Series of disappointing first-round exits at the NCAA Tournament the only blemish on Hastings’ era in Mankato

The Minnesota State Mavericks have had their hearts broken just about every way imaginable over the years.

In 2015, MSU was the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and saw its season end in the first round on a goal that, by the letter of the law, shouldn’t have counted.

Three years later, the Mavericks jumped in front by a pair of goals early and watched their opponent slowly claw back, drawing even in the final period before winning in overtime.

That opponent would go on to win the NCAA title.

Last season, in a hostile environment, MSU took a three-goal lead — and very a nearly a four-goal lead — before watching that advantage wither away in a blink in an eventual 6-3 loss.

They’ve lost in empty buildings. They’ve lost in full ones. They’ve lost out east. They’ve lost in Sioux Falls, just a two-hour drive from their Mankato campus.

MSU G Dryden McKay (Photo courtesy of Minnesota State University Athletics)

It hasn’t mattered much the circumstance or the quality of opponent, Minnesota State has known only losing when it comes to the NCAA Tournament. And for a program that has won more games than any other in college hockey since Mike Hastings became head coach in 2012, winning games in the NCAAs is really the only measuring stick that matters anymore.

Since college hockey realignment in 2013, Minnesota State has proven its mettle in conference play. MSU has won three WCHA regular season championships and two more playoff titles.

They’ve also reached the NCAA Tournament four times during that span, more than any other team in the conference.

Unfortunately for MSU, the Mavericks are 0-4 once there. And of all the heartbreaking losses once there, last season may have the most staying power.

Minnesota’s State’s 32 victories were a program record. Just a week prior, a miracle comeback in the final minute of the WCHA Championship game allowed MSU to raise yet another banner.

It was almost as though they were a team of destiny.

But placement in the Providence, Rhode Island regional — and a game against Providence College — would be a challenge. An early three-goal lead seemed to put those worries to bed. An apparent fourth goal was waved off for offsides, and from that point on, the game changed.

Providence scored the next six goals and would go on to reach the Frozen Four by winning the following afternoon.

The job of leading the Mavericks to new heights will fall largely on the shoulders of senior captain Marc Michaelis. A native of Mannheim, Germany, Michaelis is one of the top returning players in the country. The WCHA’s Preseason Player of the Year was also named to the All-College Hockey News first team nationally.

Michaelis has been a model of consistency over the years for the Mavericks, scoring between 36 and 42 points in each of his first three years on campus.

He led the team in both goals and points a year ago and could be a darkhorse candidate for the Hobey Baker Award.

Michaelis, who wore the ‘C’ for MSU last season as a junior, will do so again after being named co-captain, along with fellow senior Nick Rivera.

Perhaps no contender in the country had a better offseason than MSU. The Mavericks lost one regular contributor off last year’s team, where former captain Max Coatta will be missed more off the ice. His eight goals and 15 points should be easily replaceable.

Coatta ranked 14th on the Mavericks in scoring last season. The 13 players in front of him all return, as do the next eight behind him.

In this day and age of college hockey, it’s a remarkable statistic: the Mavericks return 20 of their top returning 21 scorers.

Also back is sophomore goaltender Dryden McKay, who was CHN’s Freshman of the Year nationally after posting a 24-7-2 record to go with a 1.76 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage.

Joining McKay between the posts will be freshman Jaxson Stauber, son of former University of Minnesota Hobey Baker Award winner, Robb.

MSU D Connor Mackay (Photo courtesy of Minnesota State University Athletics)

Up front, the Mavericks bring in a player with another familiar surname to college hockey fans in Minnesota, Ryan Sandelin. The son of Minnesota Duluth head coach Scott Sandelin, Ryan stands 6-foot and 192 points and is coming off a 31-goal season with Penticton last year.

Also added to the mix is forward Nathan Smith, a third-round pick of the Winnipeg Jets in 2018 who hails from Hudson, Florida. Smith led Cedar Rapids of the USHL with 53 points in 59 games last season and had 47 points in 51 games the year prior.

