Off the Hop:  Minnesota State (23-7-0 overall, 19-5-0 WCHA) hosts Ferris State(12-19-1, 9-14-1 WCHA) in a two-game Western Collegiate Hockey Association series this weekend. Face-off between the Mavericks and the Bulldogs both Friday and Saturday at Verizon Center (4,832) is slated for 7:07 p.m. CST both nights.

About the Minnesota State-Ferris Series: The Mavericks are 16-7-2 in the all-time series with Ferris State. The first game between the two schools dates back to the 1991-92 campaign.

Minnesota State Most Recently:  Rated fifth this week by USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey, Minnesota State swept Alabama Huntsville (3-2 ot and 6-1) in a pair of WCHA contests played in the Rocket City last Friday and Saturday.  The Mavericks have enter the weekend with Ferris State having won seven games in a row and has 14 wins in the last 16 outings.
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Ferris State Recently: The Bulldogs are 12-19-1 overall and stand 9-14-1 WCHA on the season after dropping a pair of contests at the University of Alaska (4-2 and 4-1) in Fairbanks the last time they played (Feb. 2-3).  

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 48th year of competition last year.  The Mavericks are in their 22nd year as members of NCAA Division I and in their 19th season as members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. The Mavericks sport an all-time record of 881-642-153. (.571).

C.J. Suess Notes: Senior captain C.J. Suess tallied his 11th career game-winning goal when he scored in overtime to lift the Mavericks to a 3-2 victory last Friday at Alabama Huntsville. Suess, who stands tied for sixth on Minnesota State's career GWG list, leads Minnesota State in goals with a career-high 17 goals and stands as Minnesota State's active career scoring leader with 119 points on 52 goals and 67 assists.  Suess's 119 points stand tied for sixth (with David Backes) on the school's career scoring list for the DI-era. Suess, who has seen action in 147 career games, has played in 118 consecutive games.

Zeb Knutson Notes: Senior forward Zeb Knutson, who leads the Mavericks with a career-high 22 assists and is tied for the team scoring lead with 35 points, this year, has 7-13--20 in the last 16 games. The Sioux Falls, S.D., native as 36-44--80 in 117 career games with the Mavericks. His 80 points is tied for 28th on the school's career scoring list.

Clint Lewis Notes: Senior defenseman Clint Lewis drew an assist on Jake Jaremko's game-winner in a 5-2 win at St. Cloud State (Jan. 20), has 0-5--5 with 22 shots on goal and a 14 rating (tied for third on team) in 27 games played in 2017-18.

Brad McClure Notes: Senior forward Brad McClure, who ranks as Minnesota State's active career games played leader with 149 appearances, owns a consecutive games played streak of 124. McClure owns 40-44--84 numbers for his four-year Minnesota State career to tie for 22nd on the school's all-time scoring list (DI-era).

Aaron Nelson Notes: Three-year letterwinner (2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17) is a two-time WCHA All-Academic selection and two-time WCHA Scholar- Athlete honoree...Named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week following two wins at Alabama Huntsville (Jan. 6-7), started six games for the Mavericks Jan. 6-Jan. 21... Finished 2016-17 with 6-2-1 record, 2.53 goals against average and a .898 saves percentage...Recorded two shut-outs in nine starts in 2016-17...Career-high 35 saves in 4-4 overtime tie at Michigan Tech Jan. 20.

Daniel Brickley Notes: Junior defenseman Daniel Brickley, who has 8-20-28 on the season, is tied for second in the nation in points by defensemen.  Brickley has 18-52--70 in 97 career games to rank eighth on the school's career scoring by defensemen list for the NCAA DI era.

Max Coatta Notes: Junior forward Max Coatta notched first career hat trick when he scored three times in Minnesota State's 8-6 win at Bemidji State Nov. 11. Coatta has 4-6--10 in 30 games played this year, has 15-21--36, 179 shots on goal and is 13 in 105 career games with the Mavericks.

