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2020–21 Minnesota State Mavericks men's ice hockey season
Minnesota State Mavericks logo
WCHA, Champion
NCAA Tournament, Frozen Four
Conference 1st WCHA
Home ice Mankato Civic Center
Rankings
USCHO.com 5
USA Today/
US Hockey Magazine
1
Record
Overall 22–5–1
Conference 13–1–0–1–1–0
Home 10–1–1
Road 10–3–0
Neutral 2–1–0
Coaches and Captains
Head Coach Mike Hastings
Assistant Coaches Todd Knott
Darren Blue
Captain(s) Riese Zmolek
Alternate captain(s) Dallas Gerads
Jack McNeely
Jared Spooner
Minnesota State Mavericks men's ice hockey seasons
« 2019–20 2021–22 »

The 2020–21 Minnesota State Mavericks men's ice hockey season was the 52nd season of play for the program, the 25th at the Division I level and the 22nd in the WCHA conference. The Mavericks represented Minnesota State University, Mankato and were coached by Mike Hastings, in his 9th season.

Season[]

As a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the entire college ice hockey season was delayed. Because the NCAA had previously announced that all winter sports athletes would retain whatever eligibility they possessed through at least the following year, none of Minnesota State's players would lose a season of play.[1] However, the NCAA also approved a change in its transfer regulations that would allow players to transfer and play immediately rather than having to sit out a season, as the rules previously required.[2]

After missing out on a chance at postseason glory last year, Minnesota State didn't miss a beat and came into this year a house afire. The Mavericks won 9 of their first 11 games with Dryden McKay earning 6 shutouts. The second half of the regular season was nearly as outstanding as the first; MSU went 9–2 down the stretch and finished miles ahead of the second place team in the WCHA. With their record, the Mavericks were guaranteed a spot in the NCAA Tournament but could improve their ranking with a good performance in the conference tournament.

As the top seed, MSU played woeful Ferris State in the quarterfinals. The Mavericks' offense was quiet for much of the series but the defense was stout. Minnesota State surrendered one goal in two games and swept the Bulldogs. They faced an upstart Northern Michigan team in the semifinals and laid a complete egg. Northern Michigan scored the first five goals of the game, chasing McKay from the cage, and then played a defensive shell over the final 20 minutes to upset the Mavericks.

Losing in the semifinal cost MSU the chance to earn a #1 seed and they dropped all the way to 6th in the rankings. The team had to face Quinnipiac in the opening game and got off to a bad start. The Bobcats scored twice in the first while MSU could only muster 6 shots. The Mavericks woke up in the second and cut the lead in half near the end of the period. The third saw the team having to kill off a lengthy 2-man advantage only to surrender a goal a couple of minutes later. MSU bore down and scored with more than 5 minutes to play but, as time ticked away, the team was forced to pull McKay for an extra attacker and Cade Borchardt tied the game with 62 seconds remaining. The game went into overtime and, just like they had been in the third, Minnesota State was the aggressor. The Mavericks continued to put pressure on the Quinnipiac net until Ryan Sandelin banged in a lose puck and won the game for the Mavericks.

The win was the first tournament victory for Minnesota State at the Division I level, snapping a 6-game losing streak. The last NCAA Tournament win for the program had come 30 years earlier when the school was still called 'Mankato State University'

After the win, the team appeared to relax and played their next opponent, Minnesota, like the juggernaut they had been during the regular season. MSU held the Gophers, which had the #2 offense in the nation, to just 9 shots in the first two periods. The Mavericks scored twice in the opening frame and twice more in the third. McKay held the fort during Minnesota's attempted comeback in the final period but he surrendered nothing. The shutout was the 10th of the season for McKay, placing him just 2 behind Ryan Miller for the most in a career.

