Utica’s Andrew Della Rovere celebrates a goal this season for the Pioneers (photo: Jimi Simmons/Atlas Photo & Video).
Utica’s Andrew Della Rovere has been named the recipient of the NCAA Elite 90 award for the 2025 NCAA Division III men’s hockey tournament.
Della Rovere, majoring in Business Management, was presented with the award during the event’s banquet in downtown Utica.
In addition to his excellence in the classroom, Della Rovere also had a stellar year on the ice, scoring seven goals and serving up eight assists to rack up 15 total points. The center netted the eventual shootout winner in the first game against Geneseo, getting the deciding goal in the seventh round. He also achieved some early-season hardware, being recognized as the Utica Thanksgiving Showcase MVP.
The Elite 90 award honors the exceptional achievements of student-athletes. This prestigious accolade is given to those who have not only excelled at a national championship level in their sport but have also achieved the highest academic standards among their peers. The Elite 90 is proudly awarded to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s 90 championships.
Eligible student-athletes are sophomores or above academically who have participated in a sport for at least two years with their school. All ties are broken by the number of credits completed.
It took two overtimes, but top seeded Western Michigan found a way past Minnesota State, 2-1, on Grant Slukynsky’s goal (photo: Tim Brule)
FARGO, N.D. – Double the overtime, double the thrill of winning.
At least that’s how it seems to be for Western Michigan as of late, and they’re now within one victory of the program’s first-ever Frozen Four.
Five days after defeating the Denver Pioneers for the NCHC tournament championship in two extra sessions, Western Michigan was pushed to double overtime again by the tenacious defense of Minnesota State, and once again the Broncos emerged victorious in an exciting 2-1 triumph Thursday afternoon at Scheels Arena.
But as thrilling as it was for WMU, it was a tough ending for a gritty MSU team, which pushed the Broncos hard in their return to the NCAA tournament as the CCHA champion for the first time since former coach Mike Hastings left for Wisconsin.
“Terrible way for these guys to go out,” said a visibly emotional Mavericks coach Luke Strand, Hastings’ successor. “Love the effort.”
With both teams showing more offensive intensity in overtime than in regulation, Grant Slukynsky finally ended things 7:14 into the second extra period by banking a shot off Mankato forward Luciano Wilson and past CCHA goaltender Alex Tracy, who made 42 saves in an otherwise brilliant performance.
“They certainly did give us all we could handle,” said Broncos head coach Pat Ferschweiler. “I’m proud of our team as well.”
The Mavericks and Broncos played a defensive first period, limiting each other’s scoring chances on tight backchecking.
But it wouldn’t take long for the region’s top-seeded Broncos to draw first blood in the second period. With most of a tripping minor called on Adam Eisele carrying over, a Mavericks clearing attempt was blocked by Owen Michaels, who dished it to Liam Valente at the top of the right circle and he lit the lamp for the 13th time this season 49 seconds in.
Minnesota State, meanwhile, stepped up their game in the offensive zone from that point in the period, but Hampton Slukynsky (29 saves) had an answer each time, while his teammates did a good job keeping Mankato’s forwards outside and unable to get down low until the closing minutes. But the game remained a one-goal difference after 40 minutes thanks largely to a huge glove save on a Josh Groll shot right in front with 30 seconds left.
Kaden Bohlsen finally got the Mavericks on the board in the first two minutes of the third, jamming a rebound home in traffic for his 12th and biggest goal of the season to tie the game at 1.
“I think it just energized our bench,” said Minnesota State forward Zach Krajnik. “We had a few shifts that followed up that, you know, we could have had one more. It sucks that we didn’t.”
Minnesota State certainly played with more jump in their step after that, narrowly missing out on opportunities to take the lead and/or win as the game extended past regulation while continually flustering the powerful Broncos offense.
“Just made every inch of the ice very hard to earn,” Ferschweiler said.
Grant Slukynsky’s friendly-bounce goal finally ended the second-ever NCAA tournament victory for Western Michigan, which moves on to face the UMass-Minnesota winner Saturday. If Minnesota wins, it will be a rematch of their 2022 Worcester Regional Final, won 3-0 by the Golden Gophers.
“Come on the right side of those, and hopefully take care of business on Saturday,” Grant said.
The Big Red tied it in the third period and won it at the end with a power-play goal by Sullivan Mack. (photo: Megan Milewski).
TOLEDO, Ohio — Cornell just won’t let the Mike Schafer retirement tour end.
The latest entry was punctuated with Sullivan Mack’s power-play goal with 10 seconds remaining to give the Big Red a 4-3 victory over regional top seed Michigan State on Thursday.
Mack scored off a cross-ice feed from Charlie Major to give Cornell its first lead of the game. Michigan State’s Matt Basgall was in the penalty box for tripping the Big Red’s Jack O’Leary in the slot with 1:39 remaining.
Cornell actually got two passes through the slot to set up the winning goal, one from Mack to Major and then another one the reverse direction through the outstretched sticks of the Spartans’ Daniel Russell and Karsen Dorwart.
“We always talk about on our penalty kill don’t get seamed twice,” Mack said. “So when I put it through the seam I definitely didn’t expect it to come back.”
It did, and Mack roofed it while Michigan State goalie Trey Augustine slid from right to left.
“I just stuck around in that spot and I’m glad Chaz was able to find me,” Mack said.
It was an incredible finish after the Spartans took three one-goal leads but didn’t extend them.
Cornell delayed Schafer’s planned retirement for weeks with a run to the ECAC Hockey tournament championship that gave the Big Red a spot in the NCAA tournament via the automatic qualifier. And now the Big Red will play Boston University on Saturday for a spot in the Frozen Four.
Casey Jones is due to take over at Cornell next season; Schafer announced last June that the 2024-25 campaign was going to be his last in charge of his alma mater.
Schafer got emotional toward the end of his news conference, saying he spent part of the day reflecting and praying and coming to a realization that what happens happens.
“So feel grateful for what happens tonight,” he said.
Trailing 3-2 entering the third period, the Big Red made a major push at a tying goal, carving out more than 90 consecutive seconds of offensive-zone time at one point. Augustine made three saves on that shift and held onto the third.
Cornell kept coming and eventually got the equalizer. Ryan Walsh scored his second goal of the game with 7:21 remaining, putting home the rebound of Ben Robertson’s shot to make it 3-3. The Big Red rallied to tie with goals in each period.
The last comeback came after the Spartans quickly regained the lead in the second period.
Cornell (19-10-6) didn’t get its second shot on goal of the middle period until 16½ minutes had elapsed, but Major made that one count. He stopped a clearing attempt by Michigan State’s Owen West along the right boards and then got a pass back from Hoyt Stanley for a one-timer to tie the game at 2-2.
