College Hockey Update:  The three teams to be joining Massachusetts in the Frozen Four were all determined on Sunday, so here we go:

MYLYMOK, MINNESOTA-DULUTH, OUTLAST NORTH DAKOTA

Minnesota-Duluth secured the second berth to the Frozen Four yesterday morning by way of an overtime goal over North Dakota in second round action of the NCAA Tournament in Fargo, North Dakota.  The two teams played two very evenly matched, scoreless periods, and in the third, the Bulldogs laid down the law three minutes into the first when Jackson Cates deflected a shot in the air from the right point for the 1-0 UMD lead, and then only two minutes later, when Cole Koepke created a turnover by blocking a North Dakota shot, which bounced out of the zone, was pursued and picked up by Koepke, taken to the net and fired in, for the 2-0 UMD lead.  Given the choking defenses played up to that point, it seemed as though UMD had the game totally in hand.  And it seemed UMD had the game in hand for the next thirteen minutes, until North Dakota’s extra attacker offense paid off when Collin Adams banked a shot in from below the net to tighten it at 2-1, with very little time left.  A minute later an icing face-off in the right circle of the Duluth zone squirted the puck out to Jordan Kawaguchi in the circle, and he took it and immediately fired it into the net, tying the game at two apiece, the score at the end of regulation.

Stingy defensive play was fairly even over the next four OT periods.  Eight minutes into the first OT an apparent Duluth goal was called back when the astute ECAD referee team of Joe Carusone, C. J. Hanafin, Ryan Knapp, and Brian Oliver, determined that the skater had no control over the puck crossing the blue line, and was offsides.  After four OT periods (seven total periods) were played, the fifth OT commenced, and mercifully enough, only two minutes into it, Luke Mylymok snagged the puck after a North Dakota shot ricocheted off the pipes, and rushed down the ice just ahead of the North Dakota players, skated towards the net, and bagged a wrist shot for the 3-2 Duluth win.  The game was 142:13 long, the longest NCAA Tournament game ever, and the third longest college hockey game ever.  Minnesota-Duluth, now 15-10-2, and ranked #9, advanced to the Frozen Four in Pittsburgh, where they will face Massachusetts in a semifinal game on Thursday, April 8th, at 6:00pm Pacific Time, on ESPN2. This shouldn’t be a problem for Minnesota-Duluth, which beat UMass 3-0, the last time they met for the 2019 championship.  This is the fourth consecutive Frozen Four appearance for Minnesota-Duluth, the two-time NCAA defending champion.

The outcome of this game was a huge upset in our pool, as only seven of fifty-two participants picked Minnesota-Duluth to win this game, while forty-two of fifty-two picked North Dakota.  The remaining three had picked Michigan.

WALKER, ST. CLOUD STATE DISMISS BOSTON COLLEGE

In second round action of the NCAA Tournament in Bridgeport, CT. yesterday, Boston College took a 1-0 first period lead with six minutes remaining in a game that had been fairly evenly played, and the outcome of which was very much in question.  At the start of the second when St. Cloud’s leader Easton Brodzinski went out of the game with a leg injury, it seemed as though his teammates became concerned or worried about their fate in his absence, and went into an adrenaline-fueled focus that caught the team on fire; it seems as though it propelled every player to play at 100%, or maybe even “110%.”  Whatever it was, it wasn’t good for Boston College.  Playing both a blistering offensive pace, and an extremely tight defensive game, St. Cloud State got on the board nine minutes into the period when Luke Jaycox poked in a rebound to tie it at one apiece.  Six minutes later two consecutive shots were stopped by the BC goalie, leaving the second rebound up for grabs, and Will Hammer made the shot over a pile of players for the 2-1 St. Cloud lead.

The game was still within reach of Boston College, and St. Cloud State seemed to think so as well, as they continued their frenetic pace, seeming to fight for their lives.  Four minutes later Nolan Walker scored a goal that was initially waved off because of goalie interference, then ruled a goal after all.  St. Cloud went into the second break leading 3-1, and having outshot BC 20-7.  The third period played at a seemingly more sane pace.  Boston College looked determined to reverse things, but just couldn’t get anything started.  St. Cloud State seemed to get five players into the neutral zone to stymie BC’s odds of making any quick transition.  With three minutes left, BC added an extra attacker, but to no avail.  St. Cloud State was very effective at clearing the puck, and with a minute left, Micha Miller found the empty BC net to make the final score 4-1, St. Cloud State.  St. Cloud State, now 19-10-0, and ranked #7, advanced to the Frozen Four in Pittsburgh, where they will face Mankato State in a semifinal game on Thursday, April 8th, at 2:00pm Pacific Time, on ESPN2.

The outcome of this game is a huge upset in our pool, as only twelve of fifty-two participants picked St. Cloud State to win this game, while thirty-four of fifty-two picked Boston College to win this game.  The remaining six had picked Boston University.

MORTON, MANKATO STATE, SHUT DOWN MINNESOTA

In second round action of the NCAA Tournament in Loveland, CO., yesterday, Mankato State got off to a fiery start, outshooting Minnesota 14-5 in the first period.  Sam Morton scored the first goal of the game, and what would prove to be the game winner, midway through the first, and Ryan Sandelin added one just two minutes later, for the 2-0 Mankato State lead, which they took into the first break.  The second was a very defensively played period, with neither team scoring.   While Mankato only took seven shots, Minnesota was held to only four. Minnesota pressed in the third and managed thirteen shots, but couldn’t convert.  Mankato only managed six shots in the third, but were efficient and opportunistic, as Nathan Smith put Mankato up 3-0 midway through the period.  Minnesota added an extra attacker with three minutes to go, but Dallas Gerads found the empty net for the final Mankato State goal, making the final score 4-0.  Mankato State, now 22-4-1, and ranked #5, advanced to the Frozen Four in Pittsburgh, where they will face #7 St. Cloud State in a semifinal game on Thursday, April 8th, at 2:00pm Pacific Time, on ESPN2.

The outcome of this game was a huge upset in our pool, as thirty-four of fifty-two participants picked Minnesota to win this game, while only fifteen of the fifty-two picked Mankato State to win.  The remaining three had picked Nebraska-Omaha to win.

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

— Tom