The UND women’s hockey team will see its first conference action this weekend against Minnesota State.

The team will travel to Mankato, Minn., for a two-game series to face the Mavericks, who have yet to play a regular season game.

UND went 12-10-4 in conference play last year, and it will be facing a Minnesota State team that only won 13 games last season.

The Green and White are 12-23-6 all-time against the Mavericks. Last year, the visitors each claimed a sweep as the teams played four games — UND winning in Mankato 2-1 and 5-2 following a 2-1 and 4-2 sweep it suffered in Grand Forks.

UND coach Brian Idalski is looking to guide the team in eliminating defensive mistakes, especially in last Saturday’s 3-1 loss against Vermont.

“I thought the two breakdowns defensively — they cost us goals, and we have to be sharper at that,” Idalski said. “I think that it’s something we can easily address and definitely work on — some of the poise as well with possessing the puck.”

In goals by Vermont on Saturday night, the team moved fluidly around the UND defense, especially prevalent in the first goal. This will be the difference-maker in Mankato this weekend, whether or not the defense can stand up to Mankato’s goal scorers when it faces off against a team that lost its top four-point producers from last season.

Idalski elected to split the games last weekend between UND’s goaltender’s, giving Shelby Amsley-Benzie the start Friday night and Lexie Shaw the spot in between the pipes Saturday.

Shaw made 19 saves in her season debut while Amsley-Benzie collected 20.

Through two games this season, UND has served 13 penalties for 24 penalty minutes. While the penalty kill has yet to let up a goal.

Through two games, the dynamic duo of Becca Kohler and Megan Dufault have been involved in five of the teams eight goals.

This offense does not end here as its supported by an array of goal scorers, including Josefine Jakobson, who will be facing a team that allowed 107 goals last season.

Puck drop is set for 7:07 p.m. on Friday and 4:07 p.m. on Saturday.

Kyle Beauchamp is a staff writer  for The Dakota Student.  He can be reached at [email protected].