But a misplay by the Big Red let the Spartans (26-7-4) regain the lead only 17 seconds later. Goalie Ian Shane stopped the puck behind his net but neither he nor defenseman George Fegaras played it.
That left room for Dorwart to swoop in and tuck the puck in the vacated net to put Michigan State ahead 3-2.
Shane said he laughed that one off; Schaefer later said he wasn’t laughing.
But the Big Red made sure they never trailed by more than one goal.
“In this tournament, if you go down by the second one, it’s a really tough hill to climb,” Schafer said. “But we were able to keep it close and do the job and finish it off.”
The Spartans had the Big Red shut down earlier in the second period, eliminating rushes before they even got a chance to get going. It took Cornell almost 11½ minutes to get its first shot on goal of the second period, and that was a long-range effort by defenseman Michael Suda.
But Shane made some nice saves to keep the Spartans from expanding their advantage. He stopped Michigan State’s Larson from point-blank range midway through the second period.
The Spartans, Big Ten regular-season and playoff champions, paid for never finding a two-goal advantage.
“That’s as solid as we’ve played for about 53 minutes,” Michigan State coach Adam Nightingale said after the Spartans became the second No. 1 seed to lose its opener in the last four seasons. Cornell also was responsible for the other, beating Denver in 2023.
“We had some opportunities to extend the lead; their goalie made some good saves and all of a sudden you’re in a ball game there. We needed a big penalty kill at the end and couldn’t get it done.”
Fast-developing plays alowed each team to hit the net in the opening period before the Spartans took the lead on a late power play.
A connection between Joey Larson and Gavin O’Connell put Michigan State ahead. Larson raced to the left wall to get to a pass from behind the net by Cornell’s Stanley and feed O’Connell in the slot for a quick putaway.
But the Big Red’s Walsh evened things later in the opening frame. He tied up Basgall’s stick behind him on a chase for the puck behind the Spartans net and caught up to it before firing high into the cage from the right side.
Cornell’s Dalton Bancroft went off for cross-checking in the final minute of the opening period, and the Spartans capitalized in 20 seconds. Nice passes by Isaac Howard and Charlie Stramel set up Russell to score from the right of the net for a 2-1 lead.
“I don’t know honestly what changed,” Spartans forward Tiernan Shoudy said. “I think they just had more chances. We had chances too; I don’t think it was very one-sided.”
Michigan State had a brief push after Walsh tied the game in the third but Cornell took advantage of its only power play chance of the game at the end.
Cornell needed to score late in the ECAC Hockey semifinal against Quinnipiac to force overtime, where it kept its season alive with a win. It needed to beat Clarkson to get here.
With that background, it would be foolish to count out the Big Red late this season.
“We knew we were going to face some adversity at some point,” Shane said. “So whether it’s in the first period, third period, we were ready to face it.”
Top seed Boston College (26.5%) is the most picked team to win the national championship in the USCHO Bracket Challenge. Michigan State (23.4%) is a close second.
With the NCAA Tournament kicking off on Thursday afternoon with Boston University knocking off Ohio State, 8-3, the final data from the USCHO Bracket Tournament Challenge is in and to no one’s surprise top seed Boston College is the most selected team to win the national championship.
That said, it’s very, very close.
Boston College was the national champion on 653 of the 2,463 brackets submitted, of about 26.5 perfect. The second overall seed, Michigan State, which ran neck and neck with the Eagles in national polls and rankings, climbing over the Eagles in last week’s USCHO poll, was a close second pick, champ on 552 brackets (22.4 percent).
Interestingly, Michigan State appeared in more people’s Championship Game than did the Eagles. Though the overwhelming pick for the final game matchup, Michigan State made the finals on 1,203 of 2,463 (48.8 percent), compared to Boston College’s 1,149 (46.6 percent).
The picks to win each region, not surprisingly were the top seeds in each. But the amount of people who picked the fourth seed in each region varied widely. Participants felt the most likely four seed to reach St. Louis is Penn State (picked to reach FF on 332 ballots). Again, not surprisingly, Bentley was the least picked team to each a Frozen Four, just 16 people thinking the Falcons will advance through two rounds.
The complete data from the pool is below:
National Champion:
Boston College: 653
Michigan State: 552
Western Michigan: 329
Maine: 312
Minnesota: 274
Boston University: 109
Denver: 91
Minnesota State: 24
Massachusetts: 24
Cornell: 21
Quinnipiac: 17
Connecticut: 16
Penn State: 15
Ohio State: 13
Providence: 7
Bentley: 6
Advance to finals:
Michigan State: 1203
Boston College: 1149
Maine: 662
Western Michigan: 566
Minnesota: 426
Boston University: 314
Denver: 225
Connecticut: 73
Quinnipiac: 65
Ohio State: 60
Penn State: 56
Massachusetts: 37
Minnesota State: 36
Cornell: 30
Providence: 16
Bentley: 8
Advance to Frozen Four, by region
Manchester Region
Boston College: 1805
Denver: 586
Providence: 56
Bentley: 16
Toledo Region
Michigan State: 1610
Boston University: 610
Ohio State: 178
Cornell: 65
Allentown Region
Maine: 1444
Quinnipiac: 350
Connecticut: 337
Penn State: 332
Fargo Region
Western Michigan: 1152
Minnesota: 1059
Massachusetts: 152
Minnesota State: 100
Cole Eiserman capped off a two-goal game by scoring from below the goal line in the third period of the Terriers’ win over the Buckeyes (photo: Megan Milewski).
There was a point in the NCAA tournament opener Thursday when Boston University couldn’t get a shot on net.
Then the Terriers couldn’t miss.
Cole Eiserman scored twice, once from below the goal line in the third period, and Jack Hughes had a short-handed goal and two assists in the final period as Boston University advanced to the regional final for the third straight season with an 8-3 victory over Ohio State at Huntington Center.
The Terriers, seeded second in the Toledo Regional, overcame three one-goal deficits that could have been larger if the Buckeyes had finished chances.
Ohio State left the door open and BU went barging through in the third period with five goals on just eight shots.
“We started getting pucks to the net, recovering pucks and that’s when our offense started to take over a little bit,” BU coach Jay Pandolfo said. “Listen, we’re fortunate we have some guys on this team that can finish. They don’t need a lot of chances to put the puck by the goalie. We saw that tonight.”
A shot from the outside of the right circle by defenseman Aiden Celebrini gave the Terriers their first lead of the game at 4-3 just 2:18 into the third period, and Hughes added to the advantage with a short-handed goal on a 2-on-1 rush just over three minutes later.
Eiserman then scored his second of the game by throwing the puck on net from below the goal line to the right of the net after his rush was initially foiled. The puck bounced in off Ohio State goalie Logan Terness, who threw up his glove in response.