On defense, the Mavericks are buoyed by the return of Connor Mackey, a junior who had plenty of NHL options following last season. Mackey led Maverick blueliners in goals (seven) and was tied with Ian Scheid in points (25). Scheid returns for his senior campaign as well.

Edwin Hookenson, Jack McNeely, Riese Zmolek and Wyatt Aamodt all return having played at least 36 games last season, with Hookenson and McNeely having played in all 42.

Skill? Check.

Experience? Check.

Motivation? Check.

All the pieces seem to be in place for the Mavericks this season, leaving just one box left to be checked. And while an NCAA Tournament win would be one giant monkey off the back of the program, there’s no reason why MSU shouldn’t aim significantly higher than that in 2020.

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Former Gopher captain and assistant takes over at Northern Michigan

The University of Minnesota suffered a blow to its coaching staff on Tuesday morning with the announcement that Gopher assistant coach Grant Potulny has accepted the head coaching position at Northern Michigan University.

“My family and I are very excited to be joining the Northern Michigan community,” Potulny said in a statement released by Northern Michigan. “The hockey team has been a great source of pride for alumni, fans and students for the past 41 years. This is a wonderful opportunity, and I look forward to adding to the tradition and success of Wildcat hockey.”

Potulny, who spent the past eight years on the Minnesota bench, helped guide his alma mater to an NCAA record six-straight regular-season conference titles along with four NCAA tournament berths and pair of Frozen Four appearances.

The school’s only three-year captain since 1947, Potulny led the Gophers to back-to-back national championships in 2002 and 2003, scoring the game winner in overtime against Maine in 2002 at Xcel Energy Center.

The Grand Forks, ND native recorded 116 points (68 goals, 48 assists) in a Maroon & Gold sweater before playing professionally from 2004-09. Potulny and his wife, Melissa, have three children: Jack, Owen and Charlotte.

“Grant is very deserving of the opportunity to be the next head coach at Northern Michigan University,” Minnesota head coach Don Lucia said in a statement released by the school’s communications office. “He’s had a tremendous career at the ‘U’ as a player and as a coach, and it’s been enjoyable to watch him grow. There’s no question in my mind that he’s ready to be a head coach. Grant’s a great family man, and he and his family will be a tremendous asset in their move to Marquette.”

In the February 2017 issue of Minnesota Hockey Magazine, Potulny expressed to writer Eric Vegoe how thankful he was for the opportunity Lucia gad given him over the last eight years.

“He took a chance on me,” Potulny said of Lucia. “There were a lot of people that were way more qualified for this position than I was, and I think Don saw something that he thought he could help groom and grow, for that I’m grateful.”

Potulny replaces former Wildcats’ coach Walt Kyle who was informed last month his contract would not be renewed by the school following a 13-22-4 season. Kyle compiled an overall record of 265-263-68 during 15 seasons at the helm of the program. 

“Grant impressed everyone throughout the interview process and truly earned this opportunity,” said Director of Athletics Forrest Karr. “He is a tremendous leader committed to excellence and has achieved success at each level as a player and as a coach. Grant has had quality mentors throughout his career, and it shows in his attention to detail and plan for Northern Michigan hockey. This is Grant’s time to lead and continue the program’s rich history.”

Northern Michigan forward Zach Diamantoni said the team is looking forward to starting a new chapter of Wildcat hockey with Potulny.

“My initial impression of Coach Potulny was he’s a winner,” Diamantoni said. “During our meeting, he demonstrated a calm, confident presence with a clear vision for success. Coach Potulny brings tremendous leadership and a winning attitude that will have a positive impact on the Northern Michigan University hockey program and community.”

In addition to his coaching accomplishments at Minnesota, Potulny has been integral part of USA Hockey’s success at the international level. He has served as an assistant coach on two gold medal-winning U.S. National Junior Teams at the IIHF World Junior Championships (2013, 2017). His most recent outing in 2017 saw the U.S. squad go unbeaten in tournament action to claim its fourth gold medal and 10th overall medal.

