College hockey

There is about a month left to play and some “local” teams could find themselves at the golf course next week if they do not win this weekend.

Big Ten Semifinals
Michigan at Minnesota, Saturday

NCHC Quarterfinals (best of 3)
Miami at North Dakota, Fri/Sat/Sun
Duluth at Denver, Fri/Sat/Sun
Western Michigan at St Cloud, Fri/Sat/Sun

CCHA Semifinals
Mankato at Michigan Tech, Sat
Lake Superior State at Bemidji State, Sat

Wisconsin lost to Ohio State last weekend in the Big Ten quarterfinals but they are ranked 9 so they will make the NCAA tournament in 2.5 weeks.
North Dakota and Minnesota are safe regardless of the outcome this weekend.
Duluth, St Cloud, Mankato, and Bemidji must all win to continue their seasons.

The Frozen Four is April 11 & 13 in St Paul. Would not surprise me to see both Boston College and Boston University there. They are both VERY good this season. A team from the State of Hockey has played in the last 6 national championship games. That run may come to an end this year.

2017 – Duluth (lose)
2018 – Duluth (win)
2019 – Duluth (win)
2020 – not held (pandemic)
2021 – St Cloud (lose)
2022 – Mankato (lose)
2023 – Minnesota (lose)
2024 – ?

2-4 in Natty’s maybe they need a break Although I consider UND a MN team, and think they and Main U (Goophers) have a good shot at making the Natty. Looks like my SCSU squad will need to go on a run, or at least hold the line and get some help to make it as the last team on the Pairwise right now.

Didnt Bemidji win their conference? If they did they will be in.

The gophers have just enough to make a considerable run but I doubt they will make it far. Motzko cannot win in the playoffs when it matters as was proven yet again last year with a much better team than he has this year.

Sure, they may make it to the frozen four but if they have a lead going into the third, they will choke. They turn into a different team when up a goal or more and that kills them. The best schools will eat that strategy up.

BigWerm wrote:

2-4 in Natty’s maybe they need a break Although I consider UND a MN team, and think they and Main U (Goophers) have a good shot at making the Natty. Looks like my SCSU squad will need to go on a run, or at least hold the line and get some help to make it as the last team on the Pairwise right now.

Losing both games to Duluth last weekend didn’t help their cause at all. Both were pretty disappointing games.

CaptainMusky wrote:

Didnt Bemidji win their conference? If they did they will be in.

They won the the CCHA regular season. They will need to win the conference tournament to qualify for the NCAA tournament though. They are about 30-something in the pairwise rankings which isn’t nearly high enough for an at-large bid. That conference will only have one participant in the NCAAs, whoever wins the conference tournament and receives the autobid.

I thought any team that wins the regular season title gets an auto bid? Conference tourney could be an additional team depending how it played out. Only conferences that had so few teams like the BigTen back in the day they were required to win the conference tournament to get in.

Conference tournament winners have always received an autobid. No team who has won the regular season has earned an autobid unless they were already high enough in the rankings to earn an at-large bid anyways.

In this case, the CCHA is so bad this season that the only team who will qualify is the team who wins their conference tournament.

Well Go Beavers then!

Mankato and Duluth will be at the golf course tomorrow. Mankato blew a 3-2 lead at Michigan Tech in the third period and lost with 9 seconds left in regulation. Duluth was swept by Denver.

Bemidji beat Lake Superior State and they will host Michigan Tech next weekend for the CCHA Championship. They need to win to make the NCAAs.

Minnesota lost to Michigan in the Big Ten semi-finals. The Gophers await their seeding for the NCAAs and they currently sit 8th in the rankings.

St Cloud needed 3 games to beat Western Michigan. They will play Denver on Friday in the NCHC semi-finals in St Paul. They are currently 16 in the pairwise and must win otherwise their season will end.

I didn’t know that Casey Close the Gophers goalie was 25 years old.