“Those are the fun ones,” Eiserman said. “It definitely felt good seeing that one go in.”
Jack Harvey added a goal with less than six minutes remaining and Cole Hutson scored into an empty net for BU (22-13-2), which will play either regional No. 1 seed Michigan State or Cornell in Saturday’s regional final. The Terriers are looking for their third straight Frozen Four appearance.
Joe Dunlap scored twice for the Buckeyes (24-14-2) and was close to having a third that could have changed the tone of the final period. But his shot from the slot in the final second of the second period crossed the line after time expired, and the score stayed 3-3.
BU scored three equalizing goals in the second period, by Eiserman, Quinn Hutson and Matt Copponi. The last two were part of a stretch of three goals between the teams in 42 seconds.
Eiserman snapped home a shot off a faceoff to make it 1-1, but Dunlap gave the Buckeyes the lead again less than four minutes later after Terriers forward Devin Kaplan was sent to the box for roughing.
Quinn Hutson made it 2-2 on a BU power play after a give-and-go with Cole Hutson at the top of the slot. But the Buckeyes answered 30 seconds later when Thomas Weis launched a 2-on-1 rush out of the defensive zone and Max Montes snapped in a shot from the right side.
The lead lasted only 12 seconds, however, because Cole Hutson created another chance from behind the net that Copponi buried for a 3-3 tie.
The second-period flurry by the Terriers made up for an opening 20 minutes in which the Buckeyes had almost all of the offensive-zone time. Ohio State started a stretch of 15 consecutive shots on goal early in the first period, and the pressure included a goal and two near-misses.
Jake Dunlap got a touch on Aiden Hansen-Bukata’s shot from the right point to force BU goalie Mikhail Yegorov to kick it out with his right pad. Joe Dunlap was there to put home the rebound.
Ohio State nearly made it 2-0 shortly after the end of its first power play when Thomas Weis’ shot got through Yegorov and sat in the crease. The Buckeyes’ Patrick Guzzo had a chance to poke it in but Terriers defenseman Gavin McCarthy got in the way.
Guzzo had another opportunity on Ohio State’s second power play of the opening period but Joe Dunlap’s pass to him at the back post went between his legs.
“That’s hockey, right?” Buckeyes coach Steve Rohlik said. “That’s the way it goes. I thought we played two pretty good periods. We had a great push in the first. Even the second, they had a couple quick answers which we didn’t want to see. But we were still right there to start the third.”
The Buckeyes never were able to extend a one-goal lead to two.
“Two-goal lead, I feel like the way we play, too, it’d be hard for them to come back,” Ohio State captain Davis Burnside said. “But we weren’t able to capitalize on some good chances that we had to get a two-goal lead. And kudos to their goalie and their players. They did a great job of keeping it that way.”
The Terriers went nearly nine minutes of the first period without attempting a shot. The Buckeyes largely kept them out of the offensive zone but ended the frame with a Weis hooking penalty to give BU a power play to open the second period.
That opportunity also ended in next to nothing for the Terriers, who got one shot on goal — a long Quinn Hutson attempt that Logan Terness turned aside with his left pad — and a long Tom Willander attempt that Terness didn’t see through traffic but went wide.
Once the Terriers got going in the third period, the Buckeyes didn’t have an answer.
“With our speed and our skill, that’s when we are able to put more goals on the board, do more stuff that we want to do,” Eiserman said.
Maine senior Harrison Scott played a key role in the Black Bears’ 2024-25 season (photo: Anthony DelMonaco),
Allentown Regional, March 28-30 | PPL Arena, Allentown, Pa.
No. 2 Connecticut (22-11-4) vs. No. 3 Quinnipiac (24-11-2) |March 28, 5 p.m. ET (ESPNU)
No. 1 Maine (24-7-6) vs. No. 4 Penn State (20-13-3) | March 28, 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Allentown Regional Championship | March 30, 4:30 p.m. or 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
MAINE
How they got here: Won Hockey East tournament, 3rd in final PairWise
Overall season record: 24-7-6
Top players: F Taylor Makar (10-19-29), D Luke Antonacci (2-2-4), F Josh Nadeau (10-19-29), F Lynden Breen (7-6-13), D David Breazeale (3-10-13), F Harrison Scott (18-17-35), G Albin Boija (23-7-6, 1.76, .930 SV%)
Why they will advance to the Frozen Four: Last year, Maine was the relative newcomer, entering the tournament after a 12-year absence. Cornell sent Maine packing in the first round. This year, the Black Bears enter on a tear, with a conference tournament championship under their belt and a bevy of players who can score. Throw in goalie Albin Boija — Mike Richter Award finalist — and Maine could very well be headed back to St. Louis, the host city the last time it went to the Frozen Four in 2007.
Why they won’t advance to the Frozen Four: Hey, welcome to Allentown, Black Bears! Hope you had a fun trip. Congratulations on a great season. Your reward? A date with Penn State (20-13-4), which, as hosts, is playing just 166 miles from its home rink. Have fun!
Hudson Schandor wears the ‘C’ for UConn this season (photo: Clarus Multimedia Group).
CONNECTICUT
How they got here: At-large bid, 6th in final PairWise
Overall season record: 22-11-4
Top players: F Hudson Schandor (10-30-40), F Joey Muldowney (27-18-45), D Viking Gustafsson Nyberg (1-9-10), F Jake Richard (15-27-42), G Callum Tung (9-3-1, 2.05, .933 SV%), F Ryan Tattle (18-14-32)
Why they will advance to the Frozen Four: UConn has been pounding everybody lately (save for a hiccup vs. Maine in the Hockey East championship game). The Huskies have won eight of their last 10 with three of those wins coming against teams in the tournament field and are 10-3 against non-conference opponents this year.
Why they won’t advance to the Frozen Four: UConn drew intra-state rival (and 2023 NCAA champ) Quinnipiac in the first round, and one thing Rand Pecknold’s Quinnipiac teams don’t do very often is lose in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Bobcats have lost just once in their last six tourney openers dating back to 2016 (a 4-3 OT loss to Minnesota State in 2021).
Mason Marcellus has been an offensive leader for Quinnipiac (photo: Rob Rasmussen/P8Photos.com).
