INCH Hates Mavericks;Probably America Too

Ok, maybe they don't hate Mankato, but INCH released their WCHA Preview and they seem to agree with the general consensus around the country that this could be a rough season for Mankato.

Here's the Maverick-related stuff in the article:

The story is strangely similar in a place like Mankato, where the Mavericks will battle for respectability with an expected sure thing (Dan Tormey) in goal and plenty of question marks at forward.

PRIMED FOR A FALL

Not even a house full of fans chanting, “One more year!” last February could keep Minnesota State Mankato star David Backes in school for his senior year, with the siren’s song of NHL money calling his name. Then high-scoring Ryan Carter and top defenseman Kyle Peto followed Backes’ lead, and suddenly there were gaping holes to fill in the Mavericks lineup. The good news comes in goal, where budding star Dan Tormey returns. But with one bona-fide scorer (Travis Morin, who led the team with 20-22—42 last season) next to many, many question marks on the Mavs’ roster, Troy Jutting’s seventh season in Mankato has the potential to be a long one.

5. Hotels in Mankato will feel the financial loss from a few visiting teams who don’t stay overnight this season. Home-and-home series used to be a bit of a novelty in the far-flung WCHA. At Minnesota State Mankato, they’re becoming the rule, not the exception. The Mavericks will play two home-and-home series with Minnesota, two more with St. Cloud State, and one with Notre Dame this winter. We think it takes a true lover of bus travel to play the Irish in South Bend on a Thursday, then play them nine hours down the road on Saturday.

9. Minnesota State Mankato-The Secret Service doesn’t follow Dubbya as closely as Travis Morin will be shadowed by opponents this season.