“He’s underrated,” Mavericks junior Mick Berge said. “But I played against him in junior hockey. I know what he can do. I think he’s going to be better this year. His shot looks even harder than it was last year.”

During his second season in Waterloo, he was voted the Black Hawks’ unsung hero.

The next year, he was the team’s MVP and scored the game-winning goal to give Waterloo the USHL playoff championship.

Last season, Minnesota State gave Hanson another unsung hero award, but no one’s predicting history to repeat itself right now.

When asked about the low expectations placed upon the Mavericks in the preseason — the WCHA coaches picked MSU to finish ninth in the 10-team league — Hanson was his usual nonchalant self and simply shrugged his shoulders.

“Being an underdog isn’t that bad sometimes,” he said.