The highlight of this year's freshmen class for the Mavericks is expected to be the versatile and play-making forward Tyler Pitlick. As a junior at Centennial Pitlick had 25 goals and 35 assists. He followed up that season by scoring 31 goals and 32 assists his senior season. Pitlick was not eligible for the NHL draft. In addition to the Mavericks depending on him to step up and help stay in the top half of the WCHA standings, scouts will be watching to see how well Pitlick adjusts to jump from high school to arguably the top conference in college hockey. At 6'1", 190 pounds he has the type of size that will help with physical play in college hockey. He has gained five pounds according to his high school roster size.
The other member of the freshmen class for the Mavericks that is from Minnesota is Eriah Hayes, 6'3", 210 pounds. Hayes Played his high school hockey at La Crescent High School were he recorded 40 goals and 36 assists in 25 games as a junior and 27 goals and 51 assists in 27 games his senior season. Following his high school career Hayes spent two years in juniors. Hayes spent the 2007-08 season with the Topeka Roadrunners of the NAHL and tallied 30 goals and 26 assists. The next season he made the jump to the USHL and played for the Waterloo Blackhawks. He scored 27 goals and added 18 assists. He was numbers seem to indicate that he has the potential to add points to the blue line for the Mavericks.
Another forward entering the program as a freshman is Anchorage, Alaska native Eli Zuck. Zuck played his prep hockey in Minnesota for Shattuck St. Mary's and most recently played for Tri-City in the USHL. In his senior season at Shattuck he Tallied 27 goals and 47 assists 60 games while winning the national championship. Zuck didn't have a ton of production last season in the USHL as he finished with seven goals and 12 assists. Part of the issue there may have been that Tri-City finished 11-48-1. OUCH.
Defensivley MSU Mankato fills a need for size with one big incoming freshman Tyler Elbrecht of Edwardsville, IL. At 6'5", 225 pounds, he certainly has the size to be a big defensive precense, but don't look for him to jump into the play offensively. He recorded 2 goals and 9 assists in 41 games for St. Louis of the North American Hockey League last season.
Evan Mosey is another defenseman from Illinois MSU Mankato added to their team this year. Mosey is going to bring an offensive element to the Mavericks from the blue line. The Downer’s Grove, IL., native spent the majority of the regular season for the Wenatchee Wild as as a forward where he registered 11 goals and 11 assists for 22 points in 57 games. In the postseason, Mosey, 20, was moved back to defense where he led all NAHL defensemen in scoring with 10 points on two goals and eight assists in 13 games. The Mavericks also have two goalies in this year's freshmen class. Phil Cook from Wheaton, IL, played for Fairbanks last seaon in the NAHL. He had a 24-10-5 record and a 2.68 GAA and a save pct. of .922. Before Fairbanks he spent the two previous years playing for Sprinfield of the NAHL.
Kevin Murdock is the last freshman on the Mavericks roster. Murdock is a Bradenton, Fl native, but comes to Mankato by way of the USHL where he spent two seasons playing for Lincoln. Last season in 35 games Murdock went 21-10-4, had a 2.24 GAA and a .920 save pct.
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