MANKATO, Minn.--- Minnesota State (12-21-0, 6-20-0 WCHA) will close out the 2023-24 regular season in a home-and-home series with St. Thomas. The action on Friday is set to begin at 3 p.m. while action at St. Thomas Ice Arena on Saturday is scheduled for 2 p.m. 

Last Time Out:
Minnesota State swept Bemidji State in finals of 4-0 and 5-2 at the Mayo Clinic HSEC.

After a scoreless first period on Friday, junior MacKenzie Bourgerie snagged the Mavericks' first tally on the weekend just three minutes into the second period. Freshman Kamryn Van Batavia launched a wrist shot from the shot slipping past BSU's goaltender allowing Bourgerie to hammer home her fourth goal in the purple and gold. On the play, freshman Lauren Zawoyski notched her fourth assist on the season.

With just 58 seconds remaining in the second period, sophomore Taylor Otremba capitalized on a BSU miscue resulting in a breakaway scoring five-hole for her seventh tally of the season. Otremba would score again in the opening minutes of the third period notching her second goal of the game. On the play, senior Sydney Langseth and sophomore Whitney Tuttle registered assists.

Langseth would wrap up the Mavericks' scoring onslaught in the final two minutes of regulation for her 13th tally on the season. Otremba picked up her third point of the day on the goal.

Freshman Hailey Hansen stole the show collecting her first career shutout after stopping all 21 shots faced.

On Saturday, Minnesota State saw 14 different players record a point in today's contest while seeing 16 different Mavericks register a point on the weekend.  

Minnesota State's third line jumped on the Beavers early scoring just 17 seconds into regulation. Junior Claire Vekich introduced herself to her former club ripping her shot under the arm of the BSU goaltender giving the Mavericks the early advantage. On the play, junior Alexis Paddington and senior Kennedy Bobyck collected assists.

After the Beavers found the back of the net at the 12-minute mark of the opening period tying the game at one, freshman Kamryn Van Batavia squandered the Beavers' newfound momentum just 1:57 following their tally with her fourth goal on the season. Minnesota State's fourth line stayed productive throughout the series as junior MacKenzie Bourgerie and freshman Lauren Zawoyski registered assists on the goal.

The Mavericks would rocket off three additional tallies courtesy of senior Jamie Nelson (16), senior Sydney Langseth (14), and sophomore Kianna Roeske (2). Minnesota State would go on to win its twelfth game of the season by a final of 5-2.

Taking on UST:  
St. Thomas (8-24-1, 2-23-1 WCHA) sits last in the WCHA standings with eight points on the season. UST's only WCHA victories this season came against Bemidji State on December 8th and No. 10 St. Cloud State on January 20th.

Last weekend, UST had given up 16 goals to Ohio State dropping the Tommies to the seventh-worst scoring margin in D1 Women's Hockey (38th) at -2.06. St. Thomas has given up an average of 3.97 goals allowed per game ranking seventh in the WCHA.

Despite the number of goals against, UST is second in the WCHA in blocked shots averaging 13.70 blocks per game. Minnesota State is third in the conference in blocks averaging 13.15 blocks per game. Freshman defender Ellah Hause leads the team in blocks with 61 through 33 games played. As a team, BSU has registered 452 blocks this season compared to the Mavericks' 434.

Bemidji State's offensive is led by Freshmen Ella Boerger and Rylee Bartz combining for 18 goals on the season. In net, BSU relies on its duo of seniors Olivia King and Calla Fank who have combined for a 3.92 goals-against average and a .880 save percentage.