Dec. 10-11, 2010 • 7:37/7:07 pm CT • Verizon Wireless Center (4,832) • Mankato, Minn.
RADIO: 96.1 The Fox (KQHT-FM) • WEBCAST: B2LiveTV.com
TV: Charter (local only) • LIVE STATS: MSUMavericks.com

THIS WEEK: Fifth-ranked North Dakota (11-5-2, 9-3-0 WCHA) wraps up the pre-Christmas portion of the regular season with a WCHA series at Minnesota State on Friday and Saturday.

The puck drops at 7:37 p.m. on Friday and 7:07 p.m. on Saturday at the Verizon Wireless Center.

The Sioux, who have lost just once in the last eight games (6-1-1), enter the week in second place in the WCHA, trailing Minnesota Duluth by a single point

MEDIA COVERAGE: All Fighting Sioux men's hockey games, home and away, can be heard on 96.1 FM (The Fox) and on stations across the Fighting Sioux Hockey Network. Veteran broadcaster Tim Hennessy is in his 30th season as the voice of the Fighting Sioux. He is joined during home games by color analyst Steve Olson.

This weekend's game will be broadcast live on Charter, available in the local Mankato viewing area only. Video webcasts for the series can be purchased at www.B2LiveTV.com. FREE live stats are available at www.MSUMavericks.com.

New this year, 'Inside Fighting Sioux Hockey' airs every Tuesday on the Fighting Sioux Sports Network and nationwide on Fox College Sports. Head coach Dave Hakstol also appears weekly on the Green Mill Coaches Show every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. on the Fighting Sioux Radio Network.

TICKET INFORMATION: Visit www.MSUMavericks.com for ticket information.

ABOUT MINNESOTA STATE: The Mavericks (6-6-4, 4-6-2 WCHA) have won four straight games after sweeping No. 17 Minnesota last weekend in Mankato. It is MSU's first four-game winning streak since 2007-08.

Sophomore goalie Phil Cook was named WCHA Co-Defensive Player of the Week after stopping 82 of 85 (.965) shots in the sweep of the Gophers, including a career-best 49-save performance in Saturday's 2-1 win. Cook has started 11 of MSU's last 12 games.

Senior defenseman Kurt Davis, who has 11 points (4g, 7a) in the last 13 games, leads the Mavericks in scoring with 16 points (4g, 9a) in 16 games. He is tied for fourth among WCHA defensemen in scoring.

MSU has successfully killed off the last 13 consecutive opponent power-play opportunities.

MSU COACHING STAFF: Troy Jutting (MSU '87) is in his 11th season as MSU head coach and is 164-188-51. A former stand-out forward for Minnesota State (145 career points in 136 games from 1982-86), Jutting ranks among the school's all-time leaders for career games played, goals, assists, points and single-season points.

Jutting is assisted by Darren Blue (Minnesota State '96) and Todd Knott (Bemidji State '02).

SERIES HISTORY: UND holds a 33-10-7 (.730) edge in the all-time series with the Mavericks and has just one loss in the last 16 meetings (14-1-1).

The Sioux are 12-4-4 (.700) all-time in Mankato.

UND swept the only series between the two teams last season, winning 4-1 and 3-2 in Grand Forks in early January.

Senior defenseman Chay Genoway (Morden, Manitoba) is UND's leading active scorer against MSU with eight points (3g, 5a) in 12 career games. Junior goalie Brad Eidsness (Chestermere, Alberta) has won all five of his starts against the Mavericks, posting a 2.00 goals against average and .916 save percentage.

UND'S LAST ACTION: The Sioux are coming off of a sweep of St. Cloud State last weekend, UND's first home sweep in four tries this season. UND took Friday's opener 3-1 and Saturday's finale 6-2.

Senior forward Brad Malone (Miramichi, New Brunswick) had his first career two-goal game on Friday, and added an assist for his second three-point game. Malone snapped a 10-game goal-scoring drought. Fellow senior forward Matt Frattin (Edmonton, Alberta) scored UND's other goal and added an assist.

