As mumps makes its way through the dressing rooms of the National Hockey League, Minnesota State was forced to cancel its game Saturday against Princeton because of a flu-like outbreak.

Mike Hastings said the first news he received about a member of the Minnesota State men’s hockey team being sick came about 5:30 a.m. Saturday.

It snowballed from there.

“I’ve never seen anything go like that — that fast,” the Mavericks’ coach said. “At this point (around 2 p.m.) we’re sick and getting sicker. We couldn’t have put a team on the ice.”

A flu-like outbreak that affected about half of Minnesota State’s roster, caused the cancellation of Saturday’s game between the third-ranked Mavericks and nonconference opponent Princeton.

No players were hospitalized, Hastings said.

Flu-like illnesses have increased across the region, according to Kevin Burns, director of public affairs for Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato.