Between The Pipes July 13, 2015 Blue Line Club Ticket Holder 2015-2016 REFERRAL PROGRAM Minnesota State Athletics is exited to offer our Blue Line Club Season Ticket Holder Referral Program for the 2015-16 men's hockey season. Invite others who share your enthusiasm for Maverick Hockey with friends, family, and co-workers by referring them to be a Blue Line Club Season Ticket Holder. The program rewards existing season ticket holders when they refer a customer who buys Blue Line Club season tickets. Awards Levels (Orders must be NEW BLC Maverick or Varsity Level Memberships to qualify and prizes are NOT cumulative): - Two (2) BLC Season Tickets o 2014-15 Commemorative Puck - Four (4) BLC Season Tickets o Signed Hockey Stick by the 2015-16 Men's Hockey Team - Six (6) BLC Season Tickets o Private Tour of the new hockey facility with Director of Athletics, Kevin Buisman & Head Coach Mike Hastings - Eight (8) BLC Season Tickets o Signed Maverick jersey by the 2015-16 Men's Hockey Team - Ten (10) BLC Season Tickets o Private Dinner with Coach Hastings and selected players with other referral program level winners. Link for fans to submit their referrals: http://msumavericks.com/sb_output.aspx?form=21 Links to purchase your season tickets: www.msumavericks.com/seasontickets Visit The Blue Line Website | www.MNSU.edu/Sports/BlueLineClub Between The Pipes July 13, 2015 Men’s Hockey Hastings Agrees to New Contract Mankato, Minn. --- Minnesota State Athletic Department officials have announced that men's hockey coach Mike Hastings has agreed to a new eight-year contract with the school. Hastings recently completed his third year with the Mavericks in 2014-15. "We are pleased to offer Coach Hastings this contract," said Kevin Buisman, Minnesota State Director of Athletics. "During his time here, Mike has been one of the most successful coaches in all of college hockey and a real game changer for our program. The performance on and off the ice has been exemplary and he has been a great ambassador not only for Minnesota State Athletics and Maverick hockey, but for the entire University. We are indeed very fortunate to have someone of Coach Hastings caliber leading our program and we are happy to reward those efforts with this type of long-term contract." With a 79-36-7 (.676) ledger, no team in the nation has more wins than Minnesota State has chalked up in the last three seasons under Hastings' guidance. The Crookston, Minn., native has led the Mavericks to three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances and in 2014-15 Minnesota State was rated #1 on the nation for five weeks with the team crafting a school record for wins en route to a 29-8-3 mark. The Mavericks won the Broadmoor Trophy as Western Collegiate Hockey Association play-off champions for the second consecutive year, while a 21-4-3 league mark gave the school its first MacNaughton Cup as conference regular-season champs. Hastings was named WCHA Coach of the Year for the second time (he also won the award in his first year with the program in 2012-13) and was the recipient of the Spencer Penrose Award as the American Hockey Coaches Association National Coach of the Year. This past season 15 Mavericks garnered WCHA All-Academic honors, while six players were recognized as WCHA Scholar Athletes (at least 3.50 grade point average). "I believe Coach Hastings is very worthy of the investment we are making, as we have enjoyed an unparalleled level of success in men's hockey during his first three years with the program," said Dr. Richard Davenport, Minnesota State President. "Mike's efforts have resulted in positive notoriety for the University not only competitively, but in the classroom, and the community, as well. As such, I was personally vested in the negotiation process, as I wanted to signal not only my appreciation, but to further indicate the importance of hockey as one of the flagships of a very successful athletic program. By way of this contract and other improvements we have made to the hockey program, I believe we have demonstrated our institution's commitment and hope that others will follow that lead as we strive to sustain this type of excellence over the long haul." Prior to his arrival at Minnesota State in the summer of 2012, Hastings had a three-year stint as the associate head coach at Nebraska-Omaha. He also served as an assistant coach with the men's hockey program at the University of Minnesota for one season and before that had a 14-year run as head coach of Omaha of the United States Hockey League where left as the league's all-time winningest coach, compiling a 529-210-56 record with the Lancers, never had a losing season and led Omaha to three Clark Cup titles as the USHL's play-off champions. "I would