Minnesota State advanced to its first Frozen Four as the highest remaining seed and faced former WCHA rival St. Cloud State in the semifinal. McKay wasn't sharp in the game, allowing 3 goals in the first 23 minutes, but MSU fought back and took a 4–3 lead early in the third. The Huskies tied the game for the fourth time mid-way through the period but neither team seemed able to finish the scoring in regulation. With less than a minute to play St. Cloud deflected a puck into the net and MSU was unable to earn a tying goal, ending their season.

Tanner Edwards and Evan Foss sat out the season.

Departures[]

Player Position Nationality Cause
Jake Berger Goaltender Flag of the United States United States Transferred to St. Thomas
Josh French Forward Flag of the United States United States Graduation (signed with Knoxville Ice Bears)
Charlie Gerard Forward Flag of the United States United States Graduation (signed with Colorado Eagles)
Edwin Hookenson Defenseman Flag of Canada Canada Graduation (signed with Utah Grizzlies)
Connor Mackey Defenseman Flag of the United States United States Signed professional contract (Calgary Flames)
Marc Michaelis Forward Flag of Germany Germany Graduation (signed with Vancouver Canucks)
Nick Rivera Defenseman Flag of the United States United States Graduation (signed with Wheeling Nailers)
Ian Scheid Defenseman Flag of the United States United States Graduation (signed with Colorado Eagles)
Jaxson Stauber Goaltender Flag of the United States United States Transferred to Providence
Parker Tuomie Forward Flag of Germany Germany Graduation (signed with Eisbären Berlin)

Recruiting[]

Player Position Nationality Age Notes
Todd Burgess Forward Flag of the United States United States 24 Phoenix, AZ; graduate transfer from Rensselaer; Selected 103rd overall in 2016
Ryan Edquist Goaltender Flag of the United States United States 22 Lakeville, MN; graduate transfer from Boston College
Tanner Edwards Forward Flag of the United States United States 20 Anchorage, AK
Brendan Furry Forward Flag of the United States United States 22 Toledo, OH
Connor Gregga Forward Flag of Canada Canada 20 Markham, ON
Akito Hirose Defenseman Flag of Canada Canada 21 Calgary, AB
Jake Livingstone Defenseman Flag of Canada Canada 21 Creston, BC
Sam Morton Forward Flag of the United States United States 21 Lafayette, CO; transfer from Union
Ondřej Pavel Forward Flag of the Czech Republic Czech Republic 20 Praha, CZE

Roster[]

As of December 17, 2020.[3]