Steen Cooper Notes: Two-time letterwinner (2015-16, 2016-17)...Saw action in six games as a sophomore in 2016-17...Produced four shots on goal in second season of action...Has 1-0--1 in 16 career games with Mavericks.

Jason Pawloski Notes:  Two-time letterwinner (2015-16, 2016-17)...Completed sophomore campaign with 8-5-2 record, 2.10 goals against average and .920 saves percentage...Earned his fourth career shut-out in the 3-0 win at Boston University Oct. 13 and fifth career shutout in 3-0 win at Northern Michigan (Nov. 3)...Stands 22-11-7 and owns a .907 save percentage and a 2.12 goals against average in his  three  years at Minnesota State.

Ryan Schwalbe Notes:  Two-time letterwinner (2015-16, 2016-17)...Finished sophomore campaign with 0-1--1 in 29 games played...Has 0-0-0 in three games played in 2017-18.

Alec Vanko Notes: Two-time letterwinner (2015-16, 2016-17)...2016-17 WCHA Scholar-Athlete...2016-17 WCHA All-Academic...Scored first career goal in 7-1 win at Alaska (Oct. 21, 2016)...Registered 2-1--3 in 12 games played as a sophomore.

Michael Bigelbach Notes: Lettered in freshman campaign in 2016-17...Posted 0-2--2 and was 1 in seven games played on  the year...Tallied first career point in first career game with assist on Brad McClure goal in 4-2 home win over Ferris State (Oct. 28)...Assisted on Jordan Nelson's game-winning goal in Minnesota State's 2-1 victory at Lake Superior State, Nov. 5, 2017.

Josh French Notes:  Scored first career goal in 5-1 win over Alabama Huntsville Dec. 15, 2017...Has 1-1--2, 31 shots on goal and is 3 in 28 games played in 2017-18.

Charlie Gerard Notes:  Lettered in freshman campaign in 2016-17...Posted 3-2--5 and totalled 48 shots on goal in 28 games in debut season with the Mavericks...Has 2-3--5, has 36 shots on goal and is 4 in 14 games in 2017-18.

Edwin Hookenson Notes:  Lettered in freshman campaign in 2016-17...Posted 0-0--0 with 25 shots on goal and 22 blocked shots in 19 games in debut season with the Mavericks...Scored his first career goal in 5-2 win at Bemidji State Nov. 10, 2018. Added an assist in 8-6 victory over the Beavers Nov. 11...Has 1-5--6 in 16 games and is 11 in 2017-18.  

Marc Michaelis Notes:  Sophomore forward Marc Michaelis, who registered a five-point weekend on two goals and three assists in the two wins at Alabama Huntsville, has tallied 6-13--17 in the last 12 games.  The 2016-17 WCHA Rookie of the year stands third on the Mavericks in scoring with 13-19--32 in 26 games. Michaelis owns 27-41--68 in 65 career games played.

Nick Rivera Notes:  Two-time WCHA Rookie of the Week last year, sophomore forward Nick Rivera has 7-5--12 in 29 games played in 2017-18 with 48 shots on goal and 6 rating.

Ian Scheid Notes: Sophomore defenseman Ian Scheid, who has 8-11--19 in 30 games played this year, has 16-27--43 in 69 career games with Minnesota State (he hasn't missed a game during his time with the Mavericks). Scheid stands tied for the team lead with five power play markers.

Parker Tuomie Notes: Sophomore forward Parker Tuomie, who has at least one point in 13 of the last 16 games and has tallied 7-14--21 during that time, has 8-20--28 on the season to tie for fifth on the team scoring charts. Tuomie, who's tied for second on the team with 84 shots on goal and stands tied for the team power play goal lead with five, hasn't missed a game in his two-year Minnesota State career. He has 16-30--46 in 69 career appearances with the Mavericks.