Seniors Mario Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D.), Derrick LaPoint (Eau Claire, Wis.) and Brent Davidson (Morden, Manitoba) each scored their first goal of the season in Saturday's victory, while Frattin, Evan Trupp (Sr., Anchorage, Alaska) and Corban Knight (So., High River, Alberta) also added tallies. Frattin added a pair of assists for a three-point night.

The line of Malone, Frattin and Trupp combined for 11 points in the series.

Sophomore goalie Aaron Dell (Airdrie, Alberta) started both games and stopped 34 of 37 shots (.919 SV%).

RANK AND FILE: Following its sweep of St. Cloud State, UND climbed to No. 5 in both the USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls, both of which were released on Monday.

The Sioux jumped two spots to No. 4 in this week's INCH Power Rankings. Please refer to page three for complete poll information.

NO REST FOR THE WEARY: The Sioux have faced the toughest schedule in the nation to date, according to the latest KRACH ratings:

1. North Dakota, 271.1
2. Bemidji State, 250.3
3. Denver, 221.0
4. Minnesota Duluth 192.6
5. Alaska Anchorage, 182.7
6. Boston College, 175.8
7. Michigan Tech, 174.8
8. Notre Dame, 174.7
9. Wisconsin, 173.4
10. Nebraska Omaha, 169.4

Prior to last weekend's series against unranked SCSU, the Sioux had faced a top-13 team in seven of the first eight weekends of the season, including each of the last six.

UND's first-half schedule has already included (ranking at time of matchup) No. 2 Minnesota Duluth (home), No. 4 Nebraska Omaha (road), No. 11 Notre Dame (home), No. 12 Alaska (neutral), No. 12 Denver (home), No. 12 Maine (road) and No. 13 Wisconsin (road).

HAK'S HUNDRETH: Last Friday's 3-1 win over SCSU was UND head coach Dave Hakstol's 100th career WCHA victory.

The only other Sioux coaches to have won 100 career WCHA games are John "Gino" Gasparini (277 wins from 1978-94), Dean Blais (176 from 1994 to 2004) and Rube Bjorkman (121 from 1968-78).

FAST AND FURIOUS: At 9-3-0 in WCHA play, the Sioux are off to their fastest conference start in Hakstol's seven years as head coach. UND has already clinched its best first-half WCHA winning percentage regardless of this weekend's outcome at MSU, and needs two points for its best first-half point total under Hakstol:

First Half in the WCHA
Year W-L-T Pct. Pts.
2004-05 9-6-1 .594 19
2005-06 6-6-0 .500 12
2006-07 5-8-1 .393 11
2007-08 6-6-0 .500 12
2008-09 6-5-1 .542 13
2009-10 6-6-2 .500 14
2010-11 9-3-0 .750 18

With 11 overall victories entering this week, UND can match its best first-half win total and exceed its best first-half winning percentage under Hakstol with a sweep at MSU:

First Half Overall
Year W-L-T Pct.
2004-05 13-7-2 .636
2005-06 12-7-1 .625
2006-07 7-10-1 .417
2007-08 8-6-1 .567
2008-09 9-8-1 .528
2009-10 9-6-3 .583
2010-11 11-5-2 .667

KILL OR BE KILLED: UND killed all six SCSU power-plays last weekend and have now successfully killed 39 of the last 42 opponent power-plays.

The Sioux lead the WCHA in penalty killing during league games (90.7 percent) and rank third overall (all games) at 85.9 percent.

SIX SHOOTERS: UND matched its season high with six goals last Saturday against SCSU, a mark the Sioux had reached on two prior occasions (Nov. 19 at UNO, Nov. 26 vs. Notre Dame).

All three games in which UND has scored six goals have come in the last six games.

