Minnesota, known for its frigid, miserable, never-ending winters experienced another whiteout on Friday night. Although it wasn’t because of the weather, it occurred because a sold-out, standing room only crowd packed into the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in Mankato, MN to watch the Mason Cup Championship game between the Minnesota State Mavericks and the St. Thomas Tommies (MN).
The battle for CCHA’s top spot started quickly with a ton of speed and physicality between the teams in the first period. Minnesota State established early dominance in both ends of the ice and had a 10-2 shots-on-goal advantage to begin the contest. However, Tommies goalie, Jake Sibell turned away each of those shots. At the end of the first period, MSU would retain the SOG lead (12-8), but the score was nevertheless still tied at zeros.
The second period started in similar fashion with both teams showing a physical presence while speeding from one end to the other. The refs, I’m assuming, didn’t want to get their whistles cold because they kept them in their pockets, even after blatant penalties by both teams. Hooking, interference, multiple instances of tripping. It was if the zebras were just saying “play on, boys.” Usually, I don’t mind that, but damn, there were some obvious and egregious missed calls that should have had a ref raising their arm.
I digress. Tommies RW, Matthew Gleason, started the scoring with an unassisted goal at 6:56 of the second period. A few minutes later… Minnesota State Center, Luigi Benincasa would score the equalizer shortly after an offensive zone faceoff and an assist from Left Winger, Rhett Pitlick. The goal came just 10 seconds into a Minnesota State power play.
Pitlick would get another assist later in the period during a mad scramble in front of the Tommies net and a Kaden Bohlsen goal. Minnesota State now claimed a 2-1 lead. However, Liam Malmquist of the Tommies would circle the net later in the second and rip a shot into the net to bring the score even before the end of the second period could tick off the clock.
The score would remain at deuces until just over halfway through the third when Mavericks defensemen, Evan Murr, would one-time the eventual game-winner past Sibell to give the Mavs a 3-2 lead and the whiteout of fans another reason to jump from their seats and breakout the Olé’s. Murr would get an assist from Ralfs Bergmanis on the tally. Senior captain, Josh Groll would add an empty-netter after showing great patience as he stood solo at the top of the left faceoff circle with three Tommies defenders in between him and the goal.
Junior Mavericks goalie, Alex Tracy would stop 29 of 31 shots on goal in the win for the Mavericks. Tracy, already named the CCHA Goaltender of the Year, CCHA Player of the Year, CCHA Student-Athlete of the Year, four-time CCHA Goaltender of the Week and two-time CCHA Goaltender of the Month posted a .942 save percentage this season and 1.41 GAA, the national leader in both categories. He is a Hobey Baker finalist, hoping to become the second Mavericks goalie to be named the top NCAA player in three years after former Mavs netminder, Dryden McKay won the award in 2022.
For the Mavericks, already winners of the CCHA Regular Season MacNaughton Cup, Friday night’s victory brought their third Mason Cup Championship home to Mankato in the past four years and more hardware for second-year Mavericks Head Coach, Luke Strand. Over the past ten seasons in D1 college hockey, no other team has won more games than Minnesota State.
The work for the Mavericks (27-8-3) is not yet complete after earning an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament which begins next week. The selection show to reveal the 16 teams in the bracket is set for Sunday, March 23 at 2 p.m. CT on ESPNU.
The Morning Skate 