Women’s hockey have best start since 2004

The best start in program history since the 2003-04 season. The Minnesota State women’s hockey team is now 5-1 overall after their home sweep against Lindenwood this past weekend.

The Mavericks have never started as good as 5-1 overall since 2003, where the team started 6-0 before falling to North Dakota in their seventh game of the season 2-0. It is now onto the University of Minnesota for Minnesota State University, who faces a tough No. 6 Gopher team who are comes into this series 1-3.

The Gophers have played No. 2 Ohio State and No. 7 Minnesota-Duluth up to this point, so it is hard to tell how good the team really is. Nonetheless, they have been dominant in the past and are currently ranked No. 6 in the most recent USCHO women’s hockey poll.

It has been a tough history for the Mavericks against the Gophers, who have only been able to claim three wins in Mavericks-Gophers history in 101 games since 1998. 

It is even tougher for the Mavs that the Gophers current win streak is 50 against them, but seem to have a good chance at finding a win this weekend to snap that losing streak.

The two games are to be played split for home rinks, playing their Friday matchup in Minneapolis and Saturday in Mankato. 

It will be tough to find a win on the Gophers home ice, Minnesota State comes home on Saturday to play in front of their home crowd in another attempt to break the losing streak.

Between the pipes stands junior goaltender Calla Frank for the Mavericks. 

Frank played in both games this past weekend against Lindenwood, letting by eight goals in two games to deplete her save percentage down to .865 on the season.

Frank has had a rough start for the Mavericks up to this point, but the Mavs will need some stellar play from their starting goaltender if they want a good chance at knocking off the Gophers and breaking their losing streak.

There is still not much separation in points leaders for the Mavs skaters through only the first six games into the season, but senior Brittyn Fleming and junior Kelsey King are the first Mavericks to surpass double digit points this season. 

Fleming leads the team with three goals and nine assists to total 12 points while King has seven goals and three assists to sit at second with 10.

King had a monstrous weekend against Lindenwood this past Friday and Saturday, totalling four goals and three assists to boost herself to first in team goals at seven. King was also honored as the WCHA forward of the week for her achievements.

Alexis Paddington also had a great weekend for the Mavericks, totaling two assists and four blocks earning Paddington the WCHA Rookie of the Week award. 

It is a new year coming with new opportunities for the confident Minnesota State squad, and they look prepared to face the Gophers this weekend.

Feature photo by Mansoor Ahmad/The Reporter