Captain(s) Carter Foguth Colors Purple and Gold | Location Mankato, Minnesota Arena/Stadium Verizon Wireless Center | |
 | ||
University Minnesota State University Head coach Mike Hastings
5th year, 121–60–18 (.653) Conference Western Collegiate Hockey Association | ||
2014 15 minnesota state men s hockey highlights
The Minnesota State Mavericks men's ice hockey team is a NCAA Division I college ice hockey program that represents Minnesota State University, Mankato. The Mavericks compete in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). Their home arena is the Verizon Wireless Center located in downtown Mankato, Minnesota.
Contents
History
The Minnesota State Mavericks men's ice hockey team commenced play as a varsity sport in 1969-70. They competed independent of a conference affiliation at the NCAA Division II level from 1969-70 to 1983-84. From 1984-85 to 1991-92, the Mavericks competed at the NCAA Division III level, before returning to the NCAA Division II ranks from 1992-93 to 1995-96. Starting with the 1996-97 season, the Mavericks began competition at the NCAA Division I level. The Mavericks were granted acceptance to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) in 1999-00, and have remained with the conference to the present.
The program saw great success at the NCAA Division II level during the 1970s and 1980s. The Mavericks finished as the NCAA Division II national runner-up in 1979, after being defeated by the University of Massachusetts Lowell 6-4 in the final. The Mavericks were awarded the 1980 NCAA Division II National Championship over Elmira College 5-2 in the championship game. In 1991, while competing at the NCAA Division III level, the Mavericks finished as national runner-up following a loss versus the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point 6-2. The Mavericks have had sustained success in recent seasons, reaching the NCAA Tournament in consecutive seasons (2013 and 2014) for the first time in program history, winning the Broadmoor Trophy as the WCHA playoff champions in 2014 and the MacNaughton Cup as WCHA regular season champions in 2015. MSU was the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament in 2015 but was upset by RIT in the first round, becoming the first No. 1 overall seed to lose in the first round of the NCAA hockey tournament.
They are one of five Minnesota-based universities that competed in the WCHA, the others being Minnesota, Minnesota-Duluth, St. Cloud State, and Bemidji State. After a major hockey conference realignment in 2013, only Minnesota State and Bemidji State remain in the WCHA. Minnesota joined the new men's hockey league of its all-sports conference, the Big Ten, and Minnesota–Duluth and St. Cloud State became charter members of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. The five schools compete annually for the North Star College Cup, hosted by The University of Minnesota at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Coaches
As of March 5, 2017
Current roster
As of March 5, 2017.
Notable alumni
Over 70 former Mavericks have gone on to play professional hockey, including 11 in the National Hockey League (NHL) and other major professional leagues internationally.