Connor LaCouvee Notes: In first year with Mavericks after three years at Boston University... Had 2.80 goals against average, .905 saves percentage and 14-9-5 record in 32 games played during course of career with Terriers...Earned first career win as a Maverick with 32 saves in 6-3 victory at Boston University (Oct. 13)...Posted a 2-0-0 record with 2.11 goals against average and .925 save percentage in two-game WCHA road sweep at Bemidji State (Nov. 10-11)...Stopped 30 of 32 shots in Friday's 5-2 win over the Beavers and then stopped seven of eight shots in 25:21 minutes of relief work to earn the decision in the 8-6 victory Saturday...Earned his first career shutout when he turned aside 13 shots in Minnesota State's 7-0 win at Lake Superior State...Has a 17-3-0 record to go along with a 1.78 goals against average and .914 save percentage.  He has made seven starts in a row and his 17 wins are fifth in the nation.

Walker Duehr Notes: Three-year veteran of United States Hockey league spent the 2016-17 season with Chicago (42 GP, 12-15--27) and Bloomington (15 GP, 3-4--7)......Won Clark Cup in helping Tri-City capture USHL postseason title in 2015-16 where he had 10-13--23 in 38 regular-season games with the Storm...Made first career appearance with Minnesota State in 4-1 win at Bowling Green Oct. 20...Registered first career goal in 6-1 win over Bowling Green (Nov. 17)...Has 2-1--3 in eight games played in his maiden season with the Mavericks.

Dallas Gerads Notes: Spent two seasons with Dubuque of the United States Hockey League prior to joining Mavericks......Made Minnesota State debut in 6-3 win at Boston University Oct. 13...Scored first career goal and got the GWG in Minnesota State's 7-0 victory at Lake Superior State (Dec. 9)...Has 4-4--8 in 17 games played this year...Enters games vs. Ferris State owning a four-game point-scoring streak (3-2--5).

Jake Jaremko Notes:  A two-time WCHA Rookie of the Week honoree, freshman center Jake Jaremko has racked up 9-14--23 in the last 18 games and leads Minnesota State freshmen in scoring and ranks fourth on the team with 10-21--31 in 30 games.  Jaremko leads all WCHA freshmen and is second in the nation in points amongst all freshmen.

Reggie Lutz Notes: Freshman forward Reggie Lutz had a goal and two assists in the UAA series (Jan. 5-6) and has 5-13--18 in 25 games played in his first season with Minnesota State.

Jared Spooner Notes: Scored first career goal as a collegian in 6-3 win at Boston University Oct. 13...Has played in all 30 games to date for Minnesota State and has tallied 3-9--12.

Connor Mackey Notes: Alternate captain for Green Bay (USHL) in 2016-17 where he had six goals and 41 assists for 47 points in 60 games...2016-17 USHL Defenseman of the Year and USHL First Team selection led all league defensemen in scoring and ranked 16th overall in points...Has played in all 30 games for the Mavericks this year, has registered 3-7--10 in his first season of college hockey.

Jack McNeely Notes: Lakeville, Minn., native has seen action in 22 games in 2017-18 and owns 0-6--6 numbers.

Riese Zmolek Notes: Scored first career goal in 6-3 win at Boston University Oct. 14...Totalled 1-2--3 in Minnesota State's two games vs. Northern Michigan (Dec. 29-30) and has 2-3--5 in 25 games played this year.

Noteables:  Minnesota State enters the weekend ranking first in the nation in wins (23), first in goals scored (117), goals per game (3.90), goal margin ( 53), power play goals (39), power play percentage (.273), fewest shots allowed per game (22.00), shots on goal margin ( 369) and shots on goal margin per game ( 12.30).

Mike Hastings has built a 145-68-18 record in his six seasons behind the Minnesota State bench. Under his guidance the Mavericks have won at least 20 games in all six of his seasons, something that is unprecedented in the 49-year history of the program.

Hobey Info:  Fan balloting has started for the Hobey Baker Award, which is given annually to the top player in NCAA men's college hockey. A pair of Mavericks in senior center C.J. Suess and junior defenseman Daniel Brickley have been nominated for the award and fans can vote by going HERE.