Mavnificent Seven

That may be the cheesiest headline ever. I apologize.

Minnesota State signed seven players to National Letters of Intent, making their commitments to Minnesota State official(presuming they get accepted into school). There were no major surprises from the signings today. Here's a look at the newest members of the Maverick family.

Channing Boe, D, 6-3, 190, Shoots left, DOB: 07/13/86, Bemidji, Minn., Green Bay (USHL)

Comments: Boe brings experience and leadership to the Mavericks blueline. He is the oldest player in the recruiting class by over a year. He has served as a captain, both in high school and at the USHL level. He's coming in with two years experience in the USHL, which is easily the best junior league in North America, so he should be ready to make the transition to college hockey right away.

Brett Peterson, F, 6-2, 200, Shoots left, DOB: 04/14/88, Elk River, Minn., Indiana (USHL)

Comments: Peterson is a true power forward, with pretty good skills for a guy his size. He has the potential to take games over and dominate if he puts his mind to it.


Andrew Sackrison, F, 6-1, 195, Shoots left, DOB: 11/12/87, St. Louis Park, Minn., Tri-City (USHL)

Comments: Sackrison has the potential to be an excellent playmaker. He's a smart hockey player that knows where to be to make plays. He's found a niche in Tri-City as a set-up man, and I think he'll play the same role for the Mavericks.


Mike Louwerse, F, 5-8,160, Shoots right, DOB: 08/21/88, Champlin Park, Minn., Blake High School

Comments: Louwerse is an excellent skater and very good stickhandler. He's especially effective on the powerplay. He's also a lot tougher than one might expect for someone his size.


Garry Nunn, F, 5-9, 175, Shoots right, DOB: 11/10/89, Victoria, B.C., Victoria (BCHL)

Comments: It's obvious that Nunn is a very talented player. He was one of only a handful of 1989 born players to play in the BCHL last season. His tremendous skills should help the Maverick offense.


Austin Lee, G, 6-3, 185, Catches left, DOB: 09/15/88, Bloomington, Minn., Fargo-Moorhead (NAHL)

Comments: He was considered the top goalie in the state of Minnesota by a wide margin last season, which was both a blessing and a curse. It brought on a lot of positive accolades, but also brought on a fair number of detractors. So far, he's been proving those detractors wrong in Fargo-Moorhead this season. Lee is excellent at using his big frame to really take away the lower half of the net, similiar to Dan Tormey.


Ben Youds, D, 5-10 175, Shoots right, DOB: 04/20/88, Brooklyn Park, Minn., Shattuck-St. Mary's (prep)

Comments: There might be some concerns about Youds coming straight from Shattuck to MSU, with no stop in the USHL, but Youds is ready to play at the NCAA level. He's a fast skater, and an excellent powerplay quarterback. He's also improved defensively since committing to the Mavericks a year and a half ago.

The best part about the signing period is that the coaches can now speak publicly about these players. Hopefully we'll get some comments from coach Jutting about his newest recruits soon.