MANKATO, Minn. - It's the final week of the CCHA regular season and five teams remain in contention to win the MacNaughton Cup. The Mavericks, defending champions, currently in fourth place (46 pts) host Northern Michigan at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center Friday at 7:07 p.m. and Saturday at 6:07 p.m.

Other matchups include St. Thomas (48 pts) at Bemidji State (32 pts) and Bowling Green (44 pts) at Michigan Tech (48 pts). Augustana (50 pts) sits at the top of the standings but is idle this week. The top four teams at the end of the year will also earn home-ice for the Mason Cup quarterfinals, which begin on March 6.

The Mavericks are coming off a five-point road trip to Bowling Green. MSU defeated the Falcons 5-4 on Friday and tied 1-1 in overtime Saturday, then won a shootout in round six.

Games this weekend will be broadcast on midcosportsplus.com and locally on Northstar Sports Network. Fans can also listen for free on AM 1420 KTOE.

ALL-TIME SERIES

• Minnesota State is 33-9-5 all-time against Northern Michigan in games dating back to 2013-14.
• Over the past ten matchups, MSU is 7-1-2. In November, the Mavericks swept the Wildcats in Marquette scores of 3-2 and 4-0 at Berry Events Center.
• The Mavericks are also 19-4-2 at home vs. NMU and average 3.64 goals per game.

MACNAUGHTON TALK

• The Mavericks captured the MacNaughton Cup for the ninth time in program history last season. The team locked up first place with a win at Lake Superior State on Feb. 22, 2025. Bemidji State won the MacNaughton Cup a year prior on the final weekend of the regular season.
• Awarded annually to the regular season CCHA champion, the MacNaughton Cup was established in 1913 and weighs nearly 40 pounds.

RECENT MACNAUGHTON CUP CHAMPIONS

14-15: Minnesota State

15-16: Minnesota State/Michigan Tech

16-17: Bemidji State

17-18: Minnesota State

18-19: Minnesota State

19-20: Minnesota State

20-21: Minnesota State

21-22: Minnesota State

22-23: Minnesota State

23-24: Bemidji State

24-25: Minnesota State

LAST TIME OUT

• Minnesota State and Bowling Green played to their third overtime tie head-to-head this season, finishing 1-1 on Saturday at Slater Family Ice Arena. T
• he Mavericks outshot Bowling Green 38-20, then posted two goals in a six-round shootout for five points in the weekend series.
• Minnesota State scored the game's first goal in the first period. Following an offensive zone faceoff, Luigi Benincasa spun around and shot from between the circles.
• BGSU goaltender Cole Moore kicked out a rebound and Liam Watkins backhanded it through for his sixth of the season at 2:59.
• Both teams earned scoring chances in overtime but failed to convert. Jordan Ronn scored with a high backhand shot in round two of the shootout and Jack Smith found the five-hole in round six.
• Tracy closed the door on Quinn Emerson on the ensuing try, and his shot sailed wide.

TEAM LEADERS

• The Mavericks are averaging 2.7 goals per game and 30.5 shots per game.
• Senior Tristan Lemyre (Edmonton, Alberta) leads the forward group with 26 points (12 goals, 14 assists).
• Lemyre led the Mavericks with three assists in two games at Bowling Green.
• Evan Murr (Stillwater, Minn.) leads MSU defensemen with 23 points (seven goals, 16 assists).

TRUST IN TRACY

• Minnesota State senior goaltender Alex Tracy (Chicago, Illinois) was named CCHA Goaltender of the Week for the fifth time this season (13th career) on Tuesday (Feb. 17).
• Helped the Mavericks secure five points by stopping 19 shots on Saturday in an overtime tie. Added five saves against six shots in a shootout.
• Tracy was named a semifinalist for the Mike Richter Award, given to the top goaltender in men's college hockey. He leads the CCHA and ranks fourth in Division I goals against average (1.95), ranks third in the CCHA and 10th in the nation for save percentage (.925) and second in CCHA shutouts (three).
• Tracy was named CCHA Goaltender of the Week five times last season, twice in 2023-24 and once in 2022-23.

SPECIAL TEAMS REPORT

• The Mavericks converted 1-2 power plays on Friday and 0-2 on Saturday. Reid Morich has 19 penalties for 57 minutes for the team lead in PIM.
• 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. Lurie returned to the lineup on Saturday after being out since Jan. 2 vs. UMass Lowell.
• Tristan Lemyre leads the team with four power play goals. 

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS

• Northern Michigan's last win was Jan. 30 vs. Bemidji State 2-0. Last week, Lake Superior swept NMU 7-5 on Friday and 5-2 on Saturday to retain the Cappo Cup for a third consecutive year. 
• The Wildcats (3-28-1, 3-20-1 CCHA) honored seniors Nicolas Ardanaz, Tynan Ewart, Zane Demsey, Caiden Gault, Kyle Bettens, Danny Ciccarello, and Matthew Argentina.
• Peter Cisar of Bratislava, Slovakia (4-5--9) has goals in back-to-back games. The freshman recorded three points in two games vss LSSU. 
• Caiden Gault of Oakbank, Ontario (15-2--17) added his fourth point in five games while firing a season-high 11 shots.
• Sophomore Joe Schiller, from Moorhead, Minnesota (3-6--9) has points in back-to-back games, as the sophomore blueliner tallied three points on the weekend.
• Freshman forward Tobias Pitka of Poprad, Slovakia (5-6--1) now has five points in five games thanks to an assist tonight.
• Freshman goaltender Max Weilandt (Northbrook, Illinois) earned his first career collegiate start, making 23 saves in the effort.
• Dave Shyiak was named the fourth head coach in program history in June of 2024 and is in his second season. Last year, NMU finished 5-27-2 overall. He helped NMU end the season with a win in the longest shootout in program history, round eight at Ferris State (Mar. 1).

HEADED TO THE POLLS

• Minnesota State men's hockey was ranked No. 18 by USCHO.com and USA Hockey in NCAA Division I National polls on Monday. The Mavericks ranked No. 17 last week. Michigan State received 49 of 50 first place votes to remain the top ranked team in the nation, followed by Michigan, North Dakota, Western Michigan and Penn State. 
• Other ranked teams in the CCHA included No. 15 Augustana, No. 16 Michigan Tech and No. 17 St. Thomas. Bowling Green was receiving national votes.

MURR STILL SCORING

• Evan Murr led the Mavericks with five blocked shots at Bowling Green, including four on Saturday. He also scored a power play goal in Friday night's 5-4 victory, his seventh of the year.
• Murr is tied with Jack Anderson of Michigan Tech for CCHA points among defensemen with 23. This ranks 15th among NCAA Division I blueliners.

Thursday, February 26, 2026

• Ferris State at Lake Superior State 7:07 p.m. ET

Friday, February 27, 2026

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

Saturday, February 28, 2026

• St. Thomas at Bemidji State 6:07 p.m. CT
• Northern Michigan at Minnesota State 6:07 p.m. CT
• Bowling Green at Michigan Tech 6:07 p.m. ET