Minnesota State Completes Record-Breaking Year with 38-6-0 Ledger; Mavericks Capture Fifth Straight MacNaughton Cup, Second Consecutive Regional Title and Make Second Consecutive Frozen Four Appearance
Mavericks Set School Mark for Single-Season Wins and Consecutive Victories in 2021-22; McKay and Smith Named First Team All-American; Hastings Named Spencer Penrose Award Winner as National Coach of the Year; McKay Named Hobey Baker Award Recipient and Establishes NCAA Record for Single-Season Wins and Career Shutouts

Minnesota State Men's Hockey Quick Hits
• Mavericks set school record with 18-game winning streak.
• Minnesota State has won five of last seven NCAA tournament games.
• Minnesota State led country in goals scored, scoring margin and face-off winning percentage & ranked 2nd in GAA.
• 4 players on roster with 40+ points. (Denver is only other team with this).
• Two Hobey Baker Top 10 Finalists in G Dryden McKay and C Nathan Smith.
• Nathan Smith and head coach Mike Hastings were with Team USA at Beijing Olympics in February.
• Mike Hastings named to Team USA coaching staff or 2022 IIHF Men's World Championship in Finland in May.
• Mavericks have won 274 games in 10 seasons under Mike Hastings. More wins than any other program in the country during that time.

Summing Things Up
Describing the 2021-22 season for the Minnesota State men's hockey team as record-breaking would be a disservice in that there was so much more. Certainly the Mavericks had experienced wins in previous seasons, but not 18 wins in a row and not 38 wins in a season like this year.  Certainly the Mavericks had experienced individual recognition before, but not a Hobey Baker Award like this year. And certainly the Mavericks had continued their rise up the NCAA DI postseason ladder over the several seasons, but an appearance in the national championship game like this year?  Nope, another first for the program.

In 2021-22, Minnesota State constructed a 38-6-0 record and captured the Central Collegiate Hockey Association regular-season title with a 23-3-0 league mark. After claiming the CCHA postseason tournament title, the Mavericks picked up wins over Harvard and Notre Dame in winning the NCAA Albany Regional Championship. A second straight trip to the NCAA Frozen Four saw Minnesota State down Minnesota in a semifinal contest before a loss to Denver in the national championship season ended this season.

Behind the Bench
Minnesota State has gone 274-96-24 in 10 seasons under the tutelage of head coach Mike Hastings (St. Cloud State '93). 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.
 
Polling
Minnesota State was rated in the top five in all 25 polls issued by USCHO and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine in 2021-22.  Including a nine-week span prior to the start of the Frozen Four, the Mavericks were rated #1 in the USCHO and USA Today/USA Hockey polls 16 times over the course of the season.

McHobey
Minnesota State senior netminder Dryden McKay was named the 2021-22 Hobey Baker Award recipient as the top men's hockey player in NCAA Division I.

The third goaltender to win the Hobey Baker (the others are Robb Stauber (Minnesota/1988) and Ryan Miller (Michigan State/2001)), McKay finished the 2021-22 season owning a 38-5-0 record with a .931 save percentage and a 1.31 goals against average. McKay was named 2021-22 CCHA Player of the Year, 2021-22 CCHA Goaltender of the Year and First Team All-CCHA in his senior season with Minnesota State.

McKay's 38 wins this year led the nation and established a NCAA DI men's hockey record for single-season victories.  Minnesota's Robb Stauber (1987-88) and Michigan's Marty Turco (1995-96), with 34 wins, are the previous record-holders.

A three-time All-American, McKay established a NCAA standard for career shutouts with 34 and a Minnesota State record for career wins (113, which stands second all-time in NCAA history).

For his four-year college career, McKay went 113-20-4 with a 1.46 GAA, and .932 Sv% in 140 games played with the Mavericks.  McKay, a two-time Hobey Hat Trick finalist, becomes Minnesota State's first Hobey Baker Award recipient. A native of Downers Grove, Ill., McKay has helped lead Minnesota State to this year's Central Collegiate Hockey Association regular-season title, the CCHA postseason tournament title, the NCAA Albany Regional championship, and also a spot in the national championship game.

Nap Time
Named First Team All-CCHA this year, senior forward Julian Napravnik tied for third in the nation in scoring with 49 points on 18 goals and 31 assists in 40 games played.

The Bad Nauheim, Germany native, who led Minnesota State with 129 shots on goal this season, ranked third on the Mavericks with a +33 rating, third with six power play goals and tied for fourth with three game-winning goals as a senior.

Napravnik, who signed a pro contract with Hershey following the end of the season, was the 2020-21 Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Forward of the Year and 2020-21 All-WCHA First Team.

Napravnik finished his four-year college career with 45 goals and 78 assists for 123 points in 143 games played and ranks ninth on the school's career scoring charts. His 15 career game-winning goals rank second all-time.