QUINNIPIAC
How they got here: At-large bid, 12th in final Pairwise
Overall season record: 24-11-2
Top players: F Jeremy Wilmer (14-25-39), F Mason Marcellus (10-27-37), F Travis Treloar (16-20-36), F Andon Cerbone (15-20-35), F Jack Ricketts (20-7-27), G Matej Marinov (12-3-0, 1.75 GAA, .928 sv%)
Why they will advance to the Frozen Four: Quinnipiac finished within two wins of last year’s overall record but dropped to the Pairwise bubble because of ECAC’s overall lack of strength compared to the rest of the country. Despite all of that, the Bobcats paired one of the nation’s most potent offenses with a top-10 defense and arguably the best combined special teams in all of college hockey. They weren’t heavily penalized and remained steady after starting the season with a host of growing pains, so there’s reason to believe that the team’s “best hockey” started in November and hasn’t totally stopped.
Why they won’t advance to the Frozen Four: Every yin has a yang, and Quinnipiac’s inability to win the ECAC tournament resulted in an elevated hot seat until the right results landed properly. This team is incredibly deep and well-skilled, but ECAC still posted one of its weakest all-time seasons. The Bobcats likewise held the top spot and won a regular season championship, but that doesn’t erase the CT Ice loss to UConn – their first-round opponent – or the 5-1 loss to Northeastern. Struggling to erase American International and losses to New Hampshire and Maine compound exactly how Quinnipiac sits in the tournament compared to other, more heavily-touted at-large squads trending upwards at the end of the year – one of which is Penn State, the host school and No. 4 seed, or UConn, which lost to Maine, the region’s No. 1 seed, in the Hockey East championship.
Simon Mack has played an integral role on the back end this season for the Nittany Lions (photo: Penn State Athletics).
PENN STATE
How they got here: At-large bid, 13th in the final PairWise
Overall season record: 20-13-4
Top players: F Aiden Fink (23-29-52), F Charlie Cerrato (15-22-37), F Reese Laubach (15-15-30), D Simon Mack (3-24-27), G Arsenii Sergeev (17-8-4, 2.66 GAA, .916 SV%)
Why they will advance to the Frozen Four: The Nittany Lions were the hottest team in NCAA hockey in the second half of the season, missing their chance to vie for a Big Title only because they lost their semifinal game in overtime on the road – a game that Matt DiMarsico tied for Penn State late in the third after the Buckeyes had taken a 3-2 lead minutes before. They advanced to that game against Ohio State after sweeping a quarterfinal series against Michigan in Yost Ice Arena. They have 20 wins on the season but 13 of those have come since Jan. 3, when Arsenii Sergeev resumed play following an injury. They have the seventh-best offense in the nation, averaging 3.51 goals per game, and they’re loaded with young talent that hasn’t received the memo yet that they shouldn’t be this good. They’ll be playing in front of a very friendly crowd, too.
Why they won’t advance to the Frozen Four: As good as they’ve been in the second half of the season and as good as Penn State’s offense is, the Nittany Lions allow a lot of goals – 3.08 per game on average. While it’s true that in a one-and-done situation, that may not be an issue, but Penn State has also not been good in low-scoring games this season. The only game the Nittany Lions won when limited to two or fewer goals was a 2-0 win over Wisconsin Feb. 7. Penn State does take a lot of shots on goal (32.6 per game) and the Nittany Lions are fearless offensively, but that sometimes bites them in their own zone. They allow nearly 32 opponent shots as well, and they’ve been outshot 48-39 in third-period play this season. As good as their offense is, their PP is average and their PK (78.8%), like their defense, can be a liability.
Hobart celebrates last week against Trine. The Statesemen aim for a 3-peat this weekend. (Photo courtesy of Kevin Colton – Hobart)
After aregional showdown on Saturday that saw the three western teams exit the tournament, the frozen Four hosted by Utica will see the hosts play as visitors against top seeded Curry while the defending national champions from Hobart face the challenge of a high–flying Geneseo squad fresh off an upset road win over Aurora.
Four great teams deserving of playing for a national championship but only two will advance to play for Sunday’s big prize.
Last weekI took the gamble on going all in on the east coming out on top in the inter–regional battles and despite how things looked after 40 minutes of play in each of those games, my prognostications turned out to be correct giving me a 4–0 weekend while Brian was only 2–2 in the quarterfinals.
Entering the Frozen Four I am 9–1 while Brian stands at 7–3 with three games remaining to pick on the season. No regional bias to worry about moving forward, just picking the hot team and who can advance a round closer to the national title game with a win on Friday.
Here are therespective picks with the title game selections chosen following Friday’s semifinal outcomes:
Friday,March28, 2025 NCAASemifinal Round Utica v. Curry TC–When is home ice not a home ice advantage? That is the ultimate question as Utica will be wearing their visitor uniforms when they play top seed Curry on Friday. Both teams faced each a few years back in Utica with the Pioneers taking a 6–2 win over the Colonels.
Not the same teams by any stretch of the imagination and when it comes to playoff hockey it is hard to go against the team with the strongest goaltending and that means Shane Soderwall for the Colonels will lead his team past the Pioneers in a hard–fought battle that may need some bonus hockey.
Curry,2–1
BL– There’s no place like home. Unless you are Utica, which is the road team for this matchup with Curry.
The Pioneers rallied to beat third-ranked St. Norbert in the quarterfinal round last week and now are put to the test against the No. 2 team in the country in the USCHO.com poll.
Utica has scored five goals in each of its last two games and will look to keep that offense rolling against Curry. Jakob Breault leads the way offensively with 17 goals and 19 assists and he’ll need a big night for the Pioneers to advance. Ryan Piros made big saves when he had to against the Green Knights, shutting them out in the third period, and don’t underestimate him in this game.
Speaking of goalies, you could make a strong case that Curry has the best one in the country in Shane Soderwall, who has won 24 games on the year and is a finalist for the Sid Watson Award.
Curry has made history, getting here for the first time. Utica is back for a second consecutive year. I’m going with the upset here.
Utica, 3-2
Geneseov.Hobart TC–TheKnights face–off with the defending national champions and this may be the game of the tournament in terms of excitement and drama. Both teams are tremendously skilled and have high–end offensive talent to challenge the opposition’s defense and goaltending.
Like the first game it is hard to argue with what Damon Beaver and the Statesmen defensive corps has done over the past three seasons.
To be the champ, you have to beat the champ–Overtime game number two on Friday features a dramatic goal to send Hobart to their third straight title game and a chance for the “three–peat”– Hobart,3-2
BL– Hobart is seeking a three-peat. Geneseo is aiming to end the reigning champ’s impressive run.
The Statesmen were tested against Trine, rallying for a big win to keep their dream of another title alive. It’s not easy being at the top, but Hobart has handled that pressure well. Tanner Daniels and Luke Aquaro have 18 and 16 goals, respectively, and lead an offense that has scored 123 goals. Hobart has allowed only 30 goals.
Geneseo is in the frozen four for the first time since 2022 and feeling good after a thrilling comeback win over Aurora. Reaching the natioinal semifinals is nothing new for this program, which is here for the fifth time in the last 10 seasons.
