No. 3 Mavs look to Keep win Streak going against Beavers
Daniel McElroy ® Sports Editor |
Photo by Mansoor Ahmad ® Photo Editor |
The Minnesota State men’s hockey team will travel to Bemidji State on Friday, Jan. 29 for a non-conference matchup in place of the cancelled series against Alabama-Huntsville.
The game is being made up from the first series of the season against the Beavers, when the game was cancelled regarding positive COVID-19 tests. The game is replacing a non-conference series against the COVID-19 ridden Chargers, who haven’t played a game since Jan. 9.
The Mavericks are 9-1-1 throughout the season with a 6-0-0 record in conference play, while the Beavers are 5-4-2 overall, and 1-1-0 in conference play.
The Mavs hold a 57-39-15 record against their WCHA rivals, going 6-3-1 in the last 10 meetings. The last time we saw the two teams go head-to-head, MSU took the win in overtime following Julian Napravnik’s lone shootout goal. It would also be graduate transfer Ryan Edquist’s first and only game between the pipes making 16 saves.
Sophomore Cade Borchardt leads the scoring for the Mavericks repping a 6-9-15 stat line in his breakout season. Borchardt sits at fifth in total scoring in the WCHA, behind four Bowling Green players who have played seven more games. Borchardt is first in points per game in the WCHA with 1.36.
Napravnik is tied with Borchardt for most goals on the Mavericks this season with 6 goals in just 10 games. The winger from Bad Nauheim, Germany recorded one goal and one assist last weekend at home against Ferris State.
The Mavericks roster one of the top goaltenders in the NCAA in junior Dryden McKay, leading college hockey with an astonishing .904 goals against average, the only goaltender with less than 1.00 goals against average. McKay also sits at third in the NCAA and second in the WCHA in save percentage with .954.
McKay is tied at third for all-time shutouts in the NCAA with 20, just one shutout away from tying former Bemidji State goaltender Michael Bitzer, and six away from tying Anaheim Ducks goaltender Ryan Miller’s all-time record of 26 shutouts. McKay said in a press conference on Wednesday, “I’d be lying if i said it wasn’t in the back of my head…But all that matters in the end is getting the win.” McKay still has another year of his collegiate eligibility after this season.
MSU’s powerplay unit continues to be the best in the WCHA with 34.1%. Bemidji State holds the best penalty kill unit in the conference, only allowing 2 goals throughout the season when they are a man down, good for 93.1%.