Raising Arizona
Nathan Smith, a First Team All-American as a junior with Minnesota State, made his NHL with the Arizona Coyotes following the end of the season.

Named this year's Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) Forward of the Year and a First Team All-CCHA selection, Smith finished the year with 50 points on 19 goals and 31 assists in 38 games played.  

A two-time CCHA Forward of the Month, he was named CCHA Forward of the Week three times over the course of the 2021-22 season. He scored the game-winning goal in Minnesota State's 1-0 win over Notre Dame at the NCAA Albany Regional and was named to the Regional All-Tournament Team.  Smith also spent three weeks in China at the 2022 Winter Olympics with the U.S. men's national team this year where he had 1-1--2 in four games played and had the game-winning goal in a win over Germany.

The Hudson, Fla., native, who was an All-Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Second Team pick as a sophomore and a WCHA All-Rookie Team honoree in 2019-20, finished his three-year college career with 37 goals and 65 assists for 102 points in 101 games to rank 17th on the school's all-time scoring charts.

First in the Phone Book
Senior defenseman Wyatt Aamodt, who signed a pro deal with the NHL's Colorado Avalanche following the end of the season, finished the season with career highs for goals (six), assists (six) and points (12) in 41 games played. He had a +22 rating to go along with 50 shots on goal and a team-high 56 blocked shots.

The Hermantown, Minn, native, who was a finalist for the 2022 Derek Hines Award (national unsung hero award) and served as this year's team captain for the Mavericks, registered the first hat trick for a Minnesota State defenseman in more than 20 years when he scored three times in a 7-1 win over Ferris State Jan. 7.

Aamodt finished his college career with 10 goals and 19 assists for 29 points in 123 games played.

Elk Club
With 52-64--116 in 175 games played for his Minnesota State playing career, senior forward Reggie Lutz  (Elk River, Minn.) finished ranking 11th on the school's career scoring list.

Jack be Quick
Senior defenseman Jack McNeely signed a pro contract with Stockton of the American Hockey League following the end of the season.

A two-time alternate captain with the Mavericks, McNeely was named to the 2022 Frozen Four All-Tournament Team. The Lakeville, Minn., native had two goals and 15 assists for 17 points with +36 rating and 52 blocked shots and played in all 44 games this year. He scored the game-winning goal in a 2-1 overtime win vs. Bemidji State March 19 in the CCHA Championship game.

McNeely had a 8-44--52 stat line in 174 career games and finished his college career ranking second all-time at Minnesota State with 174 career games played. He had a +104 rating and had 190 blocked shots for his college career.

Gamesmanship
Senior forward Reggie Lutz and senior defenseman Jack McNeely finished their college careers ranking first and second on Minnesota State's all-time games played list.

CB Radio
Junior forward Cade Borchardt, who racked up 8-16--24 in the last 24 games of the season, had 15-26--41 and played in all 44 games on the season.  The Burnsville, Minn., native owns 24-41--65 in 82 career games played.

Point Break
Forwards Nathan Smith and Julian Napravnik topped the Minnesota State scoring charts with 50 and 49 points, respectively, in 2021-22. Smith's 50 points trail only Shane Joseph's 65 points  and  Grant Stevenson 63 points in 2002-03 and equal Aaron Fox 50 points in 1999-00 on the school's DI-era single-season list.

Brendan Furry (44 points) and Cade Borchardt (41 points) also reached the 40-point plateau in 2021-22

The 2021-22 season marks the seventh season for the school's DI-era that the Mavericks have had at least two players with 40 or more points. 2021-22 marked the first year that the program (DI-era) has produced at least four players that have reached the 40-point plateau.

Minnesota State DI Teams With Multiple 40-Point Players

Nathan Smith (50)    2021-22
Julian Napravnik (49)    2021-22
Brendan Furry (44)    2021-22
Cade Borchardt (41)    2021-22

Marc Michaelis (42)    2018-19
Parker Tuomie (40)    2018-19

C.J. Suess (43)    2017-18
Zeb Knutson (43)    2017-18
Marc Michaelis (40)    2017-18

Matt Leitner (45)    2013-14
J.P. Lafontaine (40)    2013-14

Travis Morin (42)    2005-06
David Backes (42)    2005-06

Shane Joseph (65)    2002-03
Grant Stevenson (63)    2002-03

Tyler Deis (46)    1996-97
Ryan Rintoul (40)    1996-97

Furr Trapper
Junior center Brendan Furry ranked third in scoring on the 2021-22 Mavericks with 13-31--44. The Toledo, Ohio native, who played in all 44 games in 2021-22 and has played in 72 consecutive contests, has posted 18-39--57 in 72 career games.

Mavericks Statistically Nationally
Minnesota State ranked first in the nation this year with 38 wins, winning percentage (.864), goals scored (178), scoring margin (2.68), and face-off percentage (57.9%).