like to thank President Richard Davenport as well as the entire administration for the opportunity to continue to guide the men's hockey program here at Minnesota State University," said Hastings. "From my first day in Mankato to present day the support from the University, community, my staff and players has been outstanding. Our family has become part of Mankato and are fortunate to call it home. I look forward to leading our student-athletes in continued development on the ice, in the classroom and overall pursuit of excellence." Prior to his arrival at Minnesota State in the summer of 2012, Hastings had a three-year stint as the associate head coach at Nebraska-Omaha. He also served as an assistant coach with the men's hockey program at the University of Minnesota for one season and before that had a 14-year run as head coach of Omaha of the United States Hockey League where left as the league's all-time winningest coach, compiling a 529-210-56 record with the Lancers, never had a losing season and led Omaha to three Clark Cup titles as the USHL's play-off champions. "I would like to thank President Richard Davenport as well as the entire administration for the opportunity to continue to guide the men's hockey program here at Minnesota State University," said Hastings. "From my first day in Mankato to present day the support from the University, community, my staff and players has been outstanding. Our family has become part of Mankato and are fortunate to call it home. I look forward to leading our student-athletes in continued development on the ice, in the classroom and overall pursuit of excellence." Visit The Blue Line Website | www.MNSU.edu/Sports/BlueLineClub Between The Pipes July 13, 2015 Women’s Hockey Giesen Named Women’s Hockey Associate Head Coach Mankato, Minn. --- John Harrington, head coach of the Minnesota State women's hockey program, has announced that Jeff Giesen has been named associate head coach. "We're excited we are able to have someone with Jeff's experience and background join our staff," said Harrington. "Jeff and I have worked together in the past and had success and we are looking forward to having that continue on here at Minnesota State." A native of Blaine, Minn., Giesen spent eight seasons (2006-14) as the head coach of the women's hockey program at St. Cloud State. The Huskies posted a program-best winning percentage in 2007-08 when they went 18-15-4 (.539) and under his guidance, placed an all-time best third in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association standings in 2009-10 with an 11-11-6 league mark. In 2008-09 Giesen served as an assistant coach with the U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team that won the gold medal at the 2009 International Ice Hockey Federation World U18 Championship in Germany. Prior to being named the head coach at SCSU in June of 2006, Giesen served as the SCSU assistant women's hockey coach from 2003-2006. He also was on the men's hockey staff at Saint John's University, where he worked with Harrington as an assistant coach from 1992-98 and an associate head coach from 1998-2003. During his time with the Johnnies, the program captured Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles in 1996, 1997 and 2003, as well as playoff titles and had NCAA Division III national tournament appearances in 1996, 1997, 2001 and 2003. Saint John's finished third in the national tournament in 1997. Giesen has worked extensively with the USA Hockey Development program. His most recent work was at the 2011 girls' 16 camp in St. Cloud, and in 2010 he worked with the girls' 17/18 camp in Lake Placid. Giesen has also worked with the girls' 15/16 camp in Lake Placid in the past, along with numerous USA Hockey boys' programs. Visit The Blue Line Website | www.MNSU.edu/Sports/BlueLineClub Between The Pipes July 13, 2015 Player Spotlight MSU Men’s Hockey: How I Spent My Summer Mankato, Minn. --- Several current or former members of the Minnesota State men's hockey program have or are participating in National Hockey League developmental camps this summer. Goaltender Stephon Williams signed with the New York Islanders following the conclusion of the 2014-15 season and is attending their camp. Another Maverick who inked a pro deal, defenseman Zach Palmquist, is at the Minnesota Wild Development Camp. Drafted Minnesota State players attending camps include forwards Zach Stepan (Nashville), Teddy Blueger (Pittsburgh), C.J. Franklin (Winnipeg) and Jimmy Mullin (Tampa Bay). Stepan was a Predators' pick in 2012, Blueger went to the Penguins in 2012, Franklin was selected by the Jets in 2014 and Mullin, a senior who joins Minnesota State this fall after transferring from Miami (Ohio), was a 2010 Lightning selection.