Men's Hockey | 11/15/2016 2:11:00 PM

Off the Hop:    Minnesota State (7-4-1 overall, 5-4-1 WCHA) steps outside the Western Collegiate Hockey Association with two nonconference games vs. the University of Minnesota (4-2-2 overall, 0-0-0 Big 10) this weekend. The 15th-rated Mavericks and the seventh-rated Golden Gophers play at Verizon Center (4,832) Friday (7:07 p.m. CST) and in Minneapolis at Mariucci Arena (10,000) Saturday (8:00 p.m. CST).

About the Minnesota State-Minnesota Series:  The Golden Gophers own a 36-13-7 advantage in the all-time series with Minnesota State, but the Mavericks have won three of the last four contests between the two programs.

Minnesota State Most Recently:  15th-rated Minnesota State stands 7-4-1 overall (5-4-1 WCHA) after two home games with Bemidji State last weekend. The Mavericks and the Beavers fought to 1-1 tie Friday (BSU got an extra point after scoring a goal in 3x3 ot) and BSU claimed a 2-1 victory in overtime Saturday.

About Minnesota:  The Golden Gophers, who enter the weekend rated seventh by USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine, stand 4-2-2 overall and are 0-0-0 in Big 10 games on the year. Minnesota, which was idle last weekend, is undefeated in its last four games. The Gophers went 1-0-1 vs. North Dakota (2-0 W, 5-5 tie) the last time they played (Nov. 4-5).

     Sophomore forward Tyler Sheehy has 4-6--10 on the year to sit atop the Minnesota scoring charts, while junior forward Mike Szmatula (4-5--9), senior forward Vinni Lettieri (4-4--8) , Tommy Novak (3-4--8) and Jake Bischoff (2-6--8) follow close behind. Sophomore Eric Schierhorn (4-2-2, 2.69, .895) has started all eight games in the Minnesota net. The Gophers are led head coach Don Lucia (Notre Dame '81) who stands 698-376-99 and is in his 30th season as a college head coach.

Minnesota State On the Web:  Tickets, Releases, statistics, player and staff biographies, etc. on all of Minnesota State's 20 sports are available at the official website of MSU Athletics located at www.msumavericks.com

Minnesota State All-Time:  The Minnesota State men's hockey program, begun in 1969-70, completed its 47th year of competition last year.  The Mavericks are in their 21st year as members of NCAA Division I and in their 18th season as members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.   The Mavericks are 843-626-149 (.567) all-time and stand 216-212-58 (.506) in regular-season games vs. WCHA opponents.

Sean Flanagan Notes: In first season serving as an alternate captain...Three-time letterwinner (2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16) is a two-time WCHA All-Academic honoree and WCHA Scholar-Athlete honoree (at least 3.50 grade point average)...Has 1-4--5 on the year. Flanagan owns 9-34--43 with 143 shots on goal, is +15 and has 95 blocked shots in 113 career games.

Carter Foguth Notes: In second season serving as team captain...Three-time letterwinner (2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16) was a WCHA All-Academic honoree last year... Stands as Minnesota State's active career games played leader (121)...Has 29 blocked shots this year, which is tied for seventh in the nation...Has registered 245 blocked shots and is + 26 in his four seasons with the Mavericks.

Cole Huggins Notes: Three-year letterwinner (2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16) is a two-time WCHA All-Academic pick...Owns school record for shut-outs with 11 and ranks sixth on school's career wins list with 44...Named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week (third time in career) after backstopping Mavericks to 3-1 an 4-0 wins over #17 Michigan Tech Oct. 7-8, owns a 6-3-0 record along with a 2.02 goals against average and a .919 save percentage this year. 

Michael Huntebrinker Notes: Three-year letterwinner (2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16) is in first year as an alternate captain...Two-time WCHA All-Academic honoree and WCHA Scholar-Athlete honoree (at least 3.50 grade point average)...Has 2-5--7 in 12 games played this year... 13-25--38 in 97 career games with the Mavericks.

Jordan Nelson Notes: Three-year letterwinner (2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16) is a two-time WCHA All-Academic honoree and WCHA Scholar-Athlete honoree (at least 3.50 grade point average)...who has points in six of the last ten games, leads the Mavericks with 94 face-off wins and face-off percentage (.543)...Williston, N.D., native has 15 goals and 17 assists for 32 points in 112 career games played.

Zach Stepan Notes:  Three-time letterwinner (2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16) is a 2012 Nashville Predators draft pick (4th round, 112 overall)...Has 18-30--48 in 110 career games.

