Minnesota State heads to Marquette to play Northern Michigan

Minnesota State owns a 34-9-6 all-time record against Northern Michigan, including a 14-5-3 mark in Marquette, as the Mavericks arrive at Berry Events Center this weekend. As msumavericks.com reported, Minnesota State sits at 0-0-2 in conference play after battling Lake Superior State to a pair of 2-2 ties last weekend, while the Wildcats carry a 0-2-0 record following a brutal 12-0 and 4-1 road sweep by Augustana. Friday’s puck drop is set for 6:07 p.m. CST, with Saturday’s game scheduled for 5:07 p.m. CST.

Just one season ago, the Mavericks hoisted both the MacNaughton Cup—their 10th in program history—and the Mason Cup, their fourth playoff championship. They finished with 51 points and a 14-7-5 CCHA record. Now, through eight games, they are 2-4-2 overall and still looking for that breakthrough victory in league play.

Two Winless Conference Starts Collide in the Upper Peninsula

Minnesota State’s 0-0-2 slate came via ties, including a 2-2 draw last Saturday that required an eighth-round shootout loss to Lake Superior State after Ean Somoza’s late tying goal with 22 seconds left forced overtime. Northern Michigan’s 0-2-0 mark, meanwhile, reflects two straight losses, including Saturday’s 4-1 defeat where Max Weilandt stopped 35 of 38 shots but couldn’t overcome an early deficit.

Minnesota State has won 34 of the 49 all-time meetings and went 3-0-1 against the Wildcats last season, including a 2-2 tie at Marquette that the Mavericks won 2-0 in a shootout. Head coach Luke Strand owns an 8-1-3 record against Northern Michigan, including a 3-1-1 mark on the road.

Entrance sign campus northern michigan university marquette mi usa september

Lehti Dominates with Record-Breaking Saves

Minnesota State’s Lassi Lehti has posted a 2-1-2 record with a 1.83 goals against average and a .946 save percentage, highlighted by a 51-save performance against St. Thomas on Oct. 23 that stands as the most by a Maverick netminder in regulation during the Division I era. Northern Michigan’s Oliver Auyeung-Ashton has struggled to a 2-4-0 record with a 2.66 GAA and .915 save percentage, despite a 30-save shutout in the season opener against Miami (OH).

Offensively, Minnesota State’s freshman forward Mason Kraft leads the team with six points, while junior Liam Watkins and junior Alex Zetterberg have added five apiece. For the Wildcats, Michael Burchill, Owen Pitters and Matthew Ward lead with four points each, though Darik Olson has notched the team-leading three goals.

Road Swing Tests a Team Still Finding Its Identity

This four-game road trip represents a measuring stick for a Mavericks squad picked to finish third in the CCHA coaches’ poll and second in the media poll. The preseason hype included Luigi Benincasa and Will Skahan earning spots on the Preseason All-CCHA Team, but the results have yet to materialize in the standings. The power play has been a particular sore spot, converting just 4-for-27 (.148), identical to their opponents’ rate.

Head coach Dave Shyiak, in his third season with the Wildcats, owns a 10-62-4 record at the school and an 8-24-8 mark against Minnesota State. His team is allowing 34.6 shots per game while scoring on just 5-for-28 (.179) of power plays.

After this weekend, Minnesota State continues its road swing with a trip to Bemidji State on Nov. 13-14 at Sanford Center, looking to build momentum before returning home.

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