Peter Morgan is one to watch as he has 14 goals and 22 assists. The Ice Knights have put up 142 goals and allowed 76.
This should be a really entertaining game. It might even go to overtime. But in the end, it’s hard to bet against the champs.
Hobart, 4-3
So,it all comes down to this weekend to decide the national champion. Four teams left and each one has a legitimate chance to hoist the trophy on Sunday. Look for coverage from our USCHO–stringer, Russell Jaslow this weekend as MrSUNYACHockeyprovides all the details and excitement on what should be the best hockey of the 2024–25 season–“Drop the Puck!
Andre Gasseau put up three goals and six points in a late-February weekend for BC (photo: Nick Romei).
Manchester Regional, March 28-30 | SNHU Arena, Manchester, N.H.
No. 1 Boston College (26-7-2) vs. No. 4 Bentley (23-14-2) | March 28, 2 p.m. ET (ESPNU)
No. 2 Providence (21-10-5) vs. No. 3 Denver (29-11-1) | March 28, 5:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
Manchester Regional Championship | March 30, 4:30 p.m. or 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
BOSTON COLLEGE
How they got here: At-large bid, 1st in final PairWise
Overall season record: 26-7-2
Top players: G Jacob Fowler (24-6-2, 1.64, .940), F Andre Gasseau (15-15-30), D Eamon Powell (4-16-20), F James Hagens (10-25-35), F Gabe Perreault (15-32-47), F Ryan Leonard (29-18-47)
Why they will advance to the Frozen Four: There’s really no reason for the Eagles not to. They’re the No. 1 seed in the tournament for a reason. They have all the tools, starting with Hobey Baker finalist Ryan Leonard (the league’s sole representative among the top 10) and Mike Richter finalist Jacob Fowler.
Why they won’t advance to the Frozen Four: The Eagles haven’t been terrific in tournaments this year. While they might not have been playing with the same urgency in the Hockey East quarterfinals that they would have if their season was on the line, the Eagles got its offense going too late before losing 3-1 to Northeastern. Also, they lost in the Beanpot final and amazingly sport the longest championship drought (last win in 2016) of the tournament’s four participants. And while BC should beat Bentley Friday, its next opponent could be Denver, the school that scuttled the Eagles’ national championship dreams last year in the NCAA final.
Philip Svedebäck has been strong in net this season at Providence (photo: DSPics.com).
PROVIDENCE
How they got here: At-large bid, 8th in final PairWise
Overall season record: 21-10-5
Top players: F Logan Will (15-23-71), G Philip Svedebäck (14-7-4, 2.36, .915 SV%), D Guillame Richard (2-12-14), F Tanner Adams (11-11-22), D Connor Kelley (1-3-4), F Hudson Malinoski (11-12-23)
Why they will advance to the Frozen Four: The Friars sport a 10-2-0 non-conference record and went 4-0-0 at a pair of neutral-site regular-season tournaments this year, which could bode well for their NCAA tournament chances.
Why they won’t advance to the Frozen Four: Yeesh — look at that draw. They got defending national champ Denver in the first round, and should the Friars be fortunate enough to make it to the regional final, they’ll likely have to face last year’s NCAA runner up (and this year’s No. 1 seed) Boston College. Good luck.
Denver’s Zeev Buium was named NCHC player of the year last week (photo: Martin Gonzalez).
DENVER
How they got here: At-large, 9th in final PairWise
Overall season record: 29-11-1
Top players: F Jack Devine (13-43-56), F Aidan Thompson (19-32-51), F Carter King (20-20–40), D Zeev Buium (11-32–43), G Matt Davis (27-9-1, 2.12 GAA, .920 SV%)
Why they will advance to the Frozen Four: The defending national champion Pioneers are just as loaded at the top end of their lineup as they were last season. That includes Davis, whose numbers are better at this point than they were heading into the 2024 NCAA tournament.
Why they won’t advance to the Frozen Four: Right away, Denver gets a Providence team that will have proverbial bells on, reaching the NCAA tournament for the first time in six years. Could the Friars reach the Frozen Four, like they did in 2019? Or does Boston College make its 27th Frozen Four in program history? I’m less worried about Denver than I am about the rest of this regional field.
AJ Hodges has provided timely offense for Bentley is his graduate year (photo: Bentley Athletics).
BENTLEY
How they got here: Won the Atlantic Hockey America tournament, 22nd in final PairWise
Overall season record: 23-14-2
Top players: F Ethan Leyh (18-24–40), D Nick Bochen (9-19-28), F Nick Armstrong-Kingkade (12-15–27), F A.J. Hodges (9-9–18), G Connor Hasley (21-12-2, 1.95 GAA, .923 SV%)
Why they will advance to the Frozen Four:
Because Atlantic Hockey America typically sends only its champion to the NCAA tournament, that team enters the tourney on a roll. Bentley has won five in a row and 10 out of its last 12, including six shutouts. Falcons goalie Connor Hasley has posted 11 shutouts this season, one away from the all-time record.
Everyone remembers Holy Cross knocking off Minnesota in 2006, but AHA champions have also won first-round games in 2009, 2010, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019, often as the 16th overall seed. Atlantic Hockey America teams have defeated the overall top seed three times in the past nine seasons.
Bentley is 1-1 against the NCAA field this season, defeating Maine 4-2 in Portland and losing to Massachusetts 5-4 in its season opener. Boston College is 0-2 against Bentley all-time with the most recent meeting a 6-2 Falcons win back in 2021.
Why they won’t advance to the Frozen Four:
As the 16th overall seed, the Falcons have the toughest path to St. Louis. Boston college has 12 NHL draft picks on its roster, Bentley has none. Possible regional final opponents Denver has 13; Providence has 10.
And while Atlantic Hockey America teams have had success in the first round, it hasn’t happened recently. American International was the last to do it in 2019 when the Yellow Jackets upset St. Cloud in Fargo. The league is 0-4 most recently.
Shane Soderwall has been superb in net this season for Frozen Four-bound Curry (photo: Ryan Colson).
The Gridiron Club of Greater Boston has announced that Curry goaltender Shane Soderwall is the winner of the 24th Joe Concannon Award, presented annually to the best American-born college hockey player in New England at the Division II-III level.
The sophomore has led his team to their first Frozen Four appearance, hosted by Utica, on March 28.
Soderwall has played in 27 games, posting a 1.45 goals-against average with a .945 save percentage and a Curry-record eight shutouts. He has a 24-3-0 record and earned player of the year, goaltender of the year, and first team all-CNE honors while leading the Colonels to the CNE regular-season and conference tournament championships.
Soderwall surrendered just one goal in Saturday’s 4-1 win over Hamilton in the NCAA quarterfinals while making 37 saves to backstop the top-seeded Colonels.