“You don’t get picked to be on a couple World Junior staffs if you don’t have the ability to coach,” Lucia told Vegoe in the aforementioned February article. “I think he’s a good recruiter, I think his coaching has really improved and grown over the years like you’d expect when you start with no experience.”

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Rivalry games raise excitement, expectations, and when it comes to Minnesota college hockey, bragging rights for best program in the state of hockey. The University of Minnesota is riding a streak of five regular season conference titles, but after getting swept by St. Cloud State in October, the Gophers also are riding a streak of losses to in-state schools.

The Gophers led both nights against the Huskies during the latest rivalry series, but St. Cloud State rallied for a series sweep, handing Minnesota their 14th loss in their last 15 games against in-state rivals. The only Gopher victory in that span was a 4-0 win over Minnesota State on Nov. 13, 2015.

“I want to believe it has nothing to do with the in-state games or anything, we can’t finish,” Leon Bristedt said. “It’s all about executing; it’s all about finishing and winning games. Unfortunately, we haven’t found a way of really doing that with in-state rivalries, but we can only look forward to new games coming up. We can look back and learn, but what’s happened, it’s in the past.”

The past is hard to ignore with this group.

Minnesota has sustained six of their 14 losses in the third period. The 2016 North Star College Cup saw the Gophers take a 2-1 lead against Bemidji State and lose 4-2, and the next day tie Minnesota State in the third period only to lose in overtime. Minnesota played the Huskies close in their Nov. 27, 2015 series opener, but gave up two late goals to lose 3-2 and then lost a turnover filled affair 7-4 in the second game of the series. The Gophers also took a 2-0 lead on Minnesota State Nov. 14, 2015 only to give up two goals in the third period and lose in overtime 3-2.

“It’s not like we take these games easier, or lighter than other games, we have these marked on our calendar as I assume they do too,” Justin Kloos said after North Star Cup last year. “But for some reason we’ve just came up short of the last almost year and a half now.”

Photo by Brent Cizek for Minnesota Hockey Magazine

The recipe for disappointment in many of the in-state games has been turnovers and poor special teams. In-state schools have outshot the Gophers 507-425 in this stretch and only twice did Minnesota have a shots-on-goal advantage. The power play scored on 10 of 50 chances during this stretch, but their penalty kill allowed 23 goals on 68 opportunities—killing penalties at just 64 percent.

Steve Johnson admitted that the recent record against in-state team is in their heads.

“Minnesota should be the best, it’s unacceptable. We’ve got to learn to play our game, get pucks deep, go to work, and play the game the right way” Johnson said.

Gopher coach Don Lucia decided after the Huskies series that he would have to change the way they practice to change the way Minnesota performs in these rivalry games.

“That’s obviously been a focus, and we talked to guys that we just have to change the way we practice,” Lucia said. “We have to be better along the walls, we have to be better below the circles on each end of the rink. We’re not getting enough in-zone offensive time for possession.”

The emphasis was more five-on-five drills and small area drills in practice to change the mindset so players realize if they lose the puck, they’ve got to work to get it back.

“The practices here have been way harder, not as much skating, but way more battling. Some guys have been almost on the edge of fighting, and I think that’s how practices should be,” Bristedt said. “Looking back at practice before we’ve done a lot of rushes and things, and you can see that’s where we score our goals off the rush and on the power play, but I think working down low and battling more is the recipe for winning more games.”

Minnesota will get a chance against Minnesota State Nov. 18 and 19 for a home and home series, and then against Minnesota Duluth and either Bemidji State or St. Cloud State in the North Star College Cup Jan. 27 and 28 for a chance to redeem themselves.

“I don’t feel any different when it comes to pressure. I notice the attention, I notice like, ‘Hey that this is a bigger game’ but as a player this is something you love and you want to be out there in these kind of games,” Bristedt said.

“I think we’ve been passive a couple times and that’s where we get caught. If we can stay on the hunt, if we can act instead of react, I think that’s where we’re going to have success.”

Story originally published in the November, 2016 issue of our digital magazine. For more stories like this, click HERE to view the November issue and subscribe to have future issues delivered directly to your email inbox. 

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Motzko stirred, not shaken, by questions surrounding Huskies

St. Cloud State
Coach: Bob Motzko (St. Cloud State ‘87), 11th Season 235-164-42 with the Huskies
2015-16: 31-9-1 Overall (17-6-1 Conference), Lost in NCAA West Regional Final
Picked by media to finish 4th in NCHC

Key Returning Players: Mikey Eyssimont, So. F (14-19), Jimmy Schuldt, So. D (10-16), Will Borgen, So. D (1-13), Ben Storm Sr. F (2-5), Nate Widman, Jr. D (1-10).
Key Newcomers: Ryan Poehling Fr. F, Jack Ahcan, Fr. D, Dennis Cholowski, Fr. D.

St. Cloud State advanced to the NCAA tournament for a fourth consecutive season in 2015-16, but to get back they’ll have to adjust to a new cycle of players fast.

“Everyone always tells me how many guys we lost, and what kind of scorers we lost, but we’ve got plenty of guys who can replace those guys,” Jimmy Schuldt said. “We’ve got two really good defensemen coming in, two really good goalies coming, and I think depth is our strength this year.”

The Huskies expected to lose Ethan Prow, Kalle Kossila, Joey Benik, Jimmy Murray, and David Morley to graduation. They even begrudgingly accepted that their number one goaltender, Charlie Lindgren, was going to move on after his junior season. However, Patrick Russell left after scoring 20 goals, and 21 assists during his sophomore season to sign an entry level deal with the Edmonton Oilers. His early departure meant that Motzko was going to have to replace his entire top six scorers and his number one goaltender for 2016-17.

Last year coach Bob Motzko said he knew his power play before they even suited up, and knew who our number one goalie was when he started planning for the season. The challenge this year is to figure out where all the pieces fit and he’s excited about the opportunity to coach again and the test to figure it out.

St. Cloud State has some incoming talent like defenseman Dennis Cholowski, drafted 20th overall in the NHL Draft by the Detroit Red Wings, the highest ever selection for a Huskies player or commit. They also have Jack Ahcan coming in after being named the USHL Defenseman of the Year last season. And then Ryan Poehling accelerated his high school studies to join St. Cloud State and his brothers a year earlier than anticipated. Ryan Poehling’s 2017 NHL Draft future also looks favorable after getting one of the 29 A ratings assigned by the NHL Central Scouting.

The picture in goal isn’t so clear. Motzko looks for athletes with great character, a track record of being successful, and thinks they have three guys who fit that bill, but the only thing they don’t have is a lot of minutes played in college hockey and they’re going to give them that opportunity.

The candidates include returning sophomore 22-year-old 5’11” David Zevnik, who played at St. Thomas Academy, and joined the Huskies as a recruited walk-on after two years with the Wichita Falls in the NAHL. The new goalies are 21-year-old 6’2” Jeff Smith, a transfer from UMass-Lowell who played three years with Powell River in the BCHL, and 19-year-old 6’0” Zach Driscoll who played at Eastview HS, Austin in the NAHL, Omaha in the USHL, and Penticton in the BCHL. All three goalies played a period in the St. Cloud State exhibition game against Regina.

“We just went through nine years of outstanding goaltending, from Mike Lee to Ryan Faragher to Charlie Lindgren, and that’s a pretty good run–we just got to make sure it’s a fourth run,” Motzko said.

“We’re a young hockey team with a new goaltender, I think we can score goals so that gives us a chance. Now can we keep it out of our net to give us a better chance.”