C.J. Franklin Notes: Two-year letterwinner is in first season as team captain...2014 Winnipeg Jets draftee (5th round, 129th overall)... Finished third on team in scoring and second in goals with 14-11--25 in sophomore season and saw action in all 41 games...Minnesota State's active career scoring leader with 26-35--61 points in 90 games played.

Zeb Knutson Notes: Two-year letterwinner (2014-15, 2015-16) finished sixth on school's point-scoring charts in 2015-16 with six goals and 11 assists for 17 points...Tied for third on Minnesota State's scoring chart with 3-5--8...Has totalled 11-17--28 in 60 career games.

Clint Lewis Notes: Lettered as a freshman in 2015-16...Missed most of season due to injury (saw action in six games)...Had an assist in each game vs. Ferris State (Oct. 28-29) and enters the series with Bemidji State owning 2-4--6 in 12 games played in 2016-17.

Brad McClure Notes: Two-time letterwinner (2014-15, 2015-16) is in first  year as an alternate captain...Posted 5-8--13 numbers while playing in all 41 games as a sophomore...Leads the Mavericks in shots on goal with 45 which stands tied for 11th in the country. The Stratford, Ont., native shares the team lead for goals with five.

Aaron Nelson Notes: Two-year letterwinner was a WCHA All-Academic selection last year.

Daniel Brickley Notes: Lettered in first season with Mavericks (2015-16)....Named to 2015-16 WCHA All-Rookie Team...Collected 2-9--11 in 36 games played as a freshman... Had three assists in Friday's 7-1 win at Alaska (Oct. 21) and with 1-9--10 on the year ranks second on the Mavericks in scoring. 

Max Coatta Notes: Lettered in first season with Mavericks (2015-16)...Named to 2015-16 WCHA All-Rookie Team.....Tied for third in the WCHA in rookie scoring with 5-6--11 in 28 league games...Collected 5-8--13 in 36 games played as a freshman...Enters Minnesota  series with 7-11--18 in 48 career games.

Steen Cooper Notes: Lettered in first season with Mavericks (2015-16)...Collected 1-0--1 in 10 games played as a freshman... Scored first career goal in 2-2 overtime tie in WCHA road game at Northern Michigan (Nov. 21)...Enters weekend with 1-0--1 in 14 career games.

Chandler Madry Notes: Lettered in first season at Minnesota State (2015-16)...Had 2-1--3 in nine games played in debut season with Mavericks...Registered first career goal in 2-0 home win over Alaska Anchorage (Nov. 27, 2015)...Also scored in a game at Michigan Tech (Jan. 16, 2016)... Scored his first career game-winning goal in 6-4 victory over St. Cloud State (Oct. 15, 2016), has 3-1--4 in 13 career games.

Jason Pawloski Notes:  Lettered in first season with Mavericks (2015-16)....8-2-5 won-loss record with .901 save percentage and 1.85 goals against average in first year of college hockey...Named WCHA Rookie of the Week after backstopping Mavericks to a two-game home league sweep over Alaska Anchorage with a 2-0-0 record, a 1.00 goals against average and a .947 save percentage (Nov. 27-28)...Got his first win of 2016-17 when he stopped 18 shots in Minnesota State's 2-1 win at Lake Superior State, Nov. 5. Pawloski (1-1-0, 2.02, .919 in 2016-17) owns a 9-3-6 career record with a 1.88 GAA and .905 sv%.

Ryan Schwalbe Notes:  Lettered in first year with Minnesota State (2015-16)...Had 0-3--3 in 28 games in debut season with Mavericks while playing both forward and defense...Had 24 shots on goal and blocked eight shots...First career point came in 3-2 win at Ferris State (Nov. 7) when he assisted on a goal by Casey Nelson...Enters Bemidji State series with 0-3--3 in 40 career games played.

Alec Vanko Notes: Lettered in freshman season (2015-16)...Registered 0-4--4 and was +3 in 12 games played in debut season with Minnesota State...Scored first career goal in 7-1 win at Alaska (Oct. 21, 2016)...Oregon, Wis., native has 2-1--3 in ten games played this year.

Michael Bigelbach Notes: Played two seasons with Omaha (USHL) where he served as an alternate captain for the Lancers in 2015-16...Had 2-10--12, along with 105 PIMS with Omaha in 2015-16...Toiled in the North American Hockey League in 2013-14, playing 44 games with Minot (4-10--14) and 18 games with Janesville (0-2--2)...Assisted on Jordan Nelson's game-winning goal in Minnesota State's 2-1 victory at Lake Superior State, Nov. 5...Has 0-2--2 and is +1 in five games played on  the year.