“Shane is a special kid, very humble and an incredibly hard worker,” said Curry coach Peter Roundy in a statement. “He took a chance on us, coming here last year, and believed in our vision for the program. He has great physical talent, but what separates him is the mindset. He is a very positive influence with the team, and he knows what he wants. When he took the crease last year, he built up his experience and had remarkable success, earning the goaltender and rookie of the year honors in the conference.
“With all that, he still works like he is a backup goaltender and continually improves his craft. I am very proud of Shane’s winning this prestigious award, as it recognizes both his performance as well as our program.”
The Joe Concannon Award was established in 2001 shortly after the passing of the longtime writer for the Boston Globe, who had a great passion for college hockey while always advocating strongly for amateur athletics.
Caleb MacDonald makes a play against St. Cloud State during the 2024-25 season (photo: Russell Hons).
The NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets have signed North Dakota sophomore defenseman Caleb MacDonald to a two-year, entry level contract beginning with the 2025-26 season.
MacDonald recorded three goals and seven assists for 10 points with 42 penalty minutes, 68 blocked shots, 51 shots on goal and a plus-7 plus/minus rating in 35 appearances during his sophomore campaign with the Fighting Hawks. He was tied for the team lead in penalty minutes and blocked shots and ranked tied for third in plus/minus rating.
“Caleb MacDonald is a big, strong defenseman who excels at blocking shots and being sound and sturdy in the defensive zone,” said Columbus GM Don Waddell in a statement. “We are pleased to welcome him to the Blue Jackets and look forward to his taking the next steps in his career with our organization.”
The native of Cambridge, Ont., registered seven goals and 24 points with 80 PIMs and a cumulative plus-20 rating in 66 career games at North Dakota and Alaska. He made his college debut with the Nanooks in 2023-24 and led all freshmen in scoring with four goals and 14 points and 28 blocked shots in 31 games.
Isak Posch spent two years at St. Cloud State (photo: Jason Soria).
St. Cloud State sophomore goaltender Isak Posch has signed a two-year, entry-level contract through the 2026-27 season with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche.
Posch, a native of Umea, Sweden, just completed the 2024-25 campaign with a record of 12-10-0, a 2.40 goals-against-average, .923 save percentage and two shutouts. His save percentage ranked second in the NCHC while his GAA ranked fourth. He earned the NCHC goaltender of the week honor a league-high four times and was named the conference’s goaltender of the month in October.
In the middle of the season, Posch missed 14 games due to a lower-body injury and was considered a Hobey Baker and Mike Richter Award candidate before the injury took place.
Posch earned NCHC all-rookie team honors in a 2023-24 freshman campaign after producing a mark of 5-6-2 with a 2.93 GAA and .901 S%.
In 35 starts and 36 appearances over his SCSU career, Posch went 17-16-2 in net with a 2.60 GAA and .915 save percentage. Among program career records, he leaves SCSU ranked sixth in save percentage (.915), 10th in GAA (2.60), 14th in shutouts (three), 17th in wins (17), 18th in saves (959), 19th in games played (36) and 19th in minutes played (2,056:29).
Cooper Gay was a force up front the last three seasons for St. Thomas (photo: Nick Wosika).
St. Thomas junior forward Cooper Gay has signed an entry-level contract with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche.
Gay is the first Tommie in program history to receive an NHL entry-level contract. He attended the Avalanche development camp during the summer of 2024.
In 94 games for the Tommies, Gay tallied 35 goals and 23 assists for 58 points over the last three seasons.
The Hanover, Minn., native was top two in the CCHA this season with 19 goals and seven power-play goals. He set career-high marks in goals, assists (11), points (30), power-play goals, games played (35), and plus-minus (plus-6) during the Tommies’ 19-win 2024-25 season.
Gay was part of Coach Rico Blasi’s “believer” class, the first crop of freshman recruited to join the Tommies back in 2022-23, their second season of Division I hockey. He was the third in program history to record a 30-point season.
Air Force coach Frank Serratore will be behind the Falcons bench for two more seasons (photo: Air Force Athletics).
Air Force coach Frank Serratore has agreed to a new two-year contract through June 2027.
Serratore just completed his 28th season at Air Force with a 472-457-102 record. He has an overall mark of 521-549-111 in 32 seasons as a college head coach. He is also just the 16th coach in the history of NCAA Division I hockey to reach 500 Division I wins.
“This is a great day for the Air Force Academy,” said Air Force director of athletics Nathan Pine in a statement. “I’m pleased to share that our Falcons will continue to be led by Coach Serratore for the next two seasons. He has a great passion for the sport and for this team and I’m honored to continue to work with him to build upon the strong foundation of returners in our program. I am confident that our team will continue to represent the Academy well and demonstrate the qualities that all of Coach Serratore’s have throughout his remarkable career of toughness, grit, and intensity. Air Force hockey has a bright future.”
“I’m honored to have been chosen to continue leading this program,” Serratore added. “The next chapter of my career takes me into uncharted waters as the collegiate landscape of today bears little resemblance to the past. I’m excited and motivated to attack these new challenges. I passionately believe in our people and am very confident we will find a way to not only succeed but excel.”
Serratore has led the Falcons to seven Atlantic Hockey tournament championships, seven NCAA appearances, three NCAA Elite Eights and two AHA regular-season titles. The 2016 AHA coach of the year, he has led the Falcons to the AHA championship game eight times in the last 19 seasons.
In 2024-25, the Falcons were one of the nation’s youngest teams with 20 freshmen or sophomores on the 29-man roster. Air Force finished the 2024-25 season with a 16-21-3 record, including a win over 20th-ranked Arizona State, a team that narrowly missed the NCAA tournament. The Falcons finished strong, going 5-3-2 in the last 10 games, including a pair of playoff victories.
MIchigan State goalie Trey Augustine is a Mike Richter Award semifinalist this season (photo: Michigan State Athletics).
Toledo Regional, March 27-29 | Huntington Center, Toledo, Ohio
No. 2 Boston University (21-13-2) vs. No. 3 Ohio State (24-13-2) | March 27, 2 p.m. ET (ESPNU)
No. 1 Michigan State (26-6-4) vs. No. 4 Cornell (18-10-6) | March 27, 5:30 p.m. ET, (ESPN+)
Toledo Regional Championship | March 29, 4 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. ET (ESPNU)
MICHIGAN STATE
How they got here: Won Big Ten tournament, 2nd in final PairWise
Overall season record: 26-6-4
Top players: F Isaac Howard (26-25-51), F Karsen Dorwart (12-17-29), F Charlie Stramel (9-17-26), D Matt Basgall (6-20-26), G Trey Augustine (19-6-4, 2.01 GAA, .927 SV%)
Why they will advance to the Frozen Four: Where to start with these Spartans? Michigan State is a well-oiled machine with perhaps the fewest weak spots of any team in the NCAA tournament field. They have arguably the best player in the nation in Isaac Howard, but he doesn’t have to do anything alone. Every big player showed up when the Spartans needed them to in the Big Ten playoffs, and that’s the mark of a team playing peak hockey. With the nation’s eighth-best offense (3.50), fourth-best defense (2.03) and solid special teams, Michigan State is as ready as any team can be for a run to a national title. Plus, the Frozen Four is in St. Louis, where the Spartans won their last national title.
