Off the Hop
Rated third this week both by USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine and USCHO, Minnesota State (18-3-1 overall, 13-1-0 WCHA) hosts Ferris State (1-21-1, 0-13-1 WCHA) in the first round of the WCHA playoffs this weekend. Face-off between the Mavericks and the Bulldogs at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center (4,832) for the best-of-three series is slated for 6:07 p.m., CST Friday, 4:07 p.m. CST Saturday and 4:07 p.m. CST Sunday (if necessary).

The Mavericks, who swept Michigan Tech last weekend, have won nine of their last ten games.
 
Mavericks vs. Bulldogs
In a series that dates back to the 1992-93 season, Minnesota State owns a 27-8-2 record vs. Ferris State.  The Mavericks have gone 4-0-0 vs. the Bulldogs this year and enter the weekend having won the last 13 meetings between the two schools. The Mavericks have met twice in the WCHA postseason - 2013-14 WCHA Final Five Championship (Minnesota State 4, Ferris State 1) and 2014-15 in WCHA Final Five Semi-Finals (Minnesota State 4, Ferris State 0). Minnesota State is 14-1-1 in games vs. Ferris State played in the Key City.

Behind the Bench
Minnesota State has gone 232-88-24 for a .709 winning percentage under the tutelage of head coach Mike Hastings (St. Cloud State '93), who is in his ninth season in charge of the Mavericks. No program in the nation has won more games (232) during the time Hastings has been behind the MSU bench. Under his leadership, the Crookston, Minn., native has guided the Mavericks to five NCAA tournament appearances, six WCHA regular-season titles and three WCHA postseason tournament championships.

The Mavericks and the MacNaughton Cup
With a 13-1-0 league mark this year, Minnesota State has won its sixth WCHA regular-season title - marking the fourth year in a row the Mavericks have accomplished the feat.

The four straight regular-season WCHA championships by the Mavericks is unprecedented. Colorado College (1993-96) and the University of North Dakota (1996-99) had won it three consecutive seasons, but Minnesota State (2017-21) is the only program to have won it four straight seasons. The WCHA has been in existence since the 1951-52 season.

The Group
In his first year serving as captain of the Mavericks is senior defenseman Riese Zmolek. Senior defenseman Jack McNeely, and senior forwards Dallas Gerads and Jared Spooner are serving as alternate captains. All three are in their first seasons wearing an "A" for the Mavericks.

Bouchon
Junior netminder Dryden McKay, who ranks second on the NCAA career shutouts list with 22, heads into this week leading the country with a 1.32 goals against average, .895 winning percentage and eight shutouts.  For his career, the Downer's Grove, Ill., native who is a Hobey Baker Award nominee and a Richter Award finalist, stands 71-13-4 with a .1.48 GAA, and .934 Sv% in 91 games played.

McKay, a First Team All-American in 2019-20, stands 7-0-0 all-time vs. Ferris State. His goals against average in seven appearances vs. the Bulldogs is 1.30 and his save percentage is .931 with two shutouts.

WD-17
Senior forward Walker Duehr is in the midst of a three-game point scoring streak during which he's scored twice and assisted on three others for five points.  Duehr, who had a goal and an assist in last Saturday's 3-2 win over Michigan Tech, has 7-6--13 on the year and for his four-year college career has totalled 22-25--47 in 96 games played.

Joule
Junior forward Julian Napravnik, who stands atop Minnesota State's scoring charts with 9-15--24 in 21 games played, tallied his team-leading fifth game-winning goal of the season when he scored in last Saturday's 3-2 home victory over Michigan Tech.  His five GWGs are tied for first in the nation and he now has 11 GWGs for his three-year career to tie for eighth on the school's all-time list.  Napravnik, whose 1.14 points per game mark ties for 17th in the nation, is tied for 22nd in the country in assists per game with a 0.71 APG mark.

Sam I Am
Junior forward Sam Morton had a two-point weekend in the home sweep over Michigan Tech with a goal in Friday's game and an assist in Saturday's contest.  For the year the Lafayette, Colo., native has registered 3-3--6 in 11 games played.

Shot Size
Senior wing Reggie Lutz, who shares the team goal-scoring lead with Julian Napravnik (they both have nine) and leads the Minnesota State with 83 shots on goal, ranks fourth on the Mavericks in points with 9-10--19 on the season. In 134 career games, the Elk River, Minn., native has registered 36 goals and 50 assists for 86 points, which ranks 27th on the school's career scoring list.

Post-Production
Senior center Jake Jaremko has tallied at least one point in six of the last nine games (2-6--8) and with 33-56--89 in 123 career GP, the Nowthen, Minn., native stands tied for 22nd on the school's all-time point-scoring list.

The Art of Self-Defense
Freshman Akito Hirose is Minnesota State's top-scoring defenseman with 1-12--13 on the year. The Calgary, Alta., native, whose 13 points and 12 assists stand tied for second in the country amongst all freshmen blueliners, leads the Mavericks with a +16 rating - a mark that ranks fourth in the country amongst all freshmen.

First Sequence
Sophomore defenseman Tony Malinowski tallied his first career goal in last Saturday's 3-2 win over Michigan Tech.  Malinowski, who also had an assist in the victory, has 1-2--3 in eight games played this year.
 
Pay it Forward
Sophomore center Nathan Smith enters this week having tallied 3-7--10 in the last 12 games.  Smith has 5-15--20 in 22 games played this year and his assists per game mark of 0.68 stands tied for 28th in the country. His goal in last Friday's 2-1 win over Michigan Tech is his second GWG this year.

Special Teams
Minnesota State has connected on 22 of 82 power play chances for a .268 power play percentage, a mark which ranks fourth in the nation. The Mavericks own an .859% success rate on the penalty kill which ranks tenth in the nation in having fended off 61 of 71 opponent chances with the man advantage.