MANKATO, Minn. – After opening the 2025-26 season on the road with two wins at RPI, the Minnesota State women's hockey team is set to skate in front of its home crowd for the first time this weekend. The Mavericks host the Lindenwood Lions at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center, with game times scheduled for 6:02 p.m. Friday and 3:02 p.m. Saturday.

Scouting the Lions

Lindenwood is in the early stages of its season, entering the series with an 0-4 record after matchups against St. Cloud State and St. Thomas. The Lions, who finished last year 5-26-2 overall and 4-15-1 in AHA play, feature a young roster that includes nine freshmen.

Sophomore forward Silje Gundersen has been the offensive spark so far, scoring both of the team's goals this season. In net, senior goaltender Lexington Secreto has stood tall despite the rough start, posting a strong .948 save percentage and a 2.16 goals-against average through her first appearances.

Mavericks Recap: Successful Start at RPI

The Mavericks (2-0-0) opened their season with back-to-back wins over RPI, showing a balanced mix of offense, defense, and strong goaltending.

The series began with a 3-0 shutout victory on Friday. Junior forward Lauren Goldsworthy led the way, scoring twice, including the game's opening goal on a power play and an empty-net tally late in the third. Freshman forward Zoe Lopez also added her first career goal, while goaltender Hailey Hansen stopped all 24 shots she faced to secure the Mavericks' first clean sheet of the season.

In the Saturday rematch, Minnesota State's depth was on full display in a 5-3 win. Eleven different players recorded points, with Lopez notching a goal and an assist to pace the offense. Freshmen Lucie Tenenbaum and Mercury Bischoff each scored their first career goals, while junior Ava Guillemette added her first of the season. Hansen capped off the weekend with 18 saves, finishing the series with 42 stops on 45 shots faced.

Series History

Minnesota State and Lindenwood are no strangers, having met last season in a January series where the Mavericks controlled play, winning 4-1 and 8-1. Minnesota State will look to continue that trend and build momentum as they begin their home schedule.

This weekend marks the first chance for Maverick fans to see a mix of new and familiar faces in action.

Watch Live

Both games will be streamed live on B1G+ (bigtenplustv.com).