FRATT PARTY: Senior forward Matt Frattin (Edmonton, Alberta) had a goal in each game against SCSU last week and is tied for the NCAA goal-scoring lead with a career-high 15:
UND's scoring leader with 22 points, Frattin has 12 points (7g, 5a) in his last seven games and has scored 25 goals in his last 30 games, dating back to last Feb. 13 at St. Cloud State.

GENOWAY ON HIS WAY: Senior captain Chay Genoway (Morden, Manitoba) had an assist each night against SCSU, moving him into a tie with Glen Klotz (1982-86) for eighth place on UND's all-time defenseman scoring list:

Genoway scored the game-winning goal on Nov. 26 against No. 11 Notre Dame, the seventh GWG of his career, one shy of Nick Fuher's (2001-05) school record for defensemen:
That goal was also the 23rd overall of Genoway's career, which ranks 10th all-time among Sioux defensemen:
Genoway's 105 career points lead all active NCAA DI defensemen.

He has 15 points (3g, 12a) in 18 games this season and leads all WCHA defensemen with 12 points (2g, 10a) during league games.

DUDE, WE'VE GOT A DELL: In UND's last eight games, sophomore goalie Aaron Dell (Airdrie, Alberta) is 6-1-1 with a 1.62 goals against average and a .925 save percentage.

Dell's 1.82 GAA during league games leads the WCHA and is the only sub-2.00 GAA in the league.

After appearing in only five games as a freshman, Dell has started UND's last five and nine of the last 10.

Dell also collected an assist last Saturday, the second of his career and his first since his collegiate debut on Oct. 23, 2009 at Alaska Anchorage.

DYNAMIC DUO: UND's No. 1 defense pairing of senior Chay Genoway (Morden, Manitoba) and junior Ben Blood (Plymouth, Minn.) were a combined +9 in last weekend's sweep of SCSU and is now a +13 over UND's last 4 games.

OH, SNAP!: Three different Sioux seniors -- Mario Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D.), Brent Davidson (Morden, Manitoba) and Derrick LaPoint (Eau Claire, Wis.) -- scored their first goal of the season in last Saturday's 6-2 win over SCSU, each snapping lengthy goal-scoring droughts in the process.

LaPoint's was his first since Feb. 13 at St. Cloud State, ending a 29-game skid.

Lamoureux's goal was his first since March 12 against Minnesota (WCHA first round), snapping a 23-game drought.

Davidson's was his first goal since Jan. 17, 2009 at Michigan Tech, ending a 21-game slump. It was also the first game-winning goal of his career.

QUICK ON THE DRAW: The Sioux won 62.3 percent of the faceoffs last week against SCSU have won 55.9 percent of their draws this season.

Three of UND's four regular centers have won more than 53 percent of their faceoffs:

Player W L Pct.
Corban Knight 215 126 .630
Brad Malone 175 125 .583
Mario Lamoureux 110 97 .531
Brock Nelson 66 70 .485

THE TWO JAKES: Senior defenseman Jake Marto (Grand Forks, N.D.) played forward in last weekend's series with SCSU, his first action up front since playing four games at forward as a freshman in 2007-08.

Marto, who shifted back to the blue line for the final minutes of the third period each night against the Huskies, finished the series with one assist, three shots on goal and a +1 rating.

Marto was moved to a line with Corban Knight (So., High River, Alberta) and Danny Kristo (So., Eden Prairie, Minn.) because of injuries to regular top-line wingers Jason Gregoire (Jr., Winnipeg, Manitoba) and Brett Hextall (Jr., Manhattan Beach, Calif.).

SIOUX-PER MARIO: The Sioux are 9-0-0 all-time when junior forward Mario Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D.) scores a goal.

Lamoureux scored his first goal of the season last Saturday against SCSU, his fourth goal in seven career games against the Huskies.

In 18 games this season, Lamoureux has a goal and five assists.

GOOD LUCK CHARM: UND is undefeated in its last 20 games (19-0-1) in which junior forward Jason Gregoire (Winnipeg, Manitoba) scores a goal, dating back to the 2009-10 season opener.

