MANKATO, Minn. – The Minnesota State Mavericks (11-17-2, 5-17-2 WCHA) are set to face the No. 6 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs (17-11-2, 12-10-2 WCHA) at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth, Minn., with four games remaining in the regular season. The series will take place on Friday at 3:02 p.m. and Saturday at 1:02 p.m. The game on Saturday will be streamed live on TV:FOX9+.

Last Time Out
Last weekend, the Mavericks hosted No. 11 St. Cloud State. On Friday, Minnesota State fell 3-1, with Alexis Paddington scoring the team's lone goal, assisted by Jamie Nelson and Claire Vekich.

On Saturday, the Mavericks skated to a 2-2 tie before securing a shootout win. Vekich and Bella Shipley each found the back of the net in regulation. The shootout extended to the fifth round, where Jessie McPherson stopped St. Cloud State's attempt, and Taylor Otremba sealed the victory for the Mavericks with the game-winning goal.

McPherson was stellar in net, making 30 saves on 32 shots for a .938 save percentage. Minnesota State currently sits sixth in the WCHA standings with 20 points.

Scouting the Bulldogs
Last weekend, Minnesota Duluth swept Bemidji State with back-to-back shutout victories, winning 2-0 on Friday and 6-0 on Saturday.

Offensively, UMD is led by forward Clara Van Wieren, who has tallied 13 goals and 15 assists for a team-high 28 points. In goal, the Bulldogs rely on Eve Gascon, who boasts a .942 save percentage and a 1.86 goals-against average.

The last time these two teams met, the game ended in a 3-3 tie, with UMD winning the shootout in the eighth round. Taylor Otremba, Paddington, and Sydney Langseth each scored in regulation for the Mavericks, forcing the game into overtime.