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  • MSU's Cameron Cooper is concentrating on leading the Maverics out of the WCHA cellar. The second half of the season starts this weekend with a home series against Wisconsin. Pat Christman

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January 12, 2012

Mavericks' Cooper hoping to finish strong

By Shane Frederick Free Press Staff Writer

MANKATO — Cameron Cooper wants to finish strong.

On the ice. In the classroom. Wherever. The Minnesota State men’s hockey senior defenseman sees his college years coming to an end, and he hopes someday he can look back on his last semester and smile.

“I’m hoping to go out with a bang,” Cooper said. “I’d love to play in the (WCHA) Final Five and have a home playoff series. I’m hoping for straight A’s. ... I want to finish well in everything.”

The second semester at MSU began on Monday, and Cooper has just one class — cell biology — in which to try to get that A. Cooper is scheduled to graduate with a biology degree in May, so he appreciates the extra time he’ll have over the next few months.

“It’s nice to have time to hang out with the guys,” said Cooper, who carries a 3.4 overall grade-point average. “It will be nice to have a little free time to read a book.”

One book he’s already grabbed is the study guide for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Not exactly light reading.

“I picked it up and wanted to cry,” he said of the 1,200-page volume.

While medical school might be in Cooper’s long-term future, he’s also concentrating on the short-term, which includes trying to lead the Mavericks out of the WCHA cellar over the second half of the league schedule. That begins tonight when MSU hosts Wisconsin at the Verizon Wireless Center.

Cooper has played in 20 of the Mavericks’ 22 games this season. He has two goals, four assists and is minus-4 with 16 penalty minutes. On Saturday at St. Lawrence, he played in his 100th career game (only three of his teammates have played in more).

Cooper admits he had an inconsistent first half of the season, and Troy Jutting said he’s hoping to see the team’s lone senior on the blue line revert to what he considered to be an outstanding junior year.

“He was really good, really solid,” Jutting said, “in his consistency of effort and consistency of accountability and dependability. He had a great year. Over the second half of this year, we need to depend on him.”

Cooper is one of the Mavericks’ assistant captains. With senior Michael Dorr and junior Tyler Elbrecht wearing C’s, the team had planned to rotate its assistants throughout the year, with Cooper having the job during the offseason. However, the A was sewn back on Cooper’s sweater in November and has remained there since.

“I feel like it’s an honor,” he said. “The younger guys look up to you. But all of the old guys are great leaders. They encourage guys to do things the right way. It’s special when you’re named to be a captain, but I feel like it’s something you should be doing all the time.”

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