The last time the Sioux lost a game in which Gregoire scored was on March 28, 2009, an NCAA Northeast Regional loss to New Hampshire.

Gregoire's next GWG goal will be the 13th of his career and will tie him with current UND associate head coach Cary Eades (1978-82) and 2000 NCAA Frozen Four MVP Lee Goren (1997-00) for fifth all-time at UND:

Gregoire did not play last weekend against SCSU, ending his consecutive games played streak at 66. He had previously missed only one game in his collegiate career.

In 16 games this season, Gregoire has six goals and seven assists for 13 points.

FANTASTIC FOUR: The Sioux are 8-0-1 this season when scoring at least four goals. The only time UND failed to win a game with four or more goals was a 5-5 tie in the season opener at Alaska Anchorage.

TGIF: UND is 7-1-1 on Fridays this season, compared to 4-4-1 on Saturdays.

EIDS WIDE SHUT: Junior goalie Brad Eidsness' (Chestermere, Alberta) enters the week with 86 career apperances between the pipes, tying him with Mike "Lefty" Curran (1965-68) for sixth all-time at UND. Toby Kvalevog (1993-97) is the program's all-time leader with 121 career games played:

Eidsness is also just one win from becoming only the seventh Sioux goalie to win 50 career games.

BY INVITATION ONLY: Freshmen Derek Forbort (Duluth, Minn.) and Brock Nelson (Warroad, Minn.) were named to the to the United States National Junior Team preliminary roster by USA Hockey on Tuesday.

Forbort and Nelson are among 29 players who will attend a pre-tournament camp beginning Dec. 17 in Troy, Rochester, Jamestown and Amherst, N.Y.

The camp will include exhibition games against Rensselaer's men's hockey team (Dec. 19), the Czech Republic (Dec. 21) and Norway (Dec. 23). The final U.S. National Junior Team 22-man roster will be announced prior to Team USA's final exhibition game against Norway.

The 2011 U.S. National Junior Team will compete at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship, Dec. 26, 2010-Jan. 5, 2011, in Buffalo and Niagara, N.Y.

Forbort, one of 10 defensemen invited to the pre-tournament camp, helped lead the U.S. to a gold medal at the 2010 Under-18 World Championship. In 13 games this season with the Fighting Sioux, Forbort has amassed eight assists and a +2 plus/minus rating. He is UND's leading rookie scorer and is tied for second among WCHA rookie defensemen in assists. Forbort was selected 15th overall by Los Angeles in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Nelson, a native of Warroad, Minn., is one of 17 forwards named to the preliminary roster. In 18 games this season, Nelson has one goal and four assists for five points. He was selected 30th overall by the New York Islanders in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

FEELING A DRAFT: UND 2010-11 roster includes 16 players who have been drafted by National Hockey League teams. The group includes goalie Brad Eidsness (Buffalo), defensemen Ben Blood (Ottawa), Derek Forbort (Los Angeles), Joe Gleason (Chicago) Derrick LaPoint (Florida) and Andrew MacWilliam (Toronto), and forwards Brett Bruneteau (Washington), Mike Cichy (Montreal), Matt Frattin (Toronto), Jason Gregoire (New York Islanders), Brett Hextall (Phoenix), Corban Knight (Florida), Danny Kristo (Montreal), Brad Malone (Colorado), Brock Nelson (New York Islanders) and Derek Rodwell (New Jersey).

A total of 26 Sioux have been drafted during the tenure of seventh-year head coach Dave Hakstol, including first-rounders Forbort (Los Angeles, 2010), Nelson (New York Islanders, 2010), Jonathan Toews (Chicago, 2006), T.J. Oshie (St. Louis, 2005), Brian Lee (Ottawa, 2005) and Joe Finley (Washington, 2005).

ALL IN THE FAMILY: UND's 2009-10 roster features four players who have had family members previously play for the Fighting Sioux: defenseman Chay Genoway (Sr., Morden, Manitoba) and forwards Mario Lamoureux (Jr., Grand Forks, N.D.), Brett Hextall (Jr., Manhattan Beach, Calif.), Brock Nelson (Fr., Warroad, Minn.).

