So how good are MSU Mavericks?

The most wonderful time of the year

This is the most wonderful time of the year. With the holiday bowl season coming up and the NFL playoffs, you might want to try this on-line betting web page sportsbetting.ag for your sports betting needs.

Who good are the Purple Cows? 

I like transparency, who doesn't? The how they voted posts have been really popular this year on the blog and it’s interesting to see how the other voters in the WCHA Web Media Poll. 

It’s nice of Tim Braun to put his hard earned time off to put this thing together. It will be interesting to see how the WCHA ends up finishing at the end of the season. 

The hot team for discussion right now is the Minnesota State University Mankato Mavericks. 

First off, the Mavericks are a nice story there is no denying it and you can’t overlook that the Mavericks  are sitting pretty right now going into the halfway point of the WCHA Schedule, the Mavericks have 14 points and last season they had 18 points for the whole season (8-18-2 WCHA, 12-24-2). But let’s not beat around the bush.   I think their success is really a bi-product of who they have played on their schedule to date. 

If you look at the Minnesota State University Mavericks schedule, they have had a rather easy schedule. I know I am going to take some heat for this but the Mavericks have not played a schedule like DU or UND have. I know the Mavericks can’t be blamed for who they have played and you can only play who is on your schedule. I know, I know, the make college hockey schedules about two season in advance, however, that being said, it’s still a fact. 

Let look at UND’s schedule which is ranked 4^th over-all for Strength of Schedule, they have played Fairbanks (loss), UAA (2-0-1), BU (1-1-0), SCSU (1-1-0), UMD (1-0-1), Notre Dame (1-1-0), Colorado College (1-1-0), DU (1-0-1). 

If you look at the Denver Pioneers schedule, the Pioneers they have played the 16^th toughest schedule to date and they are currently hanging on for the top spot in the WCHA. UMASS Lowell (1-0-0), AFA (1-0-0), MTU (2-0-0), SCSU (1-1-0), MSU (2-0-0), Colorado College (2-0-0), Yale (0-1-0), UNH (0-1-0), UW (0-1-1), UND (0-1-1). 

Minnesota State is an up and coming team and they have some very nice players on their team and you can tell that they have a whole new philosophy. That being said, you can’t change the fact that the Mavericks have played the 43^rd hardest schedule in college hockey through 16 games and have only beaten one team with a winning record they were swept in their two series against SCSU and DU.

The Saint Cloud State Huskies beat the Mavericks pretty handedly (5-1 W - 5-1 W). 

Here is the Mavericks schedule; UAH (2-0-0), RPI (1-0-1), SCSU (0-2-0), UMN (1-1-0), DU (0-2-0), UW (0-2-0), BSU (2-0-0), UAA (2-0-0). The Mavericks have won 6 games against the three worst teams in the WCHA. In my opinion, that’s hardly a challenging schedule. Let’s let the season play out, and as far as I am concerned the Mavericks will not go higher in my power rankings until they beat a team with a winning record, but also a team that’s in the upper part of the WCHA standings. 

This weekend, the Purple Mavericks travel to Nebraska Omaha to play an important two game series with the Red Mavericks. This week, is an awesome opportunity for the MSU Mavericks to prove that they’re a contender and not an average team that has played a very weak schedule.   

My question today is this, do you think the Minnesota State University Mavericks are legit or do you think they're just a product of their easy schedule to date? again, for the fans that want to come on here and beat their chest how good their teams is, please remember that the Mavericks have played the 43rd hardest schedule in college hockey going 6-0 against the bottom three teams who have won a grand total of 13 games combined.  

2011-12 AHCA/CCM Hockey Men’s Division 1

Here are the 2011-12 East and West All Americans teams.

All-American Teams

All-American West First Team

Goalie: Taylor Nelson, Sr., Ferris State University (Regina, SK)

Defense: Torey Krug, Jr., Michigan State University (Livonia, MI)

Defense: Justin Schultz, Jr., University of Wisconsin* (West Kelowna, BC)

Forward: Jack Connolly, Sr., University of Minnesota Duluth*# (Duluth, MN)

Forward: Jaden Schwartz, So., Colorado College (Wilcox, SK)

Forward: Reilly Smith, Jr., Miami University (Mimico, ON)

All-American East First Team

Goalie: Troy Grosenick, So., Union College (Brookfield, WI)

Defense: Danny Biega, Jr., Harvard University (Montreal, QC)

Defense: Brian Dumoulin, Jr., Boston College* (Biddeford, ME)

Forward: Spencer Abbott, Sr., University of Maine (Hamilton, ON)

Forward: Alex Killorn, Sr., Harvard University (Montreal, QC)

Forward: Austin Smith, Sr., Colgate University (Dallas, TX)

All-American West Second Team

Goalie: Kent Patterson, Sr., University of Minnesota (Plymouth, MN)

Defense: Chad Billins, Sr., Ferris State University (Marysville, MI)

Defense: Dan DeKeyser, So., Western Michigan University (Clay Township, MI)

Forward: Nick Bjugstad, So., University of Minnesota (Blaine, MN)

Forward: J.T. Brown, So., University of Minnesota Duluth (Burnsville, MN)

Forward: Jason Zucker, So., University of Denver (Las Vegas, NV)

All-American East Second Team

Goalie: Joe Cannata, Sr., Merrimack College (Wakefield, MA)

Defense: Mat Bodie, So., Union College (East St. Paul, MB)

Defense: Tim Kirby, Sr., U.S. Air Force Academy (Austin, MN)

Forward: Barry Almeida, Sr., Boston College (Springfield, MA)

Forward: Brian O’Neill, Sr., Yale University (Yardley, PA)

Forward: Jeremy Welsh, Jr., Union College (Bayfield, ON)

* First Team in 2010-11; # Second Team in 2009-10

University of Denver defenseman Joey LaLeggia was named the sixth annual HCA National Division I Rookie of the Year award.

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