# S/P/C Player Class Pos Height Weight DoB Hometown Previous team NHL rights
2 Flag of Alberta Hirose, AkitoAkito Hirose Freshman D 6' 0" (1.83 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1999-04-09 Calgary, Alberta Salmon Arm (BCHL)
3 Flag of Minnesota McNeely, JackJack McNeely (A) Senior D 6' 3" (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1996-12-16 Lakeville, Minnesota Muskegon (USHL)
4 Flag of Minnesota Carroll, AndyAndy Carroll Junior D 5' 10" (1.78 m) 178 lb (81 kg) 1997-02-17 Northfield, Minnesota Green Bay (USHL)
5 Flag of Minnesota Jaremko, JakeJake Jaremko Senior F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 189 lb (86 kg) 1996-08-24 Nowthen, Minnesota Chicago (USHL)
6 Flag of Colorado Morton, SamSam Morton Junior D 6' 0" (1.83 m) 174 lb (79 kg) 1999-07-28 Lafayette, Colorado Wenatchee (BCHL)
7 Flag of Minnesota Aamodt, WyattWyatt Aamodt Junior D 5' 11" (1.8 m) 201 lb (91 kg) 1997-11-22 Hermantown, Minnesota Lincoln (USHL)
8 Flag of Florida Smith, NathanNathan Smith Sophomore F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1998-10-18 Hudson, Florida Cedar Rapids (USHL) WPG, 91st overall 2018
9 Flag of Alaska Edwards, TannerTanner Edwards Freshman F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 2000-03-11 Anchorage, Alaska Muskegon (USHL)
10 Flag of Colorado McMahan, ShaneShane McMahan Junior F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 201 lb (91 kg) 1996-07-30 Lakewood, Colorado Fargo (USHL)
11 Flag of North Dakota Spooner, JaredJared Spooner (A) Senior D 6' 0" (1.83 m) 196 lb (89 kg) 1996-03-22 Bismarck, North Dakota Green Bay (USHL)
12 Flag of Colorado Bukes, ColbyColby Bukes Sophomore D 5' 11" (1.8 m) 178 lb (81 kg) 1999-02-01 Littleton, Colorado Muskegon (USHL)
13 Flag of Ohio Furry, BrendanBrendan Furry Freshman F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1998-07-08 Toledo, Ohio Tri-City (USHL)
14 Flag of Minnesota Sandelin, RyanRyan Sandelin Sophomore F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 192 lb (87 kg) 1999-01-03 Hermantown, Minnesota Penticton (BCHL)
15 Flag of Germany Napravnik, JulianJulian Napravnik Junior F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 167 lb (76 kg) 1997-05-06 Bad Nauheim, Germany Des Moines (USHL)
16 Flag of Minnesota Lutz, ReggieReggie Lutz Senior F 5' 10" (1.78 m) 178 lb (81 kg) 1996-10-18 Elk River, Minnesota Chicago (USHL)
17 Flag of South Dakota Duehr, WalkerWalker Duehr Senior F 6' 2" (1.88 m) 211 lb (96 kg) 1997-11-23 Sioux Falls, South Dakota Bloomington (USHL)
18 Flag of the Czech Republic Pavel, OndřejOndřej Pavel Freshman F 6' 2" (1.88 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 2000-08-29 Prague, Czech Republic Fargo (USHL)
19 Flag of Saskatchewan Van Os-Shaw, ChrisChris Van Os-Shaw Junior F 6' 2" (1.88 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1997-05-20 Regina, Saskatchewan Spruce Grove (AJHL)
20 Flag of Ontario Gregga, ConnorConnor Gregga Freshman F 5' 10" (1.78 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 2000-07-24 Markham, Ontario Coquitlam (BCHL)
21 Flag of Florida Sowder, LucasLucas Sowder Sophomore F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1998-11-15 Trinity, Florida Wenatchee (BCHL)
22 Flag of Minnesota Gerads, DallasDallas Gerads (A) Senior F 5' 10" (1.78 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1996-06-01 Blaine, Minnesota Dubuque (USHL)
23 Flag of British Columbia Livingstone, JakeJake Livingstone Freshman D 6' 4" (1.93 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1999-04-16 Creston, British Columbia Langley (BCHL)
24 Flag of Arizona Burgess, ToddTodd Burgess Senior F 6' 2" (1.88 m) 179 lb (81 kg) 1996-04-03 Phoenix, Arizona RPI (ECAC) OTT, 103rd overall 2016
25 Flag of Minnesota Zmolek, RieseRiese Zmolek (C) Senior D 6' 1" (1.85 m) 201 lb (91 kg) 1996-09-12 Rochester, Minnesota Cedar Rapids (USHL)
27 Flag of Michigan Malinowski, TonyTony Malinowski Sophomore D 6' 4" (1.93 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1999-10-15 Clarkston, Michigan Des Moines (USHL)
28 Flag of Minnesota Borchardt, CadeCade Borchardt Sophomore F 5' 10" (1.78 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1998-07-06 Burnsville, Minnesota Sioux Falls (USHL)
29 Flag of Illinois McKay, DrydenDryden McKay Junior G 5' 11" (1.8 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1997-11-25 Downers Grove, Illinois Madison (USHL)
33 Flag of Minnesota Foss, EvanEvan Foss Sophomore G 5' 11" (1.8 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 2001-02-17 White Bear Lake, Minnesota White Bear Lake (USHS–MN)
35 Flag of Minnesota Edquist, RyanRyan Edquist Senior G 6' 0" (1.83 m) 172 lb (78 kg) 1998-01-28 Lakeville, Minnesota Boston College (HEA)

