Off the Hop
Rated No. 1 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll this week, Minnesota State faces the winners of the Northeastern Regional St. Cloud State (19-10-0) at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa., Thursday April 8. The other two teams at the Frozen Four are Minnesota-Duluth (16-10-2) and Massachusetts (18-5-4). Thursday's winners will meet in the Championship game Saturday.

Minnesota State advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four with a regional semi-final overtime win (4-3) over Quinnipiac and a 4-0 win over Minnesota in the regional championship game.  The Mavericks enter the Frozen Four owning a 22-4-1 overall record.

Minnesota State, the recipient of the 2021 MacNaughton Cup as the Western Collegiate Hockey Association regular season champion, is making its first appearance at the Frozen Four.

Mavericks vs. Huskies
St. Cloud State is one of Minnesota State's oldest, most-played opponents. The Mavericks first met the Huskies in the first year of the program (1969-70) and own an all-time record of 63-56-13 vs. SCSU.  The last time the two teams met was in 2019-20 when St. Cloud State claimed a 7-2 win in the first game of the Mariucci Classic in Minneapolis, Minn. The two teams have not met in the NCAA Division I men's hockey postseason.

Behind the Bench
Minnesota State has gone 236-89-24 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 (236) during the time Hastings has been behind the MSU bench. Under his leadership, the Crookston, Minn., native has guided the Mavericks to a Frozen Four appearance, one NCAA regional championship, six NCAA tournament appearances, six WCHA regular-season titles and three WCHA postseason tournament championships.

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.

You Don't Have to Put on the Red Light
Junior netminder Dryden McKay, who ranks second on the NCAA career shutouts list with 24, heads into the Frozen Four leading the country with a .875 winning percentage and ten shutouts.  He also ranks second with a 1.39 goals against average and is sixth with a .931 save percentage.
The year's WCHA Player of the Year and a two-time WCHA Goaltender of the year, McKay stands 75-14-4 with a .1.49 GAA, and .934 Sv% in 96 games played for his three-year college career.  The Downers Grove, Ill., native is a Hobey Hat Trick finalist for this year's Hobey Baker Award and a top-three finalist named for this year's Mike Richter Award as the national top goaltender of the year (he's the only finalist for both awards at this year's Frozen Four).

The only goaltender in NCAA history to record double-digit shutout seasons (10 this year, 10 in 2019-20), McKay is one of only two goaltenders in the history of the WCHA to lead the league in goals against average for three straight seasons, with the other being Tony Esposito who accomplished the feat while tending the net for Michigan Tech (1964-65, 1965-66, 1966-67)

Dilly Dally
Senior forward Dallas Gerads, who had an empty-net goal in the regional championship game vs. Minnesota, has a four-game point-scoring streak going with 1-4--5 during that span.  The Blaine, Minn., native has 8-9--17 in 27 games this year and for his four-year career owns 35-42--77 in 124 contests.

Sand Paper
Sophomore forward Ryan Sandelin, who scored the overtime game-winning goal in the regional semi-final vs. Quinnipiac and added a goal and an assist on the game-winning tally in the regional championship victory over Minnesota, was named the West Regional MVP.  The Hermantown, Minn., native has 7-2--9 in 26 games played this year and 8-5--13 in 31 career games.

Family Jules
Junior forward Julian Napravnik, who stands atop Minnesota State's scoring charts with 10-17--27 in 26 games played, has six game-winning goals on the year to rank first in the nation. His 12 GWGs for his three-year career ties for fifth on the school's all-time list. This year's WCHA Forward of the Year, Napravnik leads the Mavericks with five power play goals (t-13th in the nation) and has 14 career PPGs in his three seasons of college hockey.

Illumi-Nate
Sophomore forward Nathan Smith scored a goal in both games at the regional tournament and for the season, ranks third on the Mavericks in scoring with 7-17--23.

Riese's Pieces
Senior defenseman Riese Zmolek, who assisted on Sam Morton's game-winning goal in the regional championship game vs. Minnesota, has a career-high 13 points on the year with a goal and 12 assists. Zmolek, who leads the Mavericks with 44 blocked shots this season, is +57 with 178 blocked shots in 134 career games.

Mr. Livingstone, I Presume
Freshman defenseman Jake Livingstone, a member of this year's WCHA All-Rookie Team, has registered 4-10--14 in 27 games played in his first year of college hockey. Along with fellow WCHA All-Rookie Team defenseman Akito Hirose (1-12--13), Livingstone leads the Mavericks with a +17 rating. Livingstone was recently named to the CHN All-Rookie Team.

Cas-Cade
Sophomore forward Cade Borchardt had a goal in the regional semi-final win vs. Quinnipiac and added a assist in the regional championship victory over Minnesota, giving him 9-15--24 on the season.

Wy-Not
Junior defenseman Wyatt Aamodt upped his season totals to 2-5--7 in 27 GP this year with an assist in both wins at the West Regional. The Hermantown, Minn., native owns 4-13--17 in numbers in 81 career games.

Moving Forward
Sophomore forward Brendan Furry heads into the Frozen Four riding a three-game point scoring streak (0-3--3) and in 27 games on the year has registered 5-8--13.  Furry assisted on Ryan Sandelin's GWG in the overtime victory vs. Quinnipiac last Saturday.

Defensive Maneuvers
Freshman defenseman Akito Hirose, this year's WCHA Rookie of the Year and a member of the WCHA Third Team and All-Rookie Team, stands tied for third on the team with 12 assists, stands tied for first on the team with Jake Livingstone with a +17 rating and his 50 shots on goal stands tied for seventh on the team

Statistically Speaking
Including the last nine seasons in a row, Minnesota State has now won 20 games in a season 21 times in the history of the program.  

The Mavericks are 19-0-0 when leading after two periods of play and are 18-0-0 when scoring first on the season.  

Minnesota State leads the country in winning percentage (.833), shots on goal margin per game (+14.83) and fewest goals allowed per game (1.52).  The Mavericks also rank second in goal margin (+56), team plus-minus (+43) and face-off percentage (.553).

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