To the Max

Max Coatta is a two-time team captain for Minnesota State

Given the fact that his grandfather served as head coach of the football team there and that his father is in one of the high school’s athletic Hall of Fame there, it must seem inevitable that Max Coatta would end up in Mankato playing college hockey for the Minnesota State Mavericks. Right? 
 
“When I was younger the goal was just to play college hockey,” said Coatta. “I was always a fan of the WCHA growing up and as things went along, once I started hearing from Minnesota State, with the coaching staff, where the program appeared to be headed with the possibility of being on a team that could compete for championships every year, the school itself, it all was pretty attractive and some something that I wanted to be a part of.” 

So far, so good.  

Following a standout high school career at Minnetonka (Minn.) where he had 89 goals and 190 points in four seasons with the Skippers and junior hockey stops with Penticton of the British Columbia Hockey League and Waterloo of the United States Hockey League, Coatta has made his mark in his four seasons at Minnesota State. 

With a penchant for durability, special teams play and a knack for scoring goals in bunches (he has a pair of hat tricks during the course of his college career), Coatta is a two-time WCHA All-Academic selection and a two-time WCHA Scholar-Athlete. He was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team in 2015-16 and has twice been named Minnesota State’s Hardest Worker. 

The reliable two-way forward is in his second season as a team captain, but in reality has been working as a team leader from the get-go. 

“I try to bring positive energy with every shift,” said Coatta. “I think skating is one of my stronger points and I think I have a good shot, I can play a role on the penalty kill and chip in offensively, as well, and it’s important to set the table, actions-wise, for the younger guys on the team.” 

With a pair of MacNaughton Cups under his belt in his first three years with the program, Coatta is looking for a third this year and head coach Mike Hastings feels that the contributions being made by his veteran front-line player over the course of his career should not be overlooked or undervalued. 

“He’s been an example for others from the time he joined our program as a freshman,” said Hastings, who is in his seventh year in charge of the Mavericks. “As Max has continued to mature as a player and as a person, he’s continued to exude leadership skills in all areas. He is mentored classmates and teammates and he’s one of those guys that takes care of the group...everybody. I respect him as a player, as a leader and as a young man.There is no doubt the he’s helped us get to where we are as a program.” 

Coatta’s older brother, Sam, won a NCAA Division I men’s hockey national championship as a member of the Union Dutchmen in 2014 and maybe this is the year that the younger brother will have an opportunity to emulate that feat. 

“There’s going to be ups and downs every year,” said Coatta.“We came out of the gates pretty fastthis year, but as a team we’ve been confident, knowing that we can compete for a championship.I think we’re especially close this year as a group and we have good depth with a lot of game changers. We’ve put ourselves in a good spot as we get near the end of the regular season.Obviously we’re hoping to finish on top of the conference standingsand then it’s moving on to the league playoffs. We’ve had some good teams during my time here, but haven’t been able to win one of a WCHA playoff title during my time here, so that would be a big stepping stone for us. And then after that we’ll see how things go.” 

Contributed by Paul Allan, Minnesota State Assoc. Director of Athletics

Add it to the Resume: College Graduate

David Backes played for Minnesota State from 2003-06 where
he totaled 46 goals and 73 assists for 119 points in 115 games

Before he became captain of the St. Louis Blues and before he became a two-time Olympian, David Backes was a college student.

No ordinary college student, mind you, because Backes was a electrical engineering student with a 4.00 grade point average who also happened to play NCAA Division I hockey.

A forward for Minnesota State, Backes played for the Mavericks for three seasons (2003-06) where he scored 46 goals and had 73 assists for 119 points in 115 games.

Selected by St. Louis in the second round of the 2003 National Hockey League draft, the two-time Western Collegiate Hockey Association All-Academic pick was named a Third Team All-American his last year with the program in 2005-06.

After a short apprenticeship in the American Hockey League, Backes has gone on to rack up 357 points on 159 goals and 198 assists in seven and half seasons with the Blues. He has appeared in the last two Olympics with the United States men's hockey team. An accomplished pilot, Backes and his wife Kelly, are the founders of Athletes for Animals - a foundation that includes professional athletes from various sports with a "shared passion for rescuing an protecting the welfare of homeless pets nationwide."

He's accomplished a lot for such a young person, but one of the things left undone was getting his degree.

"I set out going to school to get a degree and I expected to finish.  I didn't necessarily expect pro hockey to happen and certainly not the the way it's happened"  said the Blaine, Minn., native.

And so this past Saturday, he ticked another item off the list. College graduate.

"My degree is in applied organizational studies with a non profit leadership certificate. It's pertinent to what Kelly and I are up to now."

With the sheepskin in hand, one wonders what's next for the former Maverick captain.

"Getting the degree was something that was high on the list.  Now it's sort of let's go find something else we can move forward with."

It's great to be a Maverick. 

Read more here: http://www.bnd.com/2014/02/25/3078397/backes-olympic-mission-to-russia.html#storylink=cpy