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Hastings to lean on seniors to lead big rookie class

Minnesota State
Coach: Mike Hastings (St. Cloud State ‘93), 4th Season 100-49-14 with the Mavericks
2015-16: 21-13-7 Overall (16-5-7 Conference)
Picked by media and coaches to finish 3rd in WCHA

Key Returning Players: C.J. Franklin, Jr. F (14-11), Michael Huntebrinker, Sr. F (7-12), Zach Stepan, Sr. F (6-7), Carter Foguth, Sr. D (1-6), Sean Flanagan, Sr. D (2-9), Daniel Brickley, So. D (2-9), and Cole Huggins, Sr. G (.917 Sv%-1.84 GAA).
Key Newcomers: Parker Tuomie, Fr. F., Marc Michaelis, Fr. F.

The Mavericks are defending back-to-back MacNaughton Cups at Verizon Wireless Center this season, but the departures of Teddy Blueger, Bryce Gervais, and Casey Nelson left big gaps in the line-up card for fifth-year coach Mike Hastings.

“Our group of six seniors are going to be very important in how we start our WCHA play,” Hastings said. The coach also recruited an older class among his eight new Mavericks because he needs them to come in and play a little bit older than freshman especially with a schedule that features an October slate of Michigan Tech, St. Cloud State, at Alaska, and Ferris State.

Parker Tuomie is the biggest name among recruits joining the stable. Tuomie scored 54 points (30-24) for the Sioux Falls Stampede in the USHL last season and was the coaches’ choice for preseason rookie of the year.

“I see Parker has got some respect throughout the league,” Hastings said. “Hopefully he can take that and prove what he can do on a night in and night out basis.”

Defensively, Minnesota State will be counting on Carter Foguth, Sean Flanagan, and Daniel Brickley to combine and offensively production Casey Nelson took to the Buffalo Sabres.

Between the pipes, senior Cole Huggins is going to be counted upon to steady the herd. Hastings said the goalie has had some great support in front of him and competing with him for playing time, but this year the team will be looking to the crease for support.

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Bulldogs gearing up to take the next step

Minnesota Duluth
Coach: Scott Sandelin (North Dakota ‘86), 16th Season 287-277-75
2015-16: 19-16-5 Overall (11-10-3 Conference), Lost in NCAA Northeast Regional Final
Picked by media to finish 3rd in NCHC

Key Returning Players: Alex Iafallo, Sr. F (8-15), Dominic Toninato, Sr. F (15-6), Karson Kuhlman, Jr. F (12-8), Neal Pionk, So. D (4-13), Willie Raskob Sr. D (2-11), Carson Soucy, Sr. D (3-9),
Key Newcomers: Avery Peterson Jr. F, Riley Tufte, Fr. F, Joey Anderson, Fr. F, Hunter Miska, Fr. G.

Minnesota Duluth has seven seniors and six juniors who have experience playing in NCAA Regionals. They also have 13 upperclassmen with the experience of coming up just short of advancing past a regional final.

“The last two years we’re one goal away from tying the game in the final minute,” Dominic Toninato said. “Obviously we got to get there again, but I think the goal is to get over that hump and make the Frozen Four.”

Toninato decided to pass on offers from Toronto to play professional hockey in 2016-17 and take one more trip with his hometown dogs for another chance at a Frozen Four. Toninato leads a talented group of forwards that got deeper with the addition of Riley Tufte, the 25th overall pick by the Dallas Stars, and Joey Anderson, the 73rd overall pick by the New Jersey Devils. Coach Scott Sandelin said his highly touted freshman will eventually be impact players, but he has the luxury of having plenty of veterans players that he can count for production early.

“When Cam and Farley came in, we needed them to be good and they were,” Sandelin said of the departed Tony Cameranesi and Austin Farley. “But with these two, we don’t have to do that. I’d like to see them be more hungry, earn it, and frankly I’d like to give some older guys a chance.”

Sandelin says the depth of teams the Bulldogs’ opponents means his top players can’t take shifts off, his top players can’t have nights off, and he knows with freshmen there are going to be inconsistencies to their game. The coach expects to lean on Toninato, Alex Iafallo, Karson Kuhlman early and give Adam Johnson, Kyle Osterberg, and Jared Thomas more chances to contribute.

