MANKATO — When you play Division I college hockey at Minnesota State awards are sure to follow.
Members of both teams earned more accolades within the last week. These awards though are in house accolades.
Here’s who claimed accolades for both MSU men’s and women’s hockey.
Men’s hockey
Hardest Worker & Unsung Hero: Campbell Cichosz
Appearing in all 40 games as an alternate captain, Cichosz logged four goals and 10 assists. He also earned a +6 rating on the ice and blocked 63 shots, the second-most on the team. He is currently a member of the Toledo Walleye.
Leadership Award: Mason Wheeler
Team captain and a body-numbing 91 blocked shots which ranked second in the nation. Yeah, he earned this award.
Of those 91 blocked shots, 11 came in arguably the Mavericks most important game of the season, a 4-1 Mason Cup championship win over St. Thomas. Those 11 blocked shots were the most racked up by a college hockey player in a single game during the 2025-26 season.
Wheeler finished his senior season with a goal and eight assists with a +10 ranking while paired with Cichosz. Wheeler is currently signed with the Bloomington Bison of the ECHL.
Most Improved Player: Jordan Ronn
He earned his way into the lineup for his work on the penalty kill. His hands and work in shootouts added another reason why Ronn’s value skyrocketed this season. The freshman racked up four goals and five assists in 36 games and was a +8 on the ice.
Maverick 3 Star Award & Most Valuable Player: Alex Tracy
I mean, are we really surprised here?
Tracy, a Mich Richter Award semifinalist, Hobey Baker Award nominee, Second Team All-CCHA selection, appeared in 39 of MSU’s 40 games. He finished with a 1.70 goals against average which ranked second in the nation and finished with 30 or more saves in five games.
He finishes his time with the Mavericks second in program history in games played by a goaltender (115), shutouts (13) and save percentage (.927). He’s third in minutes played (6,828), and wins (66) and placed fifth in saves (2,690) and goals against average (1.88).
Women’s hockey
Most Improved Player: Lauren Zawoyski
It’s safe to say that the move from forward to defense worked out beautifully for Zawoyski. The junior tallied three goals and 18 assists this season after contributing a goal and six assists at forward in her first two seasons in the program.
Rookie of the Year: Mercury Bischoff
It’s hard to find freshmen that can make an immediate, dominating impact. Then there’s freshman Mercury Bischoff.
She led the Mavericks with 19 goals and 29 points in her first collegiate season, including a hat trick and a pair of game-winning goals. She was also named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team.
Maverick 3 Star Award & Most Valuable Player: Hailey Hansen
Five shutouts, two WCHA Goalie of the Month honors and a dominating performance to help MSU get to the Final Faceoff for the first time since 2009. Yeah, that’ll get you MVP honors.
Hansen logged over 2,000 minutes in net, finishing with a 2.87 goals against average and a .915 save percentage. She takes over as captain for her senior season during the 2026-27 campaign.
Tiffany Searles Award & Maverick Pride Award – Senior Kianna Roeske
This honor is given in remembrance of Tiffany Searles, a former Maverick player who died tragically in 2000 and is awarded to the player who shows up to the rink every day with a smile on her face. Someone that all teammates can rely on to maintain a positive outlook with a team-first mentality, whatever it may be.
The Maverick Pride Award recognizes a player who exceeds the expectations of her coaches and teammates both on and off the ice through her hard work in practice, consistency in play, and performance in the classroom.
This year, the honor goes to Kianna Roeske.
She was a stable and reliable presence for MSU. Roeske finished her senior season with three goals and seven assists with a team and WCHA-best 71 blocked shots.