Standings[]

Conference record Overall record
GP W L T OTW OTL 3/SW PTS GF GA GP W L T GF GA
#5 Minnesota State 14 13 1 0 1 1 0 39 56 15 27 22 4 1 96 41
#13 Lake Superior State * 14 9 5 0 2 2 0 27 39 34 29 19 7 3 86 63
#17 Bowling Green 14 8 5 1 0 2 0 27 46 34 31 20 10 1 108 67
#14 Bemidji State 14 8 5 1 3 2 0 24 42 34 29 16 10 3 82 70
Michigan Tech 14 7 7 0 1 0 0 20 38 35 30 17 12 1 78 63
Northern Michigan 14 6 7 1 2 2 1 20 40 47 29 11 17 1 79 103
Alabama–Huntsville 14 3 11 0 1 0 0 8 18 49 22 3 18 1 31 80
Ferris State 14 0 13 1 0 1 1 3 28 59 25 1 23 1 55 103
Alaska 0 - - - - - - - - - 0 - - - - -
Alaska Anchorage 0 - - - - - - - - - 0 - - - - -
Championship: March 20, 2021
† indicates conference regular season champion
* indicates conference tournament champion
Rankings: USCHO.com Top 20 Poll; updated April 3, 2021

Schedule and Results[]

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Decision Result Attendance Record
Regular Season
November 22 5:07 PM at #16 Bemidji State* #5 Sanford CenterBemidji, Minnesota   McKay W 5–0  105 1–0–0
December 6 5:07 PM at Michigan Tech* #6 MacInnes Student Ice ArenaHoughton, Michigan   McKay L 1–3  0 1–1–0
December 7 4:07 PM at Michigan Tech* #6 MacInnes Student Ice ArenaHoughton, Michigan   McKay W 2–0  0 2–1–0
December 18 7:37 PM vs. Bemidji State* #5 Mayo Clinic Health System Event CenterMankato, Minnesota   McKay W 5–4  0 3–1–0
December 19 5:07 PM vs. Bemidji State* #5 Mayo Clinic Health System Event CenterMankato, Minnesota   Edquist T 1–1 SOW 0 3–1–1
January 2 5:07 PM at Northern Michigan #5 Berry Events CenterMarquette, Michigan FloHockey.tv McKay W 5–0  0 4–1–1 (1–0–0)
January 3 3:07 PM at Northern Michigan #5 Berry Events CenterMarquette, Michigan FloHockey.tv McKay W 4–0  0 5–1–1 (2–0–0)
January 15 6:07 PM at #19 Lake Superior State #5 Taffy Abel ArenaSault Ste. Marie, Michigan FloHockey.tv McKay W 3–0  0 6–1–1 (3–0–0)
January 16 4:07 PM at #19 Lake Superior State #5 Taffy Abel ArenaSault Ste. Marie, Michigan FloHockey.tv McKay W 6–2  0 7–1–1 (4–0–0)
January 23 5:07 PM vs. Ferris State #2 Mayo Clinic Health System Event CenterMankato, Minnesota FloHockey.tv McKay W 4–0  0 8–1–1 (5–0–0)
January 24 3:07 PM vs. Ferris State #2 Mayo Clinic Health System Event CenterMankato, Minnesota FloHockey.tv McKay W 4–1  0 9–1–1 (6–0–0)
January 29 4:07 PM at Bemidji State* #3 Sanford CenterBemidji, Minnesota   Edquist L 1–4  25 9–2–1
