks Head into Weekend Owning 23-6-2 Overall Mark
    • MacNaughton Cup on the Line With One-Point Separating Mavericks & Huskies in Race for WCHA Regular Season Championship
    • Mouillierat Becomes Tenth Former Minnesota State Player to See NHL Action

On Tap:  Rated #2 by USCHO, Minnesota State (23-6-2 overall, 19-3-2 WCHA) resumes action this week with a pair of Western Collegiate Hockey Association games Mavericks Head into Weekend Owning 23-6-2 Overall Mark; MacNaughton Cup on the Line With One-Point Separating Mavericks and Huskies in Race for WCHA Regular Season Championship; Mouillierat Becomes Tenth Former Minnesota State Player to See NHL Action' with a home series vs. #3 Michigan Tech (24-7-1, 19-4-1 WCHA). The Mavericks square-off against the Huskies at Verizon Wireless Center (4,832) Friday (7:07 p.m.) and Saturday (7:07 p.m.) CST.

Minnesota State Most Recently:  Ranked #1 in the nation four of the last six weeks, the Mavericks were idle last weekend.  Minnesota State enters the series vs. Michigan Tech having gone 18-3-2 in the last 23 contests.  

About Michigan Tech:  The Huskies, who enter the weekend with a 24-7-1 overall mark and are 19-4-1 WCHA, were idle last weekend but are riding an eight-game winning streak. Michigan Tech is led offensively by senior forward Tanner Kero (17-23--40) and junior forward Alex Petan (14-24--38). Junior Jamie Phillips (23-6-1, 1.76, .934) has started all 32 games between the pipes for the Huskies this year. Head coach Mel Pearson (Michigan Tech '81) is in his fourth year behind the Tech bench and enters the weekend owning a 67-65-16 career coaching mark.

Including a 2-0-0 mark vs. the Huskies this year, Minnesota State is 30-16-5 all-time in the series with Michigan Tech.

First Things First:   Minnesota State ranks highly in the nation in several statistical categories including owning the nation's lead in winning percentage (.774), power play goals (36), shot margin (+347), fewest shots on goal allowed (676), fewest shots on goal allowed per game (21.8) and shots on goal margin per game (+11.9).

Polling: Minnesota State is rated #2 in the country in this week's USCHO poll and is #3 in the poll released by USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine. The Mavericks have been rated #1 in the nation four times during the course of the 2014-15 season and have been ranked in the top five for the last ten weeks in a row. This year marks the first time that Minnesota State has ever been rated #1 in the nation in men's hockey.

Pinnacle:  The New York Islanders called up former Minnesota State forward Kael Mouillierat last weekend and in a game vs. Washington Saturday, Mouillierat became the tenth former Maverick to play in the National Hockey League. Mouillierat has been playing in the American Hockey League with Bridgeport (Conn.) where he has 18 goals and 22 assists for a team-leading 40 points in 51 games.

Mouillierat, who served as an assistant captain for Minnesota State during the 2009-10 campaign, finished with 49 goals and 43 assists for 92 points in 144 career games with the Mavericks. His 92 points ranks 14th for MSU's NCAA Division I era.  The Edmonton, Alta., native tied for second on MSU's scoring charts as a senior with 13-12--25 and was named team MVP.  He tied for the team lead in goals and shorthanded goals and led the Mavericks with four game-winning goals in his final season as a college player.
 
In addition to Mouillierat, other former Mavericks to play in the NHL include Tim Jackman (MSU 2000-02), Ryan Carter (2004-06), Grant Stevenson (MSU 2001-03), David Backes (MSU 2003-06), Steve Wagner (MSU 2004-07), Jon Kalinski (MSU 2005-08), Travis Morin (MSU 2003-07), Tyler Pitlick (MSU 2009-10) and Eriah Hayes (2009-13).