Josh French Notes:  Spent two campaigns with Omaha (USHL) where he had 16-32--48 and served as an alternate captain for the Lancers in 2015-16...Led Omaha in points and assists and was named team MVP and Forward of the Year in 2015-16...Posted eight points on a goal and seven assists and was +10 with Omaha in 2014-15...Made debut for Minnesota State he played in season-opening games with Michigan Tech, Oct. 7 and has played in every game this year... Registered first career point with an assist on Charlie Gerard's goal last Friday vs. Bemidji State.

Charlie Gerard Notes:  Played with three different teams in the USHL in 2015-16 - Collected 10 goals and five assists for 15 points in 26 games with Madison, 3-5--8 in 18 GP with Fargo and 6-4--10 with Muskegon...Totalled 17-16--33 with Madison in 2014-15...Member of Ohio Blue Jackets U18 team in 2013-14 where he racked up 29 goals and 15 assists in 36 games played...Notched first career goal when his scored in last Friday's 1-1 home tie with Bemidji State and has 1-0--1 in four games played to date.

Edwin Hookenson Notes:  Spent three seasons with Nanaimo (BCHL) where he served as an alternate captain for the Clippers and earned team's Coaches Award in 2015-16...Had six goals and 17 assists for 23 points in 58 games in 2015-16...Registered 5-23--28 in 58 games and was named team's Most Improved Player in 2014-15 in helping lead Nanaimo to an Interior Division regular-season title and play-off series victories over Alberni Valley and Powell River and a place in the BCHL championship series....Played with Swift Current (Sask.) Legionnaires midget AAA program where he served as team captain and had 7-23--30 in 44 games in 2012-13. 

Marc Michaelis Notes:  Two-year USHL vet spent a pair of seasons with Green Bay where he had 10-41--51 in 59 games in 2015-16... Tallied his third power play goal of the season in Saturday's game against Bemidji State and with 5-8--13 on the year leads the Mavericks in scoring. His 13 points stands sixth nationally amongst all rookies and tops all WCHA first-year performers.

Nick Rivera Notes:  Team captain for Omaha (USHL) in 2015-16...Had 23-18--41 with 132 PIMs and +5 in 48 games with Lancers in 2015-16...Had 14-14--28 and was +12 in 58 games with Omaha in 2014-15 and collected 18-9--27 with Wenatchee (NAHL) in 2013-14...Scored twice and had two assists in earning WCHA Rookie of the Week honors for his play in Minnesota State's two games at Alaska Oct. 21-22)...Enters Minnesota series with 2-3--5 in 12 games played.

Ian Scheid Notes:  Played the first five games of the 2015-16 season with Fargo (USHL) before being traded to Sioux City where he had 5 goals and 11 assists for 16 points in 47 games...Spent the 2014-15 campaign with Austin (NAHL) where he registered 12-23--35 in 55 games with the Bruins and was named NAHL All-Rookie First Team...Scored his first career game-winning goal in 4-2 victory over Ferris State (Oct. 28)...Has played every game for Minnesota State in debut season...Stands tied for sixth on the Mavericks in scoring with 3-4--7 on the season.

Parker Tuomie Notes:  Former Sioux Falls (USHL) captain...Had a goal and three assists, along with 10 shots on goal, in earning WCHA Rookie of the Week honors for his role in Minnesota State's two wins over St. Cloud State (Oct. 14-15)...Enters Minnesota series with 2-2--4 in 12 games played and stands fourth on the Mavericks with 26 shots on goal.

Noteables:  Along with senior defenseman Carter Foguth, who is in his second season as a team captain for the Mavericks, junior forward C.J. Franklin will also wear a "C" for Minnesota State this year. Serving as alternate captains (all in their first year) are senior forward Michael Huntebrinker, senior defenseman Sean Flanagan and junior forward Brad McClure.

Minnesota State's defensive corps stands tied as the eighth-highest scoring blue line group in the nation, generating 9-25--34 through 12 games this year.  

Minnesota's freshmen have racked up 13-20--33 in 12 contests so far this season and are tied for sixth in the nation as a group.

At 121 games played, senior defenseman Carter Foguth is Minnesota State's active career games played leader. Senior defenseman Sean Flanagan is next at 113, Jordan Nelson is third at 112 and Zach Stepan fourth with 110.

On Tap: Following this weekend's series vs. Minnesota, the Mavericks are idle next weekend before hosting Alaska Sec. 2-3.