Why they won’t advance to the Frozen Four: It is difficult to make an argument against the Spartans advancing to the Frozen Four. That’s not to say that they’ll emerge from this bracket nor that they’ll get past Cornell in the first game, but Michigan State did not lose consecutive games once this season, but in every weekend in which they split with opponents, they lost the first game. The Spartans are never unprepared, but first games seem to be their only vulnerability, something that a new opponent like Cornell may be able to exploit. Should they get past Cornell and should they face Ohio State in the regional title game, the Buckeyes will have something to say about Michigan State’s chances for advancement.
Cole Eiserman popped a hat trick Jan. 11 for BU (photo: Matt Woolverton).
BOSTON UNIVERSITY
How they got here: At-large bid, 7th in final PairWise
Overall season record: 21-13-2
Top players: F Cole Eiserman (21-11-32), D Cole Hutson (12-28-40), F Ryan Greene (13-20-33), F Quinn Hutson (21-26-47), F Shane Lachance (11-17-28), G Mikhail Yegorov (8-5-1, 1.99, .931 SV%)
Why they will advance to the Frozen Four: The three other teams in the Toledo bracket — Michigan State, Ohio State and Cornell — are a combined 47 years removed from their last Frozen Four appearance. BU’s been to the last two. That experience will definitely help the Terriers.
Why they won’t advance to the Frozen Four: BU was only 6-6-2 vs. the rest of the tournament field this season, including a real clunker in the Hockey East semifinals, a 5-2 loss to Connecticut that had coach Jay Pandolfo publicly questioning his team’s effort in post-game interviews. That’s not the way the Terriers wanted to go into the NCAA tournament.
Ohio State players celebrate a goal during the Buckeyes’ Big Ten semifinal win (photo: Ohio State Athletics).
OHIO STATE
How they got here: At-large bid, tied for 10th in the final PairWise
Overall season record: 24-13-2
Top players: F Gunnarwolfe Fontaine (17-23-40), F Riley Thompson (17-16-33), Davis Burnside (14-19-33), D Aiden Hansen-Bukata (2-27-29), F Damien Carfagna (7-21-28), G Logan Terness (12-9-1, 2.27 GAA, .925 SV%), G Kristoffer Eberly (12-4-1, 2.28 GAA, .915 SV%)
Why they will advance to the Frozen Four: The under-the-radar Buckeyes are a battle-tested team with an axe to grind, making them dangerous in several ways. They came back in the third period against Michigan State in the Big Ten title game and took the Spartans to double overtime. They didn’t look crushed after that game; they looked mad and frustrated. Three of their last four B1G playoff games went to OT. The Buckeyes have outshot opponents 53-35 in third-period play and they’re 5-2-0 in overtime. Logan Terness split net time with Kristoffer Eberly for much of the year but has played all but two games since Feb. 7, and Terness looked pretty darned good against Michigan State. If they’re underestimated in their first game, they’ll advance to the regional final – at the very least.
Why they won’t advance to the Frozen Four: The easiest thing to say is that Ohio State will lose to Michigan State in the regional final, but that really takes a lot for granted. Should both B1G teams advance to that game, Ohio State will remember how well they played in the third period and first OT Big Ten championship game, but they should also remember how they faded in the second overtime when they didn’t have enough in the tank. They’ll certainly remember how they took four first-period penalties in that contest and gave up two power-play goals, uncharacteristic for a team that averages fewer than eight PIMs per game. On paper, the Buckeyes are an average team offensively and defensively, and their special teams leave much to be desired. In close games – whether against Boston University or Michigan State – their special teams can be their downfall.
Cornell’s Ian Shane has been a rock in net for Cornell (photo: Lexi Woodcock/Cornell Athletics).
CORNELL
How they got here: Won the ECAC Hockey tournament, 17th in final Pairwise
Overall season record: 18-10-6
Top players: F Ryan Walsh (14-14-28), F Dalton Bancroft (14-14-28), F Ondrej Psenicka (9-13-22), D Tim Rego (8-14-22), F Sullivan Mack (8-12-20), G Ian Shane (16-10-6, 2.17 GAA, .902 sv%)
Why they will advance to the Frozen Four: The Big Red are finally healthy and hitting their stride after spending most of the season with a choppy or short-handed lineup. Getting to 18 wins and an ECAC championship took artwork from head coach Mike Schafer, but the last ride of a classic college hockey renegade included six straight wins and five in the postseason with a 9-2-0 overall record since Valentine’s Day. Playing Michigan State is no picnic for the first round, but Cornell is rounding into the team that narrowly missed eliminating Denver from last year’s tournament. If there’s a first round upset, one of the hottest teams in college hockey would face either Boston University, which has been incredibly up-and-down, or Ohio State, which would provide a game atmosphere perfect for a Cornell program rallying around its retiring legend.
Why they won’t advance to the Frozen Four: Cornell won ECAC as the No. 6 seed, and gaining steam against ECAC isn’t the same as playing the No. 2 team in the nation. None of the metrics favor the Big Red compared to top-seeded Michigan State, and the Spartans’ recent win over Ohio State illustrated the difficulty in getting past any Big Ten team. It would take a massive upset to prevent Michigan State from reaching its first Frozen Four in 18 years, but this region has arguably the toughest road through the possible second game against either the Buckeyes or the BU team that found its groove in the second half of the season.
Alex Bump has provided timely scoring up front this season for Western Michigan (photo: Ashley Huss).
Fargo Regional, March 27-29 | SCHEELS Arena, Fargo, N.D.
