Off the Hop: Twelfth-ranked Minnesota State (24-12-1 overall, 16-9-1 CCHA) will battle for the CCHA tournament championship for the second year in a row, as the #1-seeded Mavericks host #4-seeded Northern Michigan University (21-16-0, 14-12-0 CCHA) March 18 at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center. Puck drop for the Mason Cup Championship is set for 6:07 p.m.
Conference Tournament Time: The Mavericks are the reigning Mason Cup Champions after defeating Bemidji State 2-1 in overtime in 2021-22. With the win, MSU claimed its fourth conference tournament title in the program’s Division I history (2013-14, 2014-15, 2018-19, 2021-22). Minnesota State has advanced out of the first round in 11 straight seasons, which includes a 2-0 sweep of Lake Superior State in the quarterfinal round this season. MSU has played in five conference tournament championship games in the Division I era. In addition to the four wins, the Mavericks also played in the title game in 2015-16.
Northern Michigan enters the championship game after winning its first round series against Bemidji State (7-3 and 2-1) and then going on the road to upset #2-seeded Michigan Tech, 4-0.
Mavericks vs. Wildcats: The Mavericks own an all-time record of 25-8-3 against the Wildcats, which includes a 3-1 record this season. In the last two meetings on the road, MSU won 5-2 and 5-3, which jump started an eight-game win streak and the start of a perfect month of January. In the four meetings, junior defenseman Jake Livingstone led the team with seven points (3-4--7). Junior forward David Silye also has three goals (all on the power play) and added two assists for five points against NMU. Minnesota State has seven power play goals this season against the Wildcats. MSU is 14-4 against NMU at home.
The faceoff dot will play a key role, as Minnesota State leads the nation in face off percentage at 59.6 % (1220 won, 826 lost) and NMU is third at 55.2% (1173-951). MSU has moved into the top spot nationally with a 29.1 percentage on the power play. Northern Michigan touts the fifth best penalty killing percentage at 85.4 percent. The Wildcat power play is 13th in the nation (23.8%), while the Mavericks own an 82.6 penalty killing percentage to sit 15th. The Mavericks have a +1.30 scoring margin to rank seventh nationally, while NMU is 18th with a +0.57 margin.
Home Ice Advantage: Through 17 home dates, Minnesota State is averaging 4,519 fans which is 93.5% capacity of the 4,832 seat Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center. The Mavericks have reached 90% or higher capacity 12 times this season, with six games reaching “standing room only capacity” and three of those being sell outs. The Mavericks rank 12th nationally in average attendance and lead the CCHA in attendance per game. In terms of capacity percentage, the Mavericks sit eighth nationally and are one of 12 teams with more than 10 home games to have an average capacity of 90% or higher.
20-Plus Dubs: With MSU’s 4-1 win at Bemidji State (Feb. 17), the Mavericks secured their 23rd 20-win season, and the 12th in the Division I era. Head coach Mike Hastings is tied with Don Brose with 11 20-win seasons, while Troy Jutting had one. Hastings and the Mavericks have hit the 20-win plateau in every season he has been with the program. The 24 wins this season is tied for 12th most in program history (T-7th in the Division I-era).
What2Watch4: Senior Andy Carroll is third all-time in career games played with 167 ... Jack McNeely is second all-time with 174 games from 2017-22 ... Junior defenseman Jake Livingstone has 79 career points, which ranks seventh on the school’s all-time scoring chart by a defenseman … He is one points from a tie with Steven Johns (2001-05) for sixth all-time ... Livingstone’s four points against Ferris State last weekend was the most scored by a Maverick this season … Junior defenseman Akito Hirose is 10th all-time in career scoring by a defenseman with 68 points ... Hirose is nine points away from ninth all-time with 77 points ... Daniel Brickley scored 77 points from 2015-18 ... Senior defenseman Andy Carroll is 12th all-time in career scoring by a defensemen with 63 points ... Carroll is three points shy of tying Ben Youds (2007-11) for 11th all-time with 66 career points … Senior forwards Cade Borchardt and Brendan Furry each have 84 career points which is tied with Geoff Irwin (2006-10) for 31st all-time (Division I Era) ... Akito Hirose is the team’s active leader in assists with 61 … Last weekend, senior forward Ryan Sandelin joined the 75-point club for his career as he recorded a pair of assists... Sandelin joins Jake Livingstone (79), Brendan Furry (84) and senior Cade Borchardt (84) as the only Mavericks with 75 or more career points … Jake Livingstone (128) and Andy Carroll (112) are the only two active Mavericks with over 100 career blocked shots … The Mavericks have scored the game’s first goal 17 times this year with junior David Silye scoring a team-high five of those goals ... Seven Mavericks have played in over 100 career games led by Andy Carroll’s 167 career games ... Carroll is joined by Ryan Sandelin (126), Cade Borchardt (119), Jake Livingstone (109), Brendan Furry (109), Sam Morton (107) and Akito Hirose as active Mavericks with 100+ games played ... Senior forward Ryan Sandelin is the only Maverick with 300 career shots (333)… Seniors Cade Borchardt (264), Andy Carroll (233), Sam Morton (200) Brendan Furry (213) and junior Jake Livingstone (204) join Sandelin as the only Mavericks with 200+ career shots … For the season, Ryan Sandelin has a team-high 138 shots, which is 48 more than junior Jake Livningstone who is second on the team in shots with 90 ... Junior David Silye is two points shy of becoming the 13th player under head coach Mike Hastings to score 40 or more points in a season ... Silye’s teammates Brendan Furry (13-31--44 in 2021-22) and Cade Borchardt (15-26--41 in 2021-22) are the only active Mavericks in that group ... Minnesota State’s next shorthanded goal will be its first shorthanded goal of the season … Junior forward David Silye’s 12 power play goals ranks tied for second in the nation and is the most by a Maverick since JP Lafontaine tallied 14 on the man advantage in 2013-14 ... Freshman Simon Tassy scored his first career goal in MSU’s 6-1 win over Lake Superior State ... Freshmen Campbell Cichosz and Mason Wheeler are the lone active skaters without a scoring tally this year … Minnesota State is 14-3 in the new calendar year … The Mavericks have scored multiple power play goals on 11 occasions this season, which includes the last four games (10 goals).
Last Time Out: The Mavericks upended #6-seeded Ferris State, 7-2, in the Mason Cup playoffs semifinal round. FSU scored first late in the first, but two MSU goals just 28 seconds apart had the home team ahead 2-1 after the opening period. Freshman forward Christian Fitzgerald scored the opening goal, then junior forward David Silye netted his 12th power play goal of the year. The two players assisted on each other’s goals.
Senior forward Brendan Furry scored on the man advantage early in the second and then senior forward Cade Borchardt potted a goal to give the Mavericks a 4-1 lead. Senior forward Lucas Sowder registered an assist on each of the goals.
The Bulldogs scored on the power play midway through the period and the game entered the third at 4-2.
Junior forward Ondrej Pavel scored 12 minutes into the third period to give the Mavericks a three-goal lead. With about five minutes to play, Sowder got in the scoring column on an empty netter to increase the lead.
The final goal came on the power play about a minute and a half later, as junior defenseman Jake Livingstone scored to record a four-point game thanks to three helpers earlier in the game. Fitzgerald assisted on the final goal to give him three points in the game. Furry and Sowder also had three-point performances with a goal and two assists each.
Sophomore goaltender Keenan Rancier totaled 19 saves in the win.
Following the performance, the Mavericks claimed three of the four CCHA Player of the Week awards, as Furry (forward), Livingstone (defenseman) and Fitzgerald (rookie) took home honors.
