MANKATO, Minn. - The top-five teams in the CCHA are separated by just three points, making this weekend's series at Michigan Tech the land of opportunity for No. 17 ranked Minnesota State men's hockey. The Mavericks and Huskies are currently tied for third place with 28 points. It won't be easy, as the Huskies are winners of three straight and have been defeated just once at home in regulation.

The Mavericks are 6-2-3 on the road this season and will try to bounce back after a 4-2 loss to St. Thomas on Saturday at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center. Game times this weekend are 6:07 p.m. CT Friday and 5:07 p.m. CT Saturday at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena. Fans can listen on AM 1420 KTOE or watch on midcosportsplus.com. MSU has 11 CCHA games remaining in the regular season.

ALL-TIME SERIES

• Minnesota State leads the all-time series against Michigan Tech 57-30-11 in games dating back to 1996.
• More recently, the Mavericks have won five of the past six matchups, including a road sweep over the Huskies Nov. 22-23, 2024.
• However, MTU bested MSU 4-3 in the CCHA Semifinals on March 16, 2024 in Houghton.

LAST TIME OUT

• A slow second-period start doomed Minnesota State men's hockey Saturday night as St. Thomas won 4-2 at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in CCHA action.
• St. Thomas outshot the Mavericks 27-20, including 15-7 in the middle frame. St. Thomas scored four even-strength goals over 7:33 to start the second period.
• Lucas Wahlin started at the 21 second mark with a high short-side shot off the rush. Attila Lippai made it 2-0 with a wrist shot through a screen in front of goaltender Alex Tracy. Lucas Van Vliet sprang Quinton Pepper for a partial breakaway and a goal. Then Ryan O'Neill one-timed a pass from Alex Gaffney.
• The Mavericks got on the scoreboard in the third period. Freshman Mason LeBel wristed a shot over the Aaron Trotter's blocker at 10:40, assisted by Fin Williams and Evan Murr. It was LeBel's second goal of the season.
• Jakob Stender added his third goal of the season with 32 seconds left in regulation. Evan Murr and Reid Morich collected assists.

TEAM LEADERS

• The Mavericks are averaging 2.7 goals per game and 29.6 shots per game. Senior Tristan Lemyre (Edmonton, Alberta) leads the forward group with 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists).
• Evan Murr (Stillwater, Minn.) leads MSU defensemen with 20 points (six goals, 14 assists).
• Murr also ranks first in the CCHA and sixth in NCAA Division I defenseman points. Eric Pohlkamp (Denver) leads the category with 24 points.

TRUST IN TRACY

• Alex Tracy returned from Davos, Switzerland after participating in the Spengler Cup as a member of the US College Selects. He started in the semifinal game. 
• Tracy leads the CCHA in goals against average (2.02) and ranks third in save percentage (.926). Nationally, Tracy ranks sixth in NCAA Division I total saves (560), 10th in goals against average and 14th in save percentage.
• Tracy was also named CCHA Goaltender of the Month for November. Starting all nine games in November, he totaled 246 saves for a .939 save percentage.
• His shutout at Northern Michigan (Nov. 28) moved him into a tie for third place on the MSU men's hockey all-time career shutouts chart with 10 (Stephon Williams).

SPECIAL TEAMS REPORT

• The Mavericks have killed 57 of 69 penalties (.826).
• Associate Head Coach Troy G. Ward has the Maverick power play executing at a 23-percent clip, with 20 goals in 86 opportunities. The power play went 0-3 against St. Thomas on Saturday.
• The Mavericks scored a season high four power play goals at Omaha on Oct. 11. 
• All three of Charlie Lurie's goals have come on the power play. Last season, Lurie skated in 20 games for Omaha and scored three of his four goals on power play. Tristan Lemyre leads the team with four power play goals.

