5:05 pm
March 27

NCAA Men’s Hockey Tournament: #10 Quinnipiac v. #6 Minnesota St

Who will WIN this matchup?

#10 Quinnipiac (17-7-4)

#6 Minnesota St (20-4-1)

 

Quinnipiac fell in overtime in the ECAC Hockey Championship game Saturday night, 3-2, to the St. Lawrence Saints. It was the first time Quinnipiac had been in the league championship game since the 2015-16 season. Odeen Tufto and Wyatt Bongiovanni scored goals 12 seconds apart in the second period but St. Lawrence scored goal in the third period and overtime to clinch the title.

The Mavericks enter the NCAA Tournament with a 20-4-1 record in 25 games. They took a four-game winning streak into the WCHA semifinals before falling to Northern Michigan. Minnesota State had a separate eight game winning streak and nine-game unbeaten streak earlier this season. Quinnipiac and Minnesota had one mutual opponent, Bowling Green, who the Mavericks swept. Julian Napravnik leads the Mavericks with 10 goals and 25 points while Nathan Smith is tops with 16 assists. Four different players have recorded more than 20 points this season. Goaltender Dryden McKay has been one of the best goaltenders in the nation with a 19-3-0 record and nation-leading nine shutouts to go with a 1.40 GAA and .930 save percentage.

Minnesota State has gone 234-89-24 for a .709 winning percentage under the tutelage of head coach Mike Hastings (St. Cloud State ’93), who is in his ninth season in charge of the Mavericks. No program in the nation has won more games (234) during the time Hastings has been behind the MSU bench. Under his leadership, the Crookston, Minn., native has guided the Mavericks to five NCAA tournament appearances, six WCHA regular-season titles and three WCHA postseason tournament championships.

The meeting between the Mavericks and the Bobcats Saturday will mark the first meeting between the two schools.

There is a common opponent from this season in Bowling Green. The Falcons picked up 4-1 and 4-2 nonconference wins at Quinnipiac Dec. 18-19.  Minnesota State picked up 4-0 and 5-1 wins over Bowling Green in a pair of WCHA games played in Mankato Feb. 5-6.

 

5/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
#6 Minnesota St