Genoway's brother, Colby, was a forward at UND from 2002-05 and scored 81 points in 115 career games. He played professionally in the Czech Republic and Finland last season.

Lamoureux's family ties to the program are extensive. His brother, Jean-Philippe, was a goalie at UND from 2004-08 and is the school's all-time co-leader in goals against average (2.14). His father, Pierre, was a goalie for the Sioux from 1979-82 and was a member of UND's 1982 NCAA championship team. Another brother, Pierre-Paul, is in his second year on UND's coaching staff as an assistant video coordinator, while twin sisters Jocelyne and Monique are sophomore forwards on the Fighting Sioux women's hockey team. Additionally, mother Linda was a swimmer at UND.

Hextall's great uncle, Dennis, was a forward at UND from 1964-66 and scored 101 career points in 63 career games. Hextall's hockey bloodlines extend to his father (Ron), grandfather (Bryan Jr.) and great grandfather (Bryan Sr.), each of whom enjoyed lengthy NHL careers. His father, Ron, is currently the assistant general manager of the Los Angeles Kings.
Nelson had two uncles and one great uncle don the Kelly Green and White. Uncle Dave Christian played at UND from 1977-79 and won Olympic gold with the United States' famed "Miracle on Ice" team in 1980 before going on to play in more than 1,000 career NHL games with Winnipeg, Washington, Boston, St. Louis and Chicago. Another uncle, Eddie Christian, played for the Sioux from 1980-84. Nelson's great uncle, Gordon "Ginny" Christian played at UND from 1947-50 and won Olympic silver with the United States in 1956.

FOREVER SIOUX: Every member of UND's coaching staff and support staff is a graduate of the University of North Dakota.

Head coach Dave Hakstol (1989-92), associate head coach Cary Eades (1978-82), assistant coach Dane Jackson (1988-92) and volunteer assistant Karl Goerhing (1998-2001) each played for the Fighting Sioux.

Additionally, director of hockey operations Pat Swanson (2002), athletic trainer and strength coach Mark Poolman (1992), team physician Dr. Greg Greek and media relations director Jayson Hajdu (2000) are also UND graduates.

PRO-FILES: Twelve former Sioux standouts have seen action in the National Hockey League in 2010-11: Jason Blake (Anaheim Ducks), Mike Commodore (Columbus Blue Jackets), Matt Greene (Los Angeles Kings), David Hale (Ottawa Senators), Brian Lee (Ottawa Senators), T.J. Oshie (St. Louis Blues), Zach Parise (New Jersey Devils), Chris Porter (St. Louis Blues), Matt Smaby (Tampa Bay Lightning), Drew Stafford (Buffalo Sabres), Jonathan Toews (Chicago Blackhawks), Travis Zajac (New Jersey Devils).

Toews captained the Blackhawks to a Stanley Cup championship last season, while also leading Canada to a gold medal at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, where he was named the tournament's top forward.

An additional five former Sioux are currently in the NHL coaching ranks: reigning Jack Adams Trophy winner Dave Tippett (head coach, Phoenix Coyotes), Brad Berry (assistant coach, Columbus Blue Jackets), James Patrick (assistant coach, Buffalo Sabres), Steve Peters (video coach, Phoenix Coyotes) and Rick Wilson (assistant coach, Minnesota Wild). A sixth coach, Edmonton Oilers head coach Tom Renney, graduated from UND but did not play for the Sioux.

Also of note:

Former Sioux defenseman, Brad Bombardir, is the director of player development for the Minnesota Wild.

Former Sioux assistant coach Don Boyd is the
Columbus Blue Jackets' assistant general manager.

Former Sioux forward Troy Murray is the radio color analyst for the Chicago Blackhawks.

Ron Hextall, father of current Sioux forward Brett Hextall, is the vice president/assistant general manager of the Los Angeles Kings.