Minnesota State keeps top spot with 42 first-place votes in latest DCU/USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll

With 42 first-place votes, Minnesota State is the top-ranked team in the DCU/USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll for the fourth straight week. Quinnipiac remains No. 2 with five first-place nods and Western Michigan is again third in the poll. Michigan moves up two spots to No. 4 and garnered three first-place votes. DCU/USCHO.com Division I … Read more

USA Hockey adds Minnesota State’s Hastings, St. Cloud State’s Larson, Penn State’s Dawes to men’s Olympic team coaching staff

USA Hockey announced today the men’s Olympic team assistant coaches for the 2022 games in Beijing that will work under head coach David Quinn. The assistants currently with NCAA hockey teams include Minnesota State head coach Mike Hastings, St. Cloud State head coach Brett Larson and Penn State video coach Alex Dawes. In addition, Scott … Read more

Denver’s Stapley, Wisconsin’s Ceulemans, Minnesota State’s McKay garner December HCA national men’s college hockey honors

The Hockey Commissioners Association has announced its men’s college hockey national players of the month for December. Denver’s Brett Stapley is the player of the month, followed by Wisconsin’s Corson Ceulemans as the national rookie of the month and Minnesota State’s Dryden McKay the top goaltender. Stapley went for five goals and nine points in … Read more

Minnesota State picks up 43 first-place votes, starts 2022 as No. 1 college hockey team in DCU/USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll

With 43 first-place votes this week, Minnesota State remains the top team in the DCU/USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll. Quinnipiac is again No. 2, getting the other seven first-place votes in this week’s poll. Western Michigan is up one to No. 3, St. Cloud State moves up three to No. 4, and North Dakota holds … Read more

Minnesota State retains top spot, gets 37 first-place votes in DCU/USCHO.com Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Poll

For the second week in a row, Minnesota State is the No. 1-ranked team in the DCU/USCHO.com Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Poll, garnering 37 first-place votes in this week’s rankings. Quinnipiac stays No. 2, getting 12 first-place votes, while Michigan stays No. 3 and Western Michigan is again fourth. North Dakota rounds out the … Read more

This Week in CCHA Hockey: Bemidji State mixing youth, experience to perfection early in 2021-22 season

A quick look up and down Bemidji State’s roster would reveal a lot of familiar names: Ethan Somoza. Owen Sillinger. Alex Ierullo. Tyler Kirkup. All have been contributing to the BSU program consistently since their freshmen seasons, and their presence in the lineup this year — a few back for an extra year of eligibility … Read more

This Week in CCHA Hockey: After ‘rough’ 2020-21 season, Ferris State ‘a superior team from what we were a year ago’

Losing isn’t usually the norm for a Bob Daniels-coached team. The Ferris State head coach has been behind the bench for 29 seasons. He’s guided his Bulldogs teams to three conference titles, four NCAA tournament appearances and one Frozen Four in that time frame. The usual expectation for the Bulldogs is to be competitive at … Read more

This Week in CCHA Hockey: With experienced lineup, Michigan Tech ‘can compete with most anybody in the country’

When members of the media were looking at the teams in the newly-reconstituted CCHA this fall as we started to do our preseason picks and previews, one team made it easiest on everybody. And maybe it wasn’t the team you think. Have your guesses in? It might shock you to know that it was Michigan … Read more

This Week in CCHA Hockey: Dealing with key player departures, Lake Superior State finding new players stepping up to fill roles

It might have been reasonable to assume at the start of the 2021-22 season that Lake Superior State might have some issues scoring goals this year. After all, the Lakers lost four of their top five scorers (Ashton Calder, Pete Veillette, Hampus Eriksson and Will Reidell) either to graduation or the NCAA transfer portal (in … Read more

This Week in CCHA Hockey: Blasi ‘extremely happy with the progress we’ve made’ at St. Thomas in first weeks on ice as D-I program

After some time away, there’s one thing Rico Blasi noticed about the familiar rinks of the CCHA. “The smell is still the same,” the first-year St. Thomas coach joked in a phone interview Tuesday, reflecting on his team’s recent road trips to Northern Michigan and Lake Superior State. Blasi, who played at Miami in the … Read more

Minnesota State gets 17 first-place votes, remains top-ranked team in USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll

Minnesota State is again the No. 1 team in the latest USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll, garnering 17 first-place votes in this week’s rankings. St. Cloud remains No. 2 and picked up 14 first-place votes and 945 voting points, just four behind Minnesota State. Michigan (16 first-place votes) stays No. 3, while No. 4 Minnesota … Read more

CCHA 2021-22 Season Preview: New-look conference looking to make impact with eye on NCAA tournament

For the casual fan watching on a Friday or Saturday, chances are high that the inaugural season of the new CCHA won’t look much different than the final season of the WCHA. Seven of the eight teams were together in the WCHA, so the matchups, coaches and arenas are largely the same. And the league’s … Read more

Minnesota State ascends to top of USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll after sweeping defending national champ UMass

After sweeping defending national champion Massachusetts, Minnesota State is the new No. 1 team in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll. The Mavericks jump four spots in this week’s rankings. Rounding out the top five, St. Cloud State remains No. 2, as does Michigan at No. 3 and Minnesota at No. 4. Minnesota Duluth is … Read more

Minnesota State picked first in 2021-22 CCHA preseason poll; Mavericks’ Smith chosen top player

Minnesota State has been chosen among the CCHA head coaches to win the MacNaughton Cup, which will be awarded to the regular-season champion annually. The Mavericks captured five first-place votes and totaled 67 of a possible 70 points. 2021-22 CCHA Preseason Coaches’ Poll 1. Minnesota State – 67 (5) 2. Bemidji State – 63 (1) … Read more

Former Yale, Sacred Heart assistant Kirtland named to same role at Minnesota State

Minnesota State has announced the hiring of assistant coach Paul Kirtland. Kirtland joins the Mavericks after serving as an assistant coach with Yale in the 2020-21, though Yale did not compete during the season due to COVID. “We are excited to add Paul Kirtland to our coaching staff,” said Mavericks head coach Mike Hastings in … Read more

After 21 years as Minnesota State assistant coach, Blue leaving Mavericks for job as business strategist

Longtime Minnesota State assistant men’s hockey coach Darren Blue has stepped down to take a position in the private sector. Blue was a defenseman for the Mavericks from 1991-95. A two-time team captain, Blue was a two-time Unsung Hero Award recipient and a Maverick Achievement Award recipient as a senior. Blue spent the 1999-00 season … Read more

Minnesota State unable to close out third-period lead in Frozen Four debut

PITTSBURGH — Minnesota State was ready to add another entry to a series of firsts. The Mavericks were 10 minutes away from slapping their name onto the final game of the bracket. After winning their first NCAA tournament game and getting to the Frozen Four for the first time less than two weeks ago, they … Read more