#1 Minnesota State Faces #6 Minnesota Duluth in Nonconference Home-and-Home Series; Mavericks Enter Second Half of 2021-22 Riding Five-Game Winning Streak and Owning 16-4-0 Record
Mavericks Enter Weekend Against Bulldogs Having Won 10 of Last 11 Games and Lead CCHA Standings With 12-2-0 League Mark; Napravnik in Midst of Eight-Game Point-Scoring Streak; McKay Now Fifth on NCAA Career Wins List

Off the Hop
Rated #1 by USCHO and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine, Minnesota State (16-4-0 overall, 12-2-0 CCHA) faces #6 Minnesota Duluth (11-6-1, 4-3-1 NCHA) this week in a pair of nonconference games.

The Mavericks and the Bulldogs play at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center (4,832) in Mankato Thursday at 7:07 p.m., CST and at AMSOIL Arena (6,800) in Duluth at 6:07 p.m., Saturday.

The Last Time Out
Minnesota State stands 16-4-0 overall and 12-2-0 in CCHA after the Mavericks picked up 5-1 and 3-1 wins at Bemidji State Dec. 10 and 11.

Junior center Brendan Furry had a goal and an assist in the 5-1 win, while sophomore center David Silye contributed a pair of assists. Ryan Sandelin, Bennett Zmolek and Furry scored goals in the 3-1 victory while senior netminder Dryden McKay picked up both wins.

Mavericks vs. Minnesota Duluth
The Mavericks have played UMD 57 times dating back to the first meeting between the two schools in 1997. Minnesota State has won the last two meetings with the Bulldogs, but trail in the all-time series 22-29-6.  

Behind the Bench
Minnesota State has gone 252-94-24 under the tutelage of head coach Mike Hastings (St. Cloud State '93), who is in his 10th season in charge of the Mavericks. Including a trip to the NCAA Frozen Four in 2020-21, Hastings has led the Mavericks to six NCAA tournament appearances and no program in the nation has won more games (250) during the time Hastings has been behind the MSU bench.

Polling
Minnesota State has been rated in the top five in all 12 polls issued by USCHO and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine this year.  The Mavericks are rated #1 in the most-recent USCHO and USA Today/USA Hockey polls, marking the fifth time this year that they've been the top-rated team in the country.

WCHA - CCHA
The conclusion of the 2020-21 season signalled the end of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.  Minnesota State had been a member of the league since the 1999-2000 season and during that time constructed a 306-249-64 mark for a .561 winning percentage in 619 league games.  The Mavericks won six MacNaughton Cups as regular-season champions in their 22-year association with the WCHA.

Minnesota State begins play in the newly-formed Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) in 2021-22, joining Michigan Tech, Northern Michigan, Lake Superior State, Ferris State, Bowling Green and St. Thomas as members of the eight-team conference.  

Out to Dry
Senior netminder Dryden McKay, a Hobey Baker Hat Trick finalist and a finalist for the Mike Richter Award in 2020-21 and a two-time All-American, McKay stands 16-3-0 for the season with a .924 save percentage and a 1.33 goals against average.

For his four-year college career, the Downers Grove, Ill., native stands 91-18-4 with a 1.50 GAA, and .931 Sv% in 116 games played.

Already this year McKay has established a new NCAA standard for career shutouts (he has 30) and a Minnesota State record for career wins.  His 91 career wins ranks fifth on the NCAA's all-time list.

Earlier this season, McKay put up three shutouts in consecutive games played, marking the third time in his career he has accomplished the feat.















Nat-urally
Junior center Nathan Smith, a two-time CCHA Forward of the Week this year, leads Minnesota State in scoring with 11-16--27 on the season. His 27 points stands tied for second in the nation.

Smith has totalled 29-50--79 in 83 career games and stands tied for 37th on Minnesota State's career scoring list.

Riding the Crest
Sophomore defenseman Jake Livingstone has 6-12--18 on the season and is tied for fourth in the nation in defenseman scoring. Livingston's six goals are tied for fifth among's the nation's defensemen.

J-Train
Senior winger Julian Napravnik enters the Minnesota Duluth series riding an eight-game point-scoring streak (3-8--11).  His career totals of 34-59--93 place him in a tie for 22nd on Minnesota State's all-time scoring list.

Elk Club
With 45 goals and 60 assists for 105 points, senior forward Reggie Lutz is 15th on Minnesota State men's hockey career scoring list. Lutz's 158 career games played stands tied for fifth on MSU's all-time list.

The Elk River, Minn., native, who is in his fifth season of college hockey, has registered 8-9--17 in 20 games played in 2021-22.

RS Feed
Junior forward Ryan Sandelin has registered 7-3--10 in the last eight games. The Duluth, Minn., native, who leads the Mavericks in goals with 12, has reached career season-highs for goals (12), assists (6) and points (18) this year.

Double A
Senior defenseman Wyatt Aamodt has tallied 0-3--3 in the last two games.  Aamodt, Minnesota State's first-year captain, has registered 5-18--23 in 102 games played.

Nothing but Bennett
Freshman defenseman Bennett Zmolek tallied his first career goal (and his first career game-winning goal) when he scored Minnesota State's second goal in Dec. 11's 3-1 win at Bemidji State. For the year, the Rochester, Minn., native has registered 1-3--4 in 15 games.

Mavericks Statistically Nationally
Minnesota State, which owns the NCAA lead with 16 wins (Michigan, Quinnipiac and Providence have 14) and face-off percentage (58.2%) and is second in  goals scored (78).

Nathan Smith is tied for second in the nation in scoring (11-16--27) and stands tied for seventh in assists (16). Brendan Furry is tied for seventh in assists (16).  Reggie Lutz is tied for 10th in shots on goal (63). Cade Borchardt (+18) leads the country in +/- rating.

Dryden McKay's six shutouts stands tied for first in the nation and his 16 wins rank first. His 1.33 GAA ranks fourth and his .924 sv% is 12th.

Notably
The Mavericks have given up one power play goal in the last eight games and have killed off 27-of-28 opponent power plays during that time.

On the Docket
Following the home-and-home series with Minnesota Duluth Dec. 30 (home) and Jan. 1 (away), Minnesota State resumes league play with a home series vs. Ferris State Jan. 7-8.