Men's Hockey | 11/2/2016 11:05:00 AM

Off the Hop:    Minnesota State (6-2-0 overall, 4-1-0 WCHA) hits the road for a pair of Western Collegiate Hockey Association games at Lake Superior State (5-1-0, 3-1-0 WCHA) this weekend. The Mavericks and the Lakers play in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. at Taffy Abel Arena (4,000) Friday (6:37 p.m. CST) and Saturday (6:07 p.m. CST).

About the Minnesota State-Lake Superior State Series:  The Mavericks lead the all-time series with the Lakers by a 12-1-0 margin and stand 4-0-0 in games vs. LSSU played in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.

Minnesota State Most Recently:  Tenth-rated Minnesota State stands 6-2-0 overall (4-2-0 WCHA) after splitting a home league series with  Ferris State (4-2 win and 4-3 loss) last weekend.  

Lake Superior State Most Recently:  The Lakers are 5-1-0 overall (3-1-0 WCHA) on the year after splitting a home WCHA series with the University of Alaska (3-2 win and 4-2 ot loss) last weekend.  Forward Mitch Hults has 4-7--11 and sits atop the LSSU scoring charts, while Gage Torrel (4-4--8) and J.T. Henke (3-5--8) follow close behind.   Lake Superior State is led by led by head coach Damon Whitten (Michigan State '97), who stands 27-51-7 as a college head coach and is in his third year behind the Lakers' bench.

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 sport an all-time record of 842-624-148 (.568). 

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 9-32--41 with 137 shots on goal and is +16 in 109 career games...He assisted on one of Brad McClure's goals in last Friday's 4-2 home league win over Ferris State.

Carter Foguth Notes: In second season serving as team captain...Three-time letterwinner (2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16) is a WCHA All-Academic honoree last year...Has racked up 234 blocked shots and is +27 in four years of college hockey at Minnesota State...Has 4-15--19 in 118 career games.

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 43...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 6-1-0 record along with a 1.74 goals against average and a .923 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 had at least one point in six of Minnesota State's eight games this year (2-5--7), has 13-25--38 in 93 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)...Has points in five of the last six games, scored his second goal of the year in Friday's 4-2 win over Ferris State. Nelson has 14 goals and 17 assists for 31 points in 108 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 18-28--46 in 109 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 26-34--60 points in 86 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...ranks third on Minnesota State's scoring chart with 3-5--8 and heads into to the Lake Superior State series having tallied at least one point in four of the last five games. Knutson has totalled 11-17--28 in 56 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 and enters the series at Lake State owning a two-game point-scoring streak. Lewis has 2-4--6 in eight 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...found the back of the net three times in the two games vs. Ferris State last weekend, scoring twice in Friday's 4-2 win and another as Minnesota State's comeback bid fell just short in Saturday's 4-3 loss.  The Stratford, Ont., native leads the Mavericks in goals (4) and shots on goal (34).

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 stands tied for the team scoring lead. 

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 Lake State series with 7-10--17 in 44 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 11 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).

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 Lake State series with 0-3--3 in 36 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)...Assisted on a Brad McClure goal last Friday and registered his second goal of the season Saturday for a two-point weekend.  The Oregon, Wis., native has 2-1--3 in eight games 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)...Registered first point of college career last Friday in 4-2 over Ferris State with an assist on a goal by Brad McClure.

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...Registered 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 and has 0-0--0 in eight games played.

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...Made debut for Minnesota State he played in season-opening games with Michigan Tech.

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... Chipped in with an assist in both game vs. Ferris State last weekend, is tied for first on Minnesota State's scoring charts with 3-7--10 for the year.  His ten points stand tied for third in the nation in freshmen scoring.

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)...First career goal, which came in Friday's 7-1 victory over the Nanooks, was the game winner...Enters the Lake State series with 2-3--5 in eight 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-winng goal in Friday's 4-2 victory over Ferris State. Scheid is tied for seventh on the Mavericks in scoring with 3-3--6 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 Lake State series with 2-1--3 in eight games played this year.

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.

As a group, Minnesota State has the highest-scoring defensive corps in the country.  Maverick blueliners have generated 9-21--30 in eight games this year.  Boston College (7-22--29) ranks second.

Minnesota State's freshmen have racked up 10-15--25 in eight contests and are tied for third in the nation as a group.

At 118 games played, senior defenseman Carter Foguth is Minnesota State's active career games played leader. Senior defenseman Sean Flanagan is next at 109.

On Tap: Following this weekend's series at Lake Superior State, the Mavericks continue WCHA action with a two-game home series with Bemidji State Nov. 11-12.