February 5 7:07 PM vs. #8 Bowling Green #6 Mayo Clinic Health System Event CenterMankato, Minnesota FloHockey.tv McKay W 4–0  150 10–2–1 (7–0–0)
February 6 6:07 PM vs. #8 Bowling Green #6 Mayo Clinic Health System Event CenterMankato, Minnesota FloHockey.tv McKay W 5–1  150 11–2–1 (8–0–0)
February 11 7:07 PM at Alabama–Huntsville #3 Von Braun CenterHuntsville, Alabama FloHockey.tv McKay W 4–1  888 12–2–1 (9–0–0)
February 12 7:07 PM at Alabama–Huntsville #3 Von Braun CenterHuntsville, Alabama FloHockey.tv McKay W 5–0  1,281 13–2–1 (10–0–0)
February 19 6:07 PM at Ferris State* #3 Ewigleben ArenaBig Rapids, Michigan   Edquist W 5–4 OT 215 14–2–1
February 20 6:07 PM at Ferris State* #3 Ewigleben ArenaBig Rapids, Michigan   McKay W 5–1  250 15–2–1
February 25 7:07 PM vs. #19 Bemidji State #3 Mayo Clinic Health System Event CenterMankato, Minnesota FloHockey.tv McKay W 4–3 OT 250 16–2–1 (11–0–0)
February 27 6:07 PM at #19 Bemidji State #3 Sanford CenterBemidji, Minnesota FloHockey.tv McKay L 3–4 OT 150 16–3–1 (11–1–0)
March 5 6:07 PM vs. #19 Michigan Tech #4 Mayo Clinic Health System Event CenterMankato, Minnesota FloHockey.tv McKay W 2–1  250 17–3–1 (12–1–0)
March 6 6:07 PM vs. #19 Michigan Tech #4 Mayo Clinic Health System Event CenterMankato, Minnesota FloHockey.tv McKay W 3–2  250 18–3–1 (13–1–0)
WCHA Tournament
March 12 6:07 PM vs. Ferris State* #3 Mayo Clinic Health System Event CenterMankato, Minnesota (WCHA Quarterfinals Game 1)   McKay W 3–0  250 19–3–1
March 13 4:07 PM vs. Ferris State* #3 Mayo Clinic Health System Event CenterMankato, Minnesota (WCHA Quarterfinals Game 2)   McKay W 3–1  250 20–3–1
Minnesota State Won Series 2–0
March 19 2:07 PM vs. Ferris State* #3 Mayo Clinic Health System Event CenterMankato, Minnesota (WCHA Semifinals)   McKay L 1–5  250 20–4–1
NCAA Tournament
March 27 3:00 PM vs. #11 Quinnipiac* #5 Budweiser Events CenterLoveland, Colorado (NCAA West Regional Semifinals) ESPN3 McKay W 4–3 OT 101 21–4–1
March 29 7:00 PM vs. #2 Minnesota* #5 Budweiser Events CenterLoveland, Colorado (NCAA West Regional Final) ESPN2 McKay W 4–0  175 22–4–1
April 8 4:00 PM vs. #7 St. Cloud State* #5 PPG Paints ArenaPittsburgh, Pennsylvania (NCAA National Semifinals) ESPN2 McKay L 4–5  3,660 22–5–1
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from USCHO.com Poll. All times are in Central Time.

[4]

Scoring Statistics[]