The biggest question mark coming into the season was how to replace Kasimir Kaskisuo who posted a .923 Sv% and 1.92 and left after his sophomore season to sign as an undrafted free agent with Toronto. Sandelin had never gone into a season where he had zero goalies without any previous college experience in goal. At the NCHC media day, the coach coach was coy with wh was ahead of who, but said he recruited Hunter Miska for a reason. Miska came into the season with five years of junior hockey experience, was named the 2015-16 USA Hockey Goalie of the Year, and after two wins against Michigan Tech appears to be the replacement for Kaskisuo.

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Gophers eager to put disappointing season behind them

Minnesota
Coach: Don Lucia (Notre Dame ‘87), 17th Season 415-219-68 with Gophers
2015-16: 20-17-0 Overall (14-6-0 Conference)
Picked by coaches to finish 1st in Big Ten

Key Returning Players: Justin Kloos, Sr. F (16-27), Leon Bristedt, Jr. F (20-17), Tyler Sheehy, So. F (12-18), Jake Bischoff, Sr. D (6-12), Eric Schierhorn, So. G (90.2 Sv%-2.67 GAA).
Key Newcomers: Mike Szmatula, Jr. F, Rem Pitlick, Fr. F, Ryan Lindgren, Fr. D, Ryan Zuhlsdorf, Fr. D.

Minnesota won its fifth consecutive regular season conference title last season, but missing out on the NCAA tournament for the first time in those five seasons made earning a banner feel hollow.

“I think it’s going to be a team that will play for one goal, with not a lot of outside influences as far as other things going,” captain Justin Kloos said. “I think this will be a focused group, because last year was unacceptable.”

The team lost Hudson Fasching, Michael Brodzinski, and Nick Seeler to professional contracts, but will have veteran players and most spots in the lineup.

Up front, two new options will start the season in the top nine. Junior transfer wing Mike Szmatula will start the season playing on a line with Kloos and Taylor Cammarata. Szmatula was a point per game player in Hockey East for two seasons, and coach Don Lucia expects him to transition seamlessly into the lineup. The other new player to the line-up, Rem Pitlick, decided late to join the Gophers for 2016-17 and will likely play with Leon Bristedt and Vinni Lettieri. The forward was drafted 76th overall by Nashville in the NHL Entry Draft and decided to join Minnesota after playing in a Predators Development Camp and World Junior Evaluation Camp.

“Obviously Rem deciding to come was big … you see his skill on the ice right away, he’s going to really elevate the skill level of our team,” Lucia said. “I think you’ll see him have a big year.”

The other ‘top nine’ line will start with redshirt senior Connor Reilly playing with sophomores Tyler Sheehy and Tom Novak. Reilly is finally healthy coming into a season after recovering from three seasons limited by injuries. Reilly feels this is the first time in three years that his brain and body are working together, and now that his knee feels good, his hands and shot feel good again.

Defensively Jake Bischoff returns to lead a blue line of mobile defensemen who all can play the game Associate Head Coach Mike Guentzel demands. He’ll be pushed by returning players and freshmen Ryan Lindgren and Ryan Zuhlsdorf will get early opportunities as Jack Glover returns from offseason shoulder surgery.

Eric Schierhorn returns as the 2015-16 Big Ten Goaltender of the Year who led all NCAA freshman with 20 wins between the pipes. Schierhorn worked on his lateral quickness and flexibility during strength and conditioning, and expects to play a more upright technique this year.

The Gophers open play in Alaska and then face a difficult non-conference schedule against numerous ranked teams including a series against No. 1 North Dakota, a road game against No. 5 Boston College, a home and home against No. 7 St. Cloud State, a road game against No. 15 Northeastern, a road game against No. 16 St. Lawrence, a home and home against No. 19 Minnesota State. Minnesota also will face No. 6 Minnesota-Duluth in the opening game of the North Star College Cup.

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