Mavericks squeak by, Broncos pull off overtime thriller. The NCAA postseason's first weekend delivers intense finishes and statement wins.
The first weekend of the postseason has concluded, with some teams having their season come to an end, while others narrowly escaped to keep their tournament dreams alive. Below are some headline scores and takeaways from the weekend.
#16 Minnesota State escapes CCHA quarterfinal scare
Hosting all games at home in Mankato with the last team to make the Mason Cup cut in Ferris State likely seemed like an easy two-game sweep, at least to the minds of many. The Mavericks took three of four meetings against the Bulldogs, outscoring them 16-9 in such.
It was more evenly curved in that direction after a dominant 5-1 game one victory, but Ferris State showed no quit.
Bulldogs goaltender Martin Lundberg played crucially in net in game two for Ferris State, stopping 28 of 29 shots as they’d go on to win in overtime, thanks to a winner from Caden Brown.
Minnesota State would bounce back thanks to an Alex Tracy 17-save shutout in game three, as the Mavericks would squeeze by with the 2-0 win.
The CCHA semifinals are now set on March 14th, with #1 Minnesota State hosting #4 Michigan Tech, while #2 St. Thomas will welcome Augustana
#4 Western Michigan caps off statement sweep in overtime
The Broncos rode into the NCHC postseason with quite the swagger and kept things that way. A Colorado College team receiving votes in the top 20 poll would not be an easy task.
Western Michigan would smoothly get by game one with a 5-2 victory, but the Tigers clearly did not hear a bell in game two until past regulation.
After Klavs Veinbergs of Colorado College took a 1-0 lead in the first after a shorthanded strike, Western Michigan would eventually equalize in the third, and pull away at the 3:26 mark of overtime with heroics from the stick of Liam Valente inside Lawson Arena, done so on the power play from a five-minute major for slew footing committed by Colorado.
The defending national champions will take on the NCHC’s second-best in Denver on the road for the semifinals, while #1 North Dakota will host #4 Minnesota Duluth.
Takeaway: ALL chalk in conference semifinals
There have been tight games and near-series upsets, but no one has been able to cross the finish line as an underdog. In the Atlantic, NCHC, and CCHA, all semifinals include the top four seeds, as any term of an “upset” will have to wait.