Mavs gear up for six games over winter break
The Minnesota State men’s hockey team is coming off of a series loss to Michigan Tech where they were swept. As they look forward to their games over the holiday break, they have six games on their schedule before they get a break.
Coming up first is a matchup with Lake Superior State on the road. The Lakers are 7-7 overall and 4-4 in conference play. The two teams met last in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Quarterfinals in March. The Mavericks swept the Lakers in that series, 6-1 and 2-1. Goaltender Keenan Rancier stopped 16 of 17 shots en route to a Mavericks victory in the latter.
In their regular season series, the Mavs also swept the Lakers, 3-1 and 3-1. MSU has dominated the all-time series as they currently hold a 30-4-1 advantage dating back to 2013. The Mavs have won the last five matchups and nine of the last 10.
A season ago, the Lakers finished with a 9-35-2 record, and they have retained two important pieces from that team – head coach Damon Whitten, who has been their coach since 2014, and senior Jared Wescott, who leads the CCHA in points (22) and goals (14). Wescott was named the CCHA Player of the Month in two months straight and has this team heading in the right direction.
The Lakers are 4-2 at home on the season and 4-4 in the month of November. At the beginning of the year, they were picked to finish last in the CCHA in the CCHA Preseason Coaches’ Poll. They lead the CCHA in goals scored per game with 3.43 but are fourth in goals surrendered with 3.21.
As for the Mavs, they have plenty to be optimistic about despite a recent losing streak. Sam Morton and Evan Murr headline the offensive attack – Morton leads the team with 10 goals and Murr has impressed with three goals on the year. Additionally, they post a solid goalie duo with Alex Tracy and the returning Keenan Rancier.
After they take on the Lakers, they will face the St. Thomas Tommies in a series where each team hosts a game Dec. 8 and 9. The Tommies are 7-6-1 and will be coming off of a series against Ferris State.
Finally, in their last series before they get a break, they will head to New York for a series against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. RPI is 2-7-1 on the year and will have three games before they clash with the Mavericks.
The Mavs’ upcoming series against the Lakers will begin at 7:07 EST on December 1 and 6:07 EST on December 2 in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
The Tommies will come to town on December 8, and that game has a start time of 7:07. The next day, the Mavs will travel to Mendota Heights for another 7:07 start.
RPI will host the Mavs at 7:07 EST on December 15 and 6:07 EST on December 16.
Header Photo: On their second three-game losing skid of the season, Minnesota State will try to right the ship this weekend when they travel to face the Lake Superior State Lakers at Taffy Abel Arena. (Dominic Bothe/The Reporter)
Write to Hayden Lee at hayden.lee@mnsu.edu