Due Up
Ascending from an off week, Minnesota State (5-3-0, 1-3-0 WCHA) resumes Western Collegiate Hockey Association action this weekend hosting No. 1-rated Wisconsin (10-0-0, 6-0-0 WCHA). Face-offs are scheduled for 3:01 p.m., CST Friday, and 2:01 p.m., CST Saturday, at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in Mankato.
Last Action
In MSU's last action, the Mavericks were swept by then #5/6-rated Minnesota in a home-and-home series by 3-0 and 6-2 decisions, Oct. 15-16.
Before entering its last series, Minnesota State was off to a 5-1 start which marked the program's best start to a season since the 2003-04 campaign where MSU opened the season with a 6-0 record which included a pair of victories over Minnesota Duluth, North Dakota and Bemidji State. The Mavericks concluded the 2003-04 season with a 16-14-4 overall record. Now at a 5-3 mark, the last time MSU was two games above .500 eight games into a campaign was the 2018-19 season where the Mavericks concluded the season 9-19-7 overall.
Taking on #1 Wisconsin
In the all-time series vs. the Badgers, the Mavericks are 3-91-3. Last season, MSU dropped both games against UW, 3-2 and 1-0, in Mankato. Back in the 2019-20 season, the Mavericks upset the nation's top team 3-1 at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center on Feb. 8, 2020.
Minnesota State All-Time
Minnesota State, which began play in 1998-99, is in its 24th season of competition. The Mavericks have compiled a 208-518-71 (.306) record in 797 games played. MSU is in its 23rd year as members of the WCHA and hold a 126-414-56 (.259) record in 596 conference games played.
In last season's shortened and pandemic-impacted slate of games, the Mavericks closed out the season with a 7-12-1 record for fifth in the WCHA.
Hangin' Around the Polls
The Mavericks received six votes in this week's edition of the USCHO.com DI women's hockey poll. Two weeks ago, MSU received one vote to begin appearing in the poll, marking the first time since Oct. 22, 2012 when the Mavericks broke into the poll at the 10th spot.
In the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Women's College Hockey Poll, MSU received one vote marking the program's second time ever appearing in the poll (first time was two weeks ago - Oct. 12, 2021).
The Kinger
Junior forward Kelsey King is off to a hot start this season with 7-4--11 in eight contests. She scored four goals and had three assists for a seven-point series against Lindenwood, Oct. 8-9. In the first game of the series, King tied a pair of school records with four goals in a game, becoming the sixth player in program history to do so and the first since Kathleen Rogan (10-2 win over Lindenwood on Sept. 30, 2011), and by posting five points, which put her in a tie as the second athlete to do so alongside Kim Corona (11-0 win over Augsburg on Jan 23, 1999). King's third goal in game one was the eventual game-winner and marked the Mavericks' first natural hat trick since Corona accomplished the feat, which was also back on Jan 23, 1999, when MSU defeated Augsburg 11-0. King finished the big weekend with two more assists in the second contest, where the Mavericks won 7-6 in overtime.
As a result, King was named WCHA Forward of the Week on Oct. 11, marking her fifth time receiving a WCHA weekly honor since being named the Rookie of the Week four times during the 2019-20 campaign (Sept. 27-29, Nov. 1-2, Nov. 22-23 and Jan. 31-Feb. 1).
Fleming Finesses
Senior forward Brittyn Fleming returned to Minnesota State's roster this season after cashing in on her extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA to last year's student athletes who had seasons impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Last time out, the Oregon, Wis., native upped her all-time assists record at MSU to 55 with another helper in the Mavericks' 6-2 loss to the Gophers. She is MSU's leading point-scorer this season with 13 points and a team-high 10 assists over eight games.
Fleming continues on as MSU's active career scoring leader with 27-55--82 in 134 games. On the list of all-time Maverick scoring, Fleming is first in assists (55), tied for fourth in points (82) and tied for 10th in goal scoring (27).
Padding the Stats
Freshman forward Alexis Paddington leads Maverick rookies with five points on five assists in eight games this season.
Paddington provided a pair of assists in MSU's weekend sweep over Lindenwood (Oct. 8-9) which earned her WCHA Rookie of the Week honors. In the first game, Paddington helped the Mavericks with an assist on fellow freshman Jessica Boland's empty-net goal that sealed MSU's 6-2 victory. In the series finale, Paddington added another assist on Claire Butorac's opening goal for the Mavericks. In the series sweep over Lindenwood, Paddington totaled two assists, put three shots on goal and blocked four others along the way. With eight games over four weeks now under her collegiate belt, Paddington already has a pair of WCHA weekly honors.
AkerPLUS
Junior defenseman Charlotte Akervik leads the way when it comes to +/- ratings for MSU this season. The Eau Claire, Wis., native sports a +7 rating and a line of 2-7--9 which has her leading Maverick defensive scoring in each category eight games into the season. Akervik also leads MSU blueliners with nine shots on goal and a .176 shooting percentage.
To be Frank...
Sophomore goaltender Calla Frank has appeared and started in all but one game for the Mavericks this season. This year, Frank owns a 4-3 record with a 2.86 goals-against average and .906 save percentage.
As a Maverick, Frank has appeared in 43 games while making 41 starts and owns a career record of 16-21-4 with a .906 save percentage and 2.86 goals against average.
Minnesota State's Special Team
The Mavericks power play unit is off to a hot start this season with seven goals on the man advantage that stands tied for first in the WCHA and tied for second in the nation. In terms of percentage, MSU is first in the conference and third in the nation with a 7-for-19 (.368) success rate on the power play.
Despite their penalty unit being a step slower early compared to last year, the Mavericks have been among the most productive offensive units while shorthanded. As a team, Minnesota State is second in the conference and nation with a pair of shorthanded goals, with both coming off Kelsey King's stick. Leading the way in the statistic is this week's matchup, top-rated Wisconsin, with three shorthanded tallies this season.
The Captains
This season, USA Hockey announced the addition of Mavericks' senior defenseman and team captain Anna Wilgren, who made her debut with Team USA on Monday night vs. Team Canada, to the U.S. Women's National Team Olympic Residency Program in preparation for the Winter Olympics.
Jessica Kondas and Brittyn Fleming were renamed alternate captains prior to the season while Claire Butorac was named the Mavericks' newest alternate captain in the offseason. The senior trio is combining to assume Wilgren's role as head captain while she is away for the foreseeable future.
Looking Ahead
The Mavericks travel to St. Cloud State following this weekend's action for a weekend series, Nov. 5-6 at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.
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