Off the Hop
#2 Minnesota State (3-1-0 overall, 0-0-0 CCHA) continues nonconference action this weekend with a pair of games at #8 St. Cloud State (4-0-0, 0-0-0 NCHC) Friday and Saturday. Face-off between the Mavericks and the Huskies at Herb Brooks National Hockey Center (5,159) in St. Cloud is slated for 7:30 p.m. Friday and 6:00 p.m., Saturday.

Mavericks vs. Huskies
One of its oldest and most-often played opponent, Minnesota State leads in the all-time series vs. St. Cloud State 73-57-10.  The series between Minnesota State and St. Cloud State dates back to the 1969-70 season - MSU's first season of varsity men's hockey. The last meeting between the two programs came last year when the Mavericks and the Huskies played a two-game set in Mankato in early October. The Mavericks won the first game 1-0 (Oct. 8) and the Huskies won the second game 3-1 (Oct. 9).

Last Time Out
The Mavericks are 3-1-0 overall and 0-0-0 CCHA after a two-game home nonconference sweep over Minnesota Duluth last weekend. Freshman goaltender Alex Tracy stopped all 16 shots in his first career appearance and Cade Borchardt (G, 2 As) and Akito Hirose 3 As) had three points each as the Mavericks claimed a 6-0 win Friday.  Sam Morton scored both goals in Saturday's 2-1 win.

Polls
With the two wins over Minnesota Duluth last weekend, Minnesota State has moved into #2 on both the USCHO and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine national polls. The Mavericks were rated fifth in the polls the two previous polls. St. Cloud State enters this weekend rated #8 in both polls.

Maverick Hockey History
Now into the 54th year of its existence, Minnesota State owns an all-time record of 1013-670-158. The Mavericks are in their 27th year as members of NCAA Division I and are in their second season as members of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association.

Behind the Bench
Minnesota State has gone 277-97-24 under the tutelage of head coach Mike Hastings (St. Cloud State '93), who is in his 11th season behind the Mavericks' bench. Including a pair of trips to the NCAA Frozen Four in 2020-21 and 2021-22, Hastings has led the Mavericks to eight NCAA tournament appearances and no program in the nation has won more games (274) during his time behind the MSU bench.

In addition to his role as the head coach of the Mavericks, Hastings also spent three weeks in February as a member of the Team USA coaching staff at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. He also was named to the Team USA coaching staff for the 2022 IIHF Men's World Championship held in Finland in May.

Big Mac
Minnesota State won the MacNaughton Cup as 2021-22 CCHA regular season champions - marking the fifth season in a row the Mavericks has captured a league regular-season title and sixth time in the last nine years.

Minnesota State also captured the Mason Cup last season as CCHA tournament champions.

Trio of Mavericks Pick up CCHA Honors
Three members of the Minnesota State men's hockey team were singled out as the Central Collegiate Hockey Association announced its weekly awards following 6-0 and 3-2 wins over fourth-rated Minnesota Duluth last weekend.

Senior Sam Morton was named CCHA Forward of the Week, junior Akito Hirose was named CCHA Defenseman of the Week and freshman goaltender Alex Tracy picked up CCHA Rookie of the Week honors.

A native of Lafayette, Colo., Morton registered four points on three goals and an assist in the sweep over UMD. He had a goal and an assist in Friday's 6-0 win over the Bulldogs and then scored both goals in Saturday's 2-1 victory. Saturday's game-winning goal is his fifth career game-winning goal.  Morton, who won 15-of-27 faceoffs vs. UMD, has 3-2--5 in four games played for the season.

Hirose, native of Calgary, Alta., posted a four-point weekend in helping lead the Mavericks past the Bulldogs. The Salmon Arm Silverbacks (BCHL) product assisted on three goals in Friday's 6-0 win and assisted on Sam Morton's game-winning goal in Saturday's 2-1 victory over the Bulldogs. For the season, Hirose has 0-5--5 in four GP for 2022-23.

Tracy, who hails from Chicago, turned aside 31 of 32 shots for a .969 save percentage in backstopping the Mavericks to the two wins. He earned his first career shutout and first career win in his first college appearance by stopping all 16 shots in a 6-0 whitewashing of the Bulldogs Friday. He then stopped 15 of 16 shots in Saturday's 2-1 victory.

Livingstone, Hirose Rise Up
Junior defensemen Jake Livingstone and Akito Hirose continue their rise up Minnesota State's career scoring by defensemen list.

Livingstone, last year's CCHA Defenseman of the Year, has 2-3--5 in four games played this year.  His 50 points on 15 goals and 25 assists in 76 games places him 14th on the school's career scoring by defensemen list (NCAA DI-era).

Hirose, who has 0-5--5 in four games played in 2022-23, owns 3-43--46 in 70 career games and is 15th on the MSU's career scoring list.

It's All Fun and Games
Fifth-year senior defenseman Andy Carroll enters this weekend's games vs. St. Cloud State with 9-32--41 and is +64 with 86 blocked shots in 134 career games played.  The Northfield, Minn., native is Minnesota State's active career games played leader.

Catcher in the Ry
Senior forward Ryan Sandelin's has registered 2-1--3 in four games played on the season.  The Hermantown, Minn., native has 31-19--50 in 94 career games played.

If You had One Shot
The Mavericks have had 20 players on  the roster who have put at least one shot on goal this year. Senior forward Ryan Sandelin leads MSU with 17 shots on goal and is followed by Sam Morton with 11 and defensemen Jake Livingstone and Andy Carroll with 10 each.

Barri-Cade
Senior forward Cade Borchardt, who has 1-2--3 in four games played this season, is Minnesota State's active career scorer with 25-43--68 in 86 games. The Burnsville, Minn., native has 182 shots on goal and is +45 for his career with the Mavericks.

Captaincy
Senior forwards Cade Borchardt and  Brendan Furry are serving as this season's team captains (both are in first year as a captain).  Senior forward Sam Morton is in his first year as an alternate captain, as is junior defenseman Jake Livingstone.

On the Docket
Following the two games at #8 St. Cloud State this weekend, the Mavericks open CCHA play with Bowling Green visiting  Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center Oct. 28-29

A home-and-home series with St. Thomas is scheduled for Nov. 4-5, which is followed by two home games vs. Northern Michigan 18-19, a pair of road games at Michigan Tech (Nov. 26-27), two home games vs. Ferris State (Dec. 2-3), road games at Bowling Green (Dec. 9-10) and a pair of home games vs. Bemidji State (Dec. 15-16) to close out the pre-Holiday part of the schedule.