Name Position Games Goals Assists Points PIM
Napravnik, JulianJulian Napravnik RW 27 10 18 28 4
Smith, NathanNathan Smith C 28 9 16 25 16
Borchardt, CadeCade Borchardt F 28 9 15 24 10
Lutz, ReggieReggie Lutz RW 25 10 11 21 33
Gerads, DallasDallas Gerads LW 28 9 10 19 31
Duehr, WalkerWalker Duehr RW 28 10 7 17 26
Jaremko, JakeJake Jaremko C/LW 28 4 12 16 2
Hirose, AkitoAkito Hirose D 28 1 14 15 14
Burgess, ToddTodd Burgess C/RW 25 5 9 14 6
Livingstone, JakeJake Livingstone D 28 4 10 14 16
Furry, BrendanBrendan Furry LW 28 5 8 13 19
Zmolek, RieseRiese Zmolek F 24 1 12 13 27
Sandelin, RyanRyan Sandelin C 27 7 2 9 28
Morton, SamSam Morton F 17 5 4 9 6
Carroll, AndyAndy Carroll D 26 3 6 9 4
Spooner, JaredJared Spooner LW 23 3 4 7 8
Aamodt, WyattWyatt Aamodt D 28 2 5 7 10
McNeely, JackJack McNeely D 27 1 5 6 8
Pavel, OndřejOndřej Pavel C 11 0 4 4 8
Malinowski, TonyTony Malinowski D 10 1 2 3 2
McMahan, ShaneShane McMahan LW 16 1 2 3 12
Van Os-Shaw, ChrisChris Van Os-Shaw LW 11 0 1 1 23
Gregga, ConnorConnor Gregga F 1 0 0 0 0
Bukes, ColbyColby Bukes D 3 0 0 0 0
Edquist, RyanRyan Edquist G 4 0 0 0 0
Sowder, LucasLucas Sowder LW 7 0 0 0 0
McKay, DrydenDryden McKay G 26 0 0 0 0
Bench - - - - - 8
Total 100 177 277 321

[5]

Goaltending statistics[]

Name Games Minutes Wins Losses Ties Goals Against Saves Shut Outs SV % GAA
McKay, DrydenDryden McKay 26 1522 21 4 0 39 477 10 .924 1.54
Edquist, RyanRyan Edquist 4 175 1 1 1 5 28 0 .848 1.71
Empty Net - 9 - - - 2 - - - -
Total 28 1707 22 5 1 46 505 10 .917 1.62

Rankings[]

Poll Week
Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 (Final)
USCHO.com 4 5 6 6 6 5 5 5 4 5 2 3 6 3 3 3 4 3 3 5 -
USA Today 5 4 5 6 6 5 5 5 4 4 2 2 4 3 3 3 4 3 3 6 1

USCHO did not release a poll in week 20.[6]

Awards and honors[]

Player Award Ref
Mike Hastings Spencer Penrose Award [7]
Dryden McKay AHCA West Second Team All-American [8]
Dryden McKay WCHA Player of the Year [9]
Julian Napravnik WCHA Offensive Player of the Year [10]
Dryden McKay WCHA Goaltender of the Year [10]
Akito Hirose WCHA Rookie of the Year [10]
Mike Hastings WCHA Coach of the Year [10]
Dryden McKay WCHA First Team [11]
Julian Napravnik
Nathan Smith WCHA Second Team [11]
Akito Hirose WCHA Third Team [11]
Riese Zmolek
Akito Hirose WCHA Rookie Team [11]
Jake Livingstone

References[]

  1. NCAA approves blanket waiver for 2020 fall sports athletes to retain year of eligibility. CBS Sports (August 21, 2020). Retrieved on January 25, 2021.
  2. DI Council grants waiver to allow transfer student-athletes to compete immediately. NCAA (December 16, 2020). Retrieved on January 25, 2021.
  3. 2020–21 Men's Hockey Roster. Minnesota State Mavericks.
  4. Minnesota State Mavericks (Men) 2020-2021 Schedule and Results. College Hockey Stats. Retrieved on December 5, 2019.
  5. "Minnesota State Univ. (Mankato) 2020-2021 Skater Stats", Elite Prospects. Retrieved on March 2, 2020. 
  6. USCHO Division I Men's Poll. USCHO.com. Retrieved on November 26, 2019.
  7. "Minnesota State's Mike Hastings Wins 2021 Spencer Penrose Award", WCHA, April 6, 2021. 
  8. "Boston College, Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin lead way with three All-American college hockey players apiece for ’20-21 season", April 9, 2021. 
  9. Minnesota State's Dryden McKay Named 2020-21 WCHA Player Of The Year (March 12, 2021). Retrieved on April 8, 2021.
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 WCHA announces individual award winners. The Sault News (March 11, 2021). Retrieved on April 8, 2021.
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 WCHA Announces 2020-21 All-League Teams (March 10, 2021). Retrieved on April 8, 2021.
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