College Hockey Update:  Mankato State started out hot yesterday in the late game of opening round play in the Western Region in Sioux Falls, SD, scoring twice in the first seven minutes to take a 2-0 lead.  Mankato controlled the tempo in the first, out-shooting UMD 12-5.  In the second UMD responded with a goal seven minutes into the period, and a brilliant defensive effort that prevented Mankato from getting a shot off, while they managed to take eight shots in the period.  Third period play was even with Mankato getting eight shots off, to seven for UMD, but UMD scored with only five minutes left to tie it at two apiece, and send it to overtime.  Only two minutes into OT, it was Parker MacKay who found the net to give UMD the 3-2 win, and advance to play tonight against Air Force for a place in the Frozen Four.  That game has started as this is being typed and is on ESPN2; UMD has jumped to an early 2-0 lead.

The UMD win was an upset in our pool as 31 out of 50 participants picked Mankato State to win, and only 19 picked UMD.

OUR POOL THIS YEAR

We have 50 participants in our pool, the highest number ever, four more than last year, and two more than our previous high-water mark in 2016.  Our 50 participants picked eleven different teams to win the NCAA Championship this year, and this provides how many participants selected each team:

• St. Cloud State     19
• Univ. of Denver       8
• Notre Dame            7
• Boston Univ.           3
• Northeastern U.      3
• Cornell Univ.           2
• Ohio State Univ.     2
• Univ. Michigan        2
• Providence             2
• Minn.-Duluth           1
• Mankato State        1

That’s all for now.  Stay tuned, and go Terriers!

— Tom