MSU hockey faces off with Lake Superior State at home

The Mavericks (18-5-1) are ready to do battle this weekend against the Lakers from Michigan

Brady Olson
Staff Writer

It was a tough winter break for the Minnesota State men’s hockey team, but the No. 6-ranked Mavs will look to keep their newborn winning streak alive as they face No. 18 Lake Superior State at home this weekend in a two-game series.

Minnesota State was flying high as students were let out for winter break. They had a record of 13-2, and had won their previous four games. Then, they suddenly got swept on the road by a red-hot Bowling Green team, lost a heartbreaking 4-3 game to Minnesota-Duluth, and fought to a draw in the desert against Arizona State.

Since then, the Mavericks have regained some steam. In their first series of the new year, they managed to earn a crucial sweep over Michigan Tech, and followed it up with a pair of road wins against Ferris State. The four-game winning streak has allowed the Mavericks to retake first place in the WCHA standings, as they currently hold a three-point lead over Northern Michigan.

A lot of credit can be attributed to freshman goalie Dryden McKay. McKay, who was last week’s WCHA Goaltender of the Week, has stopped 90 of 96 shots in the last four contests, giving him a save percentage of 94 percent over that time. 

On the season, McKay is currently 13th in goals allowed per game, and has compiled a record of 11-4-1 on the season.

On the offensive end, the Mavs’ offensive attack is being spearheaded by juniors Marc Michaelis and Parker Tuomie. They have amassed 26 and 22 points, respectively, and are both converting on over 20 percent of their shots. Both are a big reason that MSU is currently sixth among Division I programs in goals scored per game.

Feature photo by Samuel Oluwadoromi | MSU Reporter.