SCOUTING THE HUSKIES

• Michigan Tech swept Bemidji State on the road over the weekend. Friday Max Koskipirtti scored twice and Stiven Sardarian notched a pair of assists for 5-2 victory. The Husky penalty kill went 5-5 and the Huskies took a 3-0 lead into the first intermission.
• A strong start the following night propelled MTU to a 4-3 win and their third win over BSU this season. The Huskies were whistled for four penalties in the third and were down 6-on-3 for the final moments of the game with the goaltender pulled. Owen Bartoszkiewicz made 26 saves to earn the win—his 14th of the season and the 25th of his career.
• Senior forward Stiven Sardarian (Saint Petersburg, Russia) leads the nation with 22 assists, along with nine goals. Sardarian led the Huskies with 35 points last season and was a Hobey Baker Award nominee. He was selected by Buffalo in the third round of the 2021 NHL Draft (88th overall).
• Junior forward Max Koskipirtti (Espoo, Finland) won 20 faceoffs on Friday and ranks fifth in the nation in faceoff wins (255) and second in overall draws taken. Koskipirtti shares the team lead with Sardarian with nine goals, complimenting nine assists for 18 points. Koskipirrti was named CCHA Forward of the Week on Monday, his third weekly honor of his career. He assisted on Saturday's game-winning goal at Bemidji State.
• Junior forward Isaac Gordon (Landmark, Manitoba) has three goals and 14 assists this season. He was the 2023-24 CCHA Rookie of the Year and scored 26 points as an assistant captain last season.
• Junior Owen Bartoszkiewicz (Northville, Michigan) emerged as he top goaltender on the roster this season. With 23 games played and 14 wins, Bartoszkiewicz ranks second in minutes played (1,328) in Division I behind only Minnesota State's Alex Tracy (1,338).
• Prior to Bemidji State, the Huskies split a pair of games at the Desert Hockey Classic in Scottsdale, Arizona. Senior Jack Anderson (St. Louis, Missouri) recorded a hat trick on Saturday and Teydon Trembecky scored twice. Anderson was the first defenseman to score a hat trick since Dave Reierson on Jan. 12, 1985, more than 40 years ago. Anderson played 90 games at Lindenwood University before joining the Huskies this season and attended the 2025 Philadelphia Flyers NHL Development Camp.
• Bill Muckalt was named the 23rd head coach of the Huskies on May 22, 2025 after one season as head coach at Lindenwood. He led the Lions to the most wins in their three-year NCAA Division I history, including wins over Notre Dame, Omaha and Wisconsin. Muckalt also served as Associate Head Coach at University of Michigan from 2017-23.
• Tech assistant coach Benton Maass played collegiately for Minnesota State, then appeared in 122 professional games in the AHL and ECHL. He is an Elk River, Minnesota native, initially selected by the Washington Capitals in the sixth round of the 2017 NHL Draft. He helped the Mavericks win the MacNaughton Cup and Mason Cup and advance to the NCAA Frozen Four in 2021-22.

HEADED TO THE POLLS

• Minnesota State men's hockey was ranked No. 17 by USCHO.com and by USA Hockey/The Rink Live in NCAA Division I National polls on Monday.
• The Mavericks ranked No. 15/15 last week. Michigan kept the top spot in both rankings polls for a third week.
• Fellow CCHA institutions Augustana (No. 15) and St. Thomas (No. 19/18) also appeared in the top-20 rankings.

THIS WEEK IN THE CCHA

Friday, January 16, 2026

• Ferris State at Augustana 7:07 p.m. CT
• Bemidji State at St. Thomas 7:07 p.m. CT
• Minnesota State at Michigan Tech 7:07 p.m. ET
• Lake Superior State at Bowling Green 7:07 p.m. ET

Saturday, January 17, 2026

• Ferris State at Augustana 6:07 p.m. CT
• Minnesota State at Michigan Tech 6:07 p.m. ET
• Bemidji State at St. Thomas 7:07 p.m. CT
• Lake Superior State at Bowling Green 7:07 p.m. ET

LEMYRE SCORES EARLY AND OFTEN

• Tristan Lemyre leads Minnesota State and ranks tied for fifth in the CCHA with 10 goals on the season to go with 10 assists through 23 games. 
• Lemyre played 42 games at Western Michigan last season, but has seen his role elevated to the top-six forwards this fall with time on the power play and penalty kill.

IF YOU'RE GOING

• The John J. MacInnes Student Ice Arena has been the home of the Michigan Tech Hockey Huskies since 1971-72 and is a 4,200-capacity arena in Houghton, Michigan.
• In addition to Huskies hockey, the arena hosts Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology classes, intramural ice hockey, recreational skating, youth and adult hockey and figure skating programs, and private rentals. 
• Houghton, Michigan has already received 128.25 inches of snowfall this season (as of Jan. 13).