Dutchboy wrote:

I didn’t know that Casey Close the Gophers goalie was 25 years old.

YOu also dont know his first name. Its Justen. LOL

Not that uncommon right now, as there is still a 5th year of eligibility because of the 2020 pandemic season. Next year will be the last year of that 5th season option.

Many of the out East Teams are old like that and it started before the whole Covid thing. Heck even Mankato is typically older players. I believe it was UMASS that won the title a few years ago and their average age was like 25 or something stupid like that.

CaptainMusky wrote:

Many of the out East Teams are old like that and it started before the whole Covid thing. Heck even Mankato is typically older players.

Yeah, Juniors for 2 years and a redshirt year would put a lot of guys at 21/22 years old before starting their college career.

CCHA Championship, Friday
Michigan Tech at Bemidji State

NCHC Semifinals, Friday in St Paul
Omaha vs North Dakota
St Cloud vs Denver

NCHC Final, Saturday
Above winners

Bemidji State has to win to make the NCAAs. St Cloud has to beat Denver, and they may also have to win on Saturday to make the NCAAs. North Dakota is safe to make the NCAAs regardless.

The Bemidji game sold out on Monday or Tuesday so the Sanford Center should be a rocking place on Friday. Go Beavers!

blank wrote:

The Bemidji game sold out on Monday or Tuesday so the Sanford Center should be a rocking place on Friday. Go Beavers!

Go Beavers!!!

Well, unfortunately two unfavorable outcomes occurred last night.

Michigan Tech beat Bemidji 2-1 at the Sanford Center. That ends the Beavers season.

Denver downed St Cloud 5-4 in OT in St Paul. Four times the Huskies had a lead but could not keep the nations top ranked offense at bay. That ends the Huskies season.

Denver vs. Omaha for the NCHC championship – you’ll probably be able to fit the crowd into one section of the xcel center.

Ya that looks like a train wreck for attendance tonight after North Dakota and St Cloud were eliminated on Friday.

so…..are the gophers also done for the year.??? i googled different ways and couldnt find squat!!!

They lost in the big 10 semifinals last weekend but they will make the NCAA tournament which is announced tomorrow.

gim wrote:

They lost in the big 10 semifinals last weekend but they will make the NCAA tournament which is announced tomorrow.

thnak Gim!!!!!!

They’re the only MN left now. Duluth, St Cloud, Mankato, and Bemidji have all been eliminated. Gophers will be carrying the state of hockey flag into the NCAAs alone.

I think they will be placed in the Sioux Falls regional against Omaha. Just my theory.

Here is the bracket for the 2024 NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament. Hard to imagine anyone beating Boston College at this point. They’ve won 9 games in a row and they just walloped the second best team in the country 6-2 last night.

https://www.uscho.com/ncaa/mens-division-i-ncaa-tournament/

The Gophers came back twice from a 1 goal deficit last night in the regional against Omaha to win 3-2. They will play #2 ranked Boston University on Saturday with a trip to the frozen four on the line.

All 3 goals they scored were a direct result of an Omaha turnover in their own zone. They’re gonna face a much stiffer test on Saturday against the Terriers. The boy wonder and projected top NHL draft pick Macklin Celebrini has 32 goals on the season for BU.

Omaha has been hot lately so that was a good win by the Gophers last night.

I don’t see them getting by BU but if they do I wouldn’t be surprised if they make it to the last dance.

BC is the heavy favorite. Anyone have any average ages for the all the remaining teams? Seems every year it becomes the young small skilled team against the old Canucks.

I don’t know the average age of the remaining teams but I can tell you that both Boston teams are very young.

BC’s entire top first line of Perrault, Smith, and Leonard are all freshman. BU’s Macklin Celebrini is also a freshman. He’s only 17 years old.

There are a number of teams that also have 5th year players. They were granted an extra year of eligibility because of the shortened pandemic season. That will end next year. Justin Close, the goaltender for the Gophers is a 25 year old 5th year player.