Minnesota State split its series in Bemidji to improve its record to 3-7-0 on the season . Alex Berg notched her first shutout in a Mavericks uniform as she helped salvage the series with a 3-0 victory on Saturday.

Due Up:
Minnesota State will look to keep its foot on the gas against Sacred Heart. SHU slots in as the fourth seed in the NEWHA (New England Women's Hockey Alliance).  MSU will kick off the weekend at Mayo Clinic HSEC against SHU on Friday at 3:00 p.m. and wrap up with a Saturday showdown with another 1:00 p.m. puck-drop.

Last Time Out:
MSU came into Bemidji last weekend riding high on its first series sweep the following weekend against St. Thomas. Minnesota State came storming out of the gate courtesy of a well-placed pass from Taylor Otremba finding Sydney Langseth at the 16:29 mark of the first period. The Mavericks looked to roll over the Beavers, however, BSU was able to escape the first period with little damage. Heading into the second, the beavers came out with a chip on their shoulders as they flew out fast and physically. At the seven-minute mark of the second period, BSU pounded one home off a Lauren Barbro rebound that tied the game up. Later in the third period, an almost identical mishandle of the rebound cost the Mavericks yet again has they given up the lead late in the third period. The Mavericks had no answer for a revived BSU defense as they dropped the first game 2-1.

Minnesota State looked to make adjustment coming into game two on the weekend. The most noticeable change came on the line chart as Alexa Berg got the call for the game two. Berg was put to work early as Bemidji took control of the momentum early. Shots at the end of the first period were 11-3 in favor of the Beavers. MSU looked ready to play in the second period as they introduced its own pressure on BSU's goaltender midway through the second. The Mavericks were able to win drawls and out hustled Bemidji to every puck that resulting in three Mavericks scoring in 58 seconds; scoring just seconds apart was Sydney Langseth, Taylor Otremba, and Charlotte Akervik. The Maverick locked down game two with a 3-0 victory making it Alexa Berg's first WCHL shutout.

Taking on Sacred Heart:
Minnesota State has never faced SHU in program history. SHU owns a 3-5-1 overall record and a 3-3-1 record against NEWHA opponents. The Mavericks are the only WCHA team Sacred Heart will matchup with this season.

The SHU offense is led by graduate student Kelly Solak and junior Paige McNeil who both own seven points on the season through seven games. Defender Kelly Solak is a force on both offense and defense as she also leads her team in blocks with 12 on the season. In goal, the Pioneers rely on a platoon surrounding junior Molly Elmore and sophomore Carly Greene. The pair has accumulated 542 minutes this season to go along with a 2.99 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage.