The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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    MSU Mouillierat

October 22, 2009

MSU’s Mouillierat among WCHA's elite

By Shane Frederick

MANKATO — His name is hard to spell and hard to say. But, after seeing Kael Mouillierat play hockey, it shouldn’t be too hard to remember.

“I’ve been called Keel and Kyle,” the Minnesota State senior wing said. “And my last name, I’ve heard at least 10 different pronunciations. The worst was probably Moo-moo-rat. It’s pretty ridiculous.”

For the record, the Edmonton, Alberta, native’s first name rhymes with hail and his last name is pronounced MULL-air-rat.

“It doesn’t really bother me too much,” Mouillierat said. “Usually, if your name’s being announced, it’s not a bad thing.”

Indeed, rink announcers throughout the Western Collegiate Hockey Association have worried about twisting their tongues around his name, but they’ve had plenty of chances to get it right.

Over his first three seasons with the Mavericks, Mouillierat scored 36 goals and set up 31 others.

He broke out last season, finishing second in the WCHA in goals scored during conference play with 16.

However, Mouillierat, who also finished seventh in league point scoring, was not voted to any of the league’s three all-conference teams. Asked if he thought that was an oversight, Mavericks coach Troy Jutting said:

“Put it this way: I wouldn’t trade the kid.”

Mouillierat finished the year with 17 goals and 13 assists overall to average one point per game. He had two goals and an assist in a big win over Minnesota in January and did the same in an important tie with Wisconsin — tonight’s opponent at the Verizon Wireless Center — a month later.

When it came to the Three Stars of the Game awards at the end of home games, no player got more recognition than Mouillierat last season.

Even with all of that, Mouillierat’s teammates voted him as the team’s Unsung Hero award winner at their postseason awards banquet.

“He could have easily got the Most Valuable Player award, too,” teammate Rylan Galiardi said. “He deserved an award and probably got (Unsung Hero) by default. But we certainly appreciate him.”

For his career, the 6-foot, 188-pound assistant captain has 12 power-play goals and team-high five game-winners.

“I think Kael is just getting better,” Jutting said. “He’s still continuing to grow as a hockey player. ... He’s a very intelligent hockey player and has great offensive instincts.”

Through four games this season, however, Mouillierat has been shut out of the net. He has one assist but no goals despite nine shots.

“It’s a little frustrating,” said Mouillierat, 22. “I can’t really think about that too much, though, as long as I’m still getting chances and shots on goal. I might be squeezing the stick a little too tight. I need to play loose. It will come eventually.”

Said Jutting: “Kael understands that he has to score for us to be successful. It’s only a matter of time.”

Perhaps it will be this weekend. In 10 career games against the Badgers, Mouillierat has five goals and two assists. Besides the three-point game on Feb. 28 in Mankato, he scored a goal in a 4-3 victory the night before. However, he was kept off the scoreboard two weeks later in Madison, Wis., when Wisconsin swept Minnesota State in the first round of the WCHA tournament.

“I definitely want to pick up my game, build off of last year and be better,” he said. “There’s still a long season to go. I have high expectations for myself, along with this team.”

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