No. 1 Western Michigan (30-7-1) vs. No. 4 Minnesota State (27-8-3) | March 27, 5 p.m. ET (ESPNU)
No. 2 Minnesota (25-10-4) vs. No. 3 Massachusetts (20-13-5) | March 27, 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Fargo Regional Championship | March 29, 4 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. ET (ESPNU)
WESTERN MICHIGAN
How they got here: Won NCHC tournament, 4th in final PairWise
Overall season record: 30-7-1
Top players: F Alex Bump (23-23-46), F Grant Slukynsky (9-26-35), F Tim Washe (15-19-34), D Samuel Sjolund (4-24-28), G Cameron Rowe (15-2-0, 2.00 GAA, .924 SV%), G Hampton Slukynsky (15-5-1, 2.04 GAA, .918 SV%)
Why they will advance to the Frozen Four: Out of the 16 teams still playing, Western might be the one you want to play the least straight away in the NCAA tournament. The Broncos have more than enough weapons offensively to get to St. Louis and maybe even win the whole thing. And put either Rowe or Slukysnky between the pipes, and you’re plenty loaded at the back end, too.
Why they won’t advance to the Frozen Four: It’s less to do with the Broncos themselves, and more to do with the strength of this tournament field. Minnesota State is not going to be an easy out, and let’s remember that Western is the only program in this regional that hasn’t made a Frozen Four. “Yet,” we hasten to add, but the fact remains: the Broncos are facing teams who know what it takes.
Connor Kurth has been an offensive bright spot this season for the Gophers (photo: Kelly Hagenson).
MINNESOTA
How they got here: At-large bid, 5th in final PairWise
Overall season record: 25-10-4
Top players: F Jimmy Snuggerud (22-27-49), F Matthew Wood (17-21-38), F Connor Kurth (17-21-38), D Sam Rinzel (10-21-30), G Liam Souliere (13-7-2, 2.28 GAA, .918 SV%), G Natha Airey (12-3-2, 2.42 GAA, .902 SV%)
Why they will advance to the Frozen Four: This Minnesota team is absolutely loaded with offensive talent, averaging 3.85 goals per game for the nation’s third-best offense. That offense is balanced as well, with 15 different players having scored game-winning goals for the Golden Gophers this season. The Gophers are making their third Frozen Four appearance in four years, so many players on this team know what it takes to play through a regional. Because Minnesota bowed out in the quarterfinal round of Big Ten play, Minnesota has had some time to heal up some injuries and address some inadequacies.
Why they won’t advance to the Frozen Four: The Gophers haven’t played since March 9 after losing their best-of-three quarterfinal series to Notre Dame. That may work to their advantage, but that lack of game time may have them at a disadvantage in their first match against Massachusetts. For as good as their offense is, their power play is only okay as is their defense, which allows on average 2.46 goals per game. They play disciplined hockey and they need to with the 52nd-best PK in the nation. Minnesota looked off a step all season long and only once did they beat different opponents in consecutive games (Ohio State Jan. 11 and Notre Dame Jan. 17) and they swept opponents just twice.
Michael Hrabal has been a force in goal this season for UMass (photo: UMass Athletics).
MASSACHUSETTS
How they got here: At-large bid, 10th in final PairWise
Overall season record: 20-13-5
Top players: F Jack Musa (18-16-34), D Linden Alger (3-6-9), G Michael Hrabal (18-11-5, 2.33, .926 SV%), F Lucas Mercuri (10-21-31), F Cole O’Hara (22-29-51), F Ryan Lautenbach (6-14-20), F Aydar Suniev (18-18-36).
Why they will advance to the Frozen Four: Last year UMass was the host and one of three northeast-based teams in Springfield, Mass., where the outlier, Denver, advanced to the Frozen Four. This year, UMass is the outlier in the midwest among three midwest schools. Plus the Minutemen were slightly better away from their home ice this year than on it — and Fargo, N.D., is about as far away as you can get from Amherst, Mass., at least in the college hockey world.
Why they won’t advance to the Frozen Four: Of the six Hockey East teams to qualify for the tournament, UMass was the last one in. Plus its nonconference schedule left a lot to be desired (Alaska? AIC? Robert Morris?), featuring only two tournament teams (Bentley and Cornell, both automatic qualifiers).
Minnesota State forward Josh Groll has provided offense and leadership this season for the Mavericks (photo: Minnesota State Athletics).
MINNESOTA STATE
How they got here: Won CCHA tournament, 14th in final PairWise
Overall season record: 28-9-3
Top players: G Alex Tracy (26-8-3, 1.43 GAA, .918 SV%), F Rhett Pitlick 13-27–40), D Evan Murr (7-19–26); F Josh Groll (14-18–32), F Luigi Benincasa (6-18–24)
Why they will advance to the Frozen Four: The best defensive team in the country simply doesn’t let other teams score. Alex Tracy, a Mike Richter Award finalist and Hobey Baker semifinalist, has given up more than three goals in a game just five times this season, and hasn’t done it at all since January. And the experienced defensive corps in front of him–players like Evan Murr, Campbell Cichosz, Steve Bellini and Jordan Power–make life difficult for opponents. They’ve done it against top teams before, and won’t be afraid of Western Michigan–much less instate rivals Minnesota, who they could play in the next round.
Why they won’t advance to the Frozen Four: Mavericks head coach Luke Strand said in his weekly news conference on Monday that he considered Western Michigan to be the best team in the country. Their high-octane offense is No. 1 in the nation, so this matchup really is a case of “when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object.” The Broncos are very good at scoring in bunches, and it’s not often that they score less than three goals in a game–only eight teams have held them to under that. If the first game turns into a track meet, it’s going to be tough for the Mavericks to keep up even despite having a dynamic offensive player like Rhett Pitlick on their team. One player can only score so much.
Luke Strand has had success this season behind the Minnesota State bench (photo: Minnesota State Athletics).
The CCHA has announced that Minnesota State’s Luke Strand has been voted 2024-25 CCHA coach of the year.
The Mavericks claimed both the MacNaughton Cup (regular season) and Mason Cup (playoff) titles in his second year at the helm.
Strand brought No. 14 Minnesota State back to the NCAA tournament in 2024-25, winning the MacNaughton Cup and Mason Cup after an 18-5-3 record in conference play. The Mavericks led the CCHA in goals (77), goals against (37), penalty kill (85.3%) and save percentage (.947), second in shots (759) and short-handed goals (2), and third in shutouts (3), points (202) and assists (125).
The Mavericks jumped out to a substantial lead in the CCHA standings by the midway point and were able to hold off Augustana, Michigan Tech and Bowling Green to claim their ninth MacNaughton Cup title and third since 2021-22. Minnesota State swept Lake Superior State in the Mason Cup quarterfinals before defeating Bemidji State and St. Thomas to win the Mason Cup.
Overall, Minnesota State is 28-7-3 – the third-most victories in the nation – entering the NCAA tournament. The Mavericks face Western Michigan in the opening round of the Fargo Regional on Thursday. If they win, they take on the winner of the Minnesota-Massachusetts matchup on Saturday
Voting for the CCHA year-end awards was conducted by the nine head coaches at each CCHA school, based on CCHA conference games only. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players or themselves.
