College Hockey Update: Cornell prevailed over Denver in the second game played in Manchester, N.H., Tursday, March 23, 2023, in opening round play of the NCAA Hockey Tournament. Jack O’Leary scored only three minutes into the first period to put Cornell up 1-0. Ben Bernard added a goal eight minutes later, increasing the margin to 2-0, the score going into the break. Cornell outshot Denver 8-6 in the first. Cornell played a fast paced game throughout the contest, including a fast and tenacious defense. In the second period Cornell had a 9-5 shots advantage, and both teams survived five minute majors, Denver right out of the gate in the second, and Cornell at the ten minute point in the second. In the third period Denver appeared to have heard an alarm bell, outshooting Cornell 16-10, but it was ineffective, as Cornell and their stonewall defense had jelled. At the buzzer Cornell had it’s 2-0 win. Cornell advanced to play Boston University today, Saturday, March 25, 2023, at 1:00pm Pacific Time on ESPNU.

OUR POOL

Once again I miscounted the number of participants in the pool. One of our entries was posted to a server I had not retrieved, and therefore we have one more for a total of forty-nine. The outcome of this game is a major upset in our pool, as 45 of our 49 participants had picked Denver to win this game, compared to only 4 of our 49 who picked Cornell to win it.

MIETTINEN LEADS ST. CLOUD STATE TO 4-0 WIN OVER MANKATO STATE

COLLEGE HOCKEY UPDATE: St. Cloud State needed and alarm clock to play at competitive form, and it came to them from Finland. Mankato State had the momentum in the first period of opening round action of the NCAA Hockey Tournament in the Fargo, North Dakota Region day, March 23, 2023 badly outshooting St. Cloud State 10-4 — but St. Cloud didn’t let Mankato convert on any of the shots, and the period ended knotted at zero. At the start of the second it was more of the same; in fact, midway through the second, St. Cloud State had only tallied a total of seven shots on goal in the entire game. But St. Cloud State junior forward Veeti Miettinen broke the deadlock on a power play goal thirteen minutes into the period, and it was as if his teammates said to themselves, “hey, if he can do it . . . . ,” and St. Cloud was suddenly in the game. Five minutes later Jack Peart added a goal, and St. Cloud was up 2-0, the score they took into the break. Mankato had still outshot St. Cloud State, 13-10 in the period, but seven of St. Cloud’s shots were in the last ten minutes. St. Cloud was less active in the third, and perhaps that was Mankato scurrying to dig it’s way out of its two-down hole. But with seven minutes left in the game Zach Okabe netted another one for St. Cloud, putting them up 3-0. Mankato outshot St. Cloud State 11-7 in the third, and 34-21 in the game, but they just couldn’t convert on the Huskies. Mankato State added an extra attacker with about four minutes left, but Grant Cruikshank quickly found the empty net, and St. Cloud State had it 4-0, the final score of the game. St. Cloud State advanced to play Minnesota today, Saturday, March 25, at 3:30pm Pacific Time in Fargo, on ESPNU.

OUR POOL

The outcome of this game was not an upset in our pool, as thirty of our participants picked St. Cloud State to win, compared to only nineteen who picked Mankato State to win.

BRODZINSKI, MINNESOTA, CRUSH CANISIUS

COLLEGE HOCKEY UPDATE: What started out as a somewhat surprisingly good hockey game turned into a route Thursday in Fargo, North Dakota, when Canisius College face Minnesota in the late game. Luke Mittelstadt got Minnesota on the board six minutes into the first with a powerplay goal to make the game 1-0. Canisus scored five minutes later to tie it at one apiece, the score going into the break. Nick Bowman made a terrific move as a Minnesota defender sort of over defended, and as he approached Bowan in the right circle, Bowman moved left, away from him, slipped the puck between his legs, and darted around, uncovered, and fired one into the net before anyone knew what happened, giving Canisius a 2-1 lead. Five minutes later Aaron Huglen responded to Minnesota to tie it up at two apiece. Ten minutes later, with only two minutes left in the period, Connor Kurth scored for the 3-2 Minnesota lead, the score going into the break. Canisius had played a pretty good game up to this point. Things changed abruptly and drastically in the opening minute of the third when Stefano Bottini of Canisius placed a monster and stupid hit to the head on a Minnesota player, resulting in a five minute major penalty. Jimmy Snuggerud and Brody Lamb scored for Minnesota during the penalty to increase the lead to 5-2, and the wind seemed out of the sails of Canisisus. Minnesota amassed four more goals, on from Mason Nevers, and three from Bryce Brodzinski, to make the final score 9-2, Minnesota. Minnesota advanced to play St. Cloud State today, March 25th, in Fargo, North Dakota, at 3:30pm Pacific Time on ESPNU.

This outcome was not an upset in our pool as all 49 participants picked Minnesota to win this game.

Cornell/Boston University game on right now, on ESPNU.

That’s all for now. Go Terriers!

— Tom