Due Up
After being idle last week, Minnesota State (5-9-0, 1-9-0 WCHA) is back in action this weekend with a home-and-home series against St. Thomas (4-9-1, 2-9-1 WCHA) in Western Collegiate Hockey Association action. Face-offs are scheduled for 3:01 p.m., CST Friday, at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in Mankato and 2:01 p.m., CST Saturday, at St. Thomas Ice Arena in St. Paul.
Last Action
In MSU's last action, the Mavericks were swept by #2 Ohio State (Nov. 19-20) on the road after falling 6-3, Nov. 19, prior to suffering a 9-0 defeat, Nov. 20.
Before dropping its last eight games, Minnesota State was off to a 5-1 start which marked the program's best start to a season since the 2003-04 campaign, when MSU got off to a 6-0 start.
Taking on St. Thomas
This marks UST's inaugural season as members of the WCHA. The Mavericks and Tommies share one previous meeting back on Feb. 24, 1999. MSU prevailed in the contest, which was played on the road in St. Paul, by a final score of 14-0.
The Tommies are off to a 4-9-1 start overall in their first season competing at the Division I level. A 2-9-1 record in WCHA action has them tied for fifth in the conference standings.
Minnesota State All-Time
Minnesota State, which began play in 1998-99, is in its 24th season of competition. The Mavericks have compiled a 208-524-71 (.303) record in 803 games played. MSU is in its 23rd year as members of the WCHA and hold a 126-420-56 (.256) record in 602 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 standings.
The Captains
Currently with the USA Hockey Residency Program, senior defnseman Anna Wilgren is serving as captain of the Mavericks this year.
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.
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. In the Mavericks' last action on Nov. 19-20, the Oregon, Wis., native upped her all-time assists record at MSU to 59 with one more helper in the series at #2 Ohio State. She is MSU's leading point-scorer this season with 18 points and a team-high 14 assists over 14 games. Fleming also leads the Mavericks with a +2 rating.
Fleming also remains MSU's active career scoring leader with 28-59--87 in 140 games. On the list of all-time Maverick scoring, Fleming is first in assists (59), fourth in points (87) and 10th in goal scoring (28).
The Kinger
Junior forward Kelsey King ranks second on the Mavericks in goals and point-scoring with 8-5--13 in 14 contests. She scored a career-high 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 the game was the eventual game-winner and marked the Mavericks' first natural hat trick since Corona accomplished the feat, which also last occurred on Jan 23, 1999, when MSU defeated Augsburg 11-0. King finished the big weekend with two more assists in the series finale, 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).
Padding the Stats
Freshman forward Alexis Paddington leads Maverick rookies with 2-5--7 in 14 games this season. She collected her first goal when she opened the scoring in the Mavericks' 6-2 loss to #1 Wisconsin, Oct. 30.
The Maverick rookie has five assists this season after providing three in her first series dawning the purple and goal at Merrimack (Sept. 24-25) before collecting two more in MSU's series hosting Lindenwood (Oct. 8-9). As a result of her efforts in both series sweeps for MSU, Paddington was twice named WCHA Rookie of the Week (Sept. 27 and Oct. 11).
Akervik Loves Apples
Junior Charlotte Akervik leads Maverick defensemen with a pair of goals and nine assists for 11 points this season. She also leads MSU blueliners with 35 shots on goal and a .057 shooting percentage. The Eau Claire, Wis., native owned a +3 rating in 12 games entering MSU's last series in Columbus (Nov. 19-20) before falling to -2 after the pair of road contests vs. #2 Ohio State.
To be Frank...
Sophomore goaltender Calla Frank has appeared and started in all but three games for the Mavericks this season. This year, Frank owns a 4-6 record with a 3.65 goals-against average and .886 save percentage.
As a Maverick, Frank has appeared in 47 games while making 45 starts and owns a career record of 16-25-4 with a .905 save percentage and 2.92 goals against average.
Minnesota State's Special Teams
The Mavericks' power-play unit is off to a hot start this season with 10 goals in 14 games. In terms of percentage, MSU is third in the conference and 10th in the nation with a 10-for-33 (.303) success rate on the power play.
Despite their penalty-kill unit being a step slower compared to last year, the Mavericks have also been among the most productive offensive units while shorthanded. As a team, Minnesota State is third in the conference and fourth in the nation with a pair of shorthanded goals, both have come off Kelsey King's stick (two vs. Merrimack Sept. 24-25). Among the individual standings, King is second in the WCHA and NCAA with a pair of short-handed goals.
Looking Ahead
Following this weekend's action, MSU hosts St. Cloud State, Dec. 10-11, before traveling to Bemidji State, Dec. 17-18, to close out the pre-winter break portion of their schedule. MSU opens the new year hosting Syracuse, Jan. 7-8.
-30-
