MANKATO, Minn. - The puck drops for the first time in the 2026-27 season this weekend as the No. 13/14 Minnesota State women's hockey team returns to the ice. The Mavericks will be at the Mayo Clinic HSEC hosting a two-game series against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). Friday's faceoff begins at 11:00 a.m., followed by a 2:00 p.m. start on Saturday.
About the Mavericks:
Minnesota State is coming off a program record of 17 wins last season and a 17-19-2 (7-19-2 WCHA) record overall. The Mavericks' season came to an end in the WCHA Final Faceoff against Wisconsin 7-2. Their appearance to the Final Faceoff came off the back of a thrilling 2-1 series win against Minnesota Duluth in the WCHA Quarterfinals. After losing the first game of the series, MSU won a marathon double-overtime game 2-1 off the back of then-senior Whitney Tuttle's two goals. The Mavericks would then win the rubber match 2-1 to advance to the Final Faceoff for the second time in program history.
Heading into this season, the Mavericks were picked fifth in the WCHA Preseason Coaches' Poll with 23 points. Senior alternate captain Lauren Zawoyski is coming off a breakout season in her first year since transitioning to defense, recording three goals and 18 assists. Fellow seniors forward Kamryn Van Batavia and forward Ava Guillemette will also be key veteran skaters for the Mavericks. Van Batavia set career highs in goals with eight and assists with 13 while Guillemette also set career highs across the board with seven goals and six assists. Junior forward Ayla Puppe recorded 10 goals and nine assists in her first year as a Maverick after transferring from Minnesota.
The youth movement is in full effect and will be critical to the success of the Mavericks 2026-27 season, starting with sophomore Mercury Bischoff who posted a freshman record of 19 goals and 10 assists, for a team leading 29 points during her first campaign with the Mavericks. Sophomore forward Sophie Stramel will serve as an alternate captain and will serve as the team's top faceoff taker and look to build off her 12-point freshman season. Forward Zoe Lopez also looks to build off a strong first year where she scored eight goals and recorded seven assists.
Freshman forward Payton Finnie received votes for the WCHA Preseason Rookie of the Year; she headlines a freshman class that includes forwards Katie Olfert and Lila Deis, defender Mia Miller, and goaltender Jaya Schippel.
Between the posts, and wearing the Captain's C is senior Hailey Hansen. She played most of the minutes last season, posting a .915 save percentage, 2.87 goals against average and five shutouts. For her career, Hansen ranks second in Maverick history in wins with 28, sixth in saves with 2,051, second in shutouts with nine, and tied fourth in games played with 77. She looks to continue climbing the record books while serving as the backbone of the Mavericks.
Head Coach Shari Dickerman enters her third full season as head coach of the Mavericks. Dickerman has been a member of the Maverick coaching staff since 2009. She has a 31-40-4 (.440) record in her first two years; which currently is the highest winning percentage amongst Maverick head coaches all-time.
Scouting RPI:
The Engineers have already played in two games this season, dropping both to No. 14 Mercyhurst 3-1 and 3-0, respectively. RPI is coming off a 7-28-0 (4-18-0 ECAC) season in 2025-26 finishing 11th overall in the conference. This year, the Engineers were picked to finish 12th in the ECAC Preseason Coaches Poll. Head coach Bryan Vines leads a young squad with 10 incoming freshman who will give the Engineers a youth movement like the Mavericks.
Leading the offensive charge is sophomore forward Mia Montanari who led the team with 18 points in her freshman season, tallying five goals and 13 assists. Senior forward Georgia Bailey was second in points for all returning players, she also scored five goals and chipped in ten helpers. In net for the Engineers is senior Reese Keating who started 31 games for them last season. She posted a .899 save percentage, 3.42 goals against average, and two shutouts.
Series History:
This weekend marks the second straight season the Mavericks start the season with a series against RPI. Last year in Troy, N.Y., the Mavericks swept the series, winning 3-0 and 5-3. The Mavericks are 6-0 all-time in the series and are 2-0 at the Mayo Clinic HSEC. They look to continue their strong play against the Engineers and get off to a strong start in the 2026-27 season.
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