Top teams clash as the tournament nears. Huskies and Minutemen duel, while top-ranked rivals battle in a nail-biting series.
As calendars flip to March, a crucial weekend of college hockey has elapsed as we finish upon some regular seasons while others find the homestretch. Here are some key matchups in the NCAA recapped from this past weekend's action.
Top 20 Hockey East Home and Home: #13 UConn and #19 UMass
Both home fanbases got a taste of a serious series, with Friday being held in Storrs and Saturday headed up to Amherst. Entering the weekend, UConn entered as the last at large team available in the field of the Frozen Four tournament.
UMass would dominate the opening matchup on the road, by a final of 5-1 at the Toscano Family Ice Forum.
It was a tight 2-1 contest until just past five minutes into the third, where Francesco Dell'Elce started a party with a short-handed goal, then followed up by two power play goals go give UMass a huge win by four over the Huskies, ranked six spots above them.
The second contest was one of the more bizarre matchups we will cover all year on The Hockey News. This one needed more than just regulation, but did it need a shootout?
As you see above, UConn developed a prime scoring opportunity before the lights malfunctioned at Mullins Arena. UMass would go on to win it in seven rounds on their senior night.
The Minutemen are now just one point behind the Huskies for third in Hockey East.
Almost As Marquee as it gets: #3 North Dakota vs #4 Western Michigan
The highest-ranked battle of the weekend had the NCHC’s top dog, North Dakota, head to Lawson for an intense series.
Friday started with five different Fighting Hawks finding a goal, taking the opening lead and running away with a 5-3 victory, capped by an empty netter in the final minute.
No team would score back to back goals in a neck and neck Saturday tilt, as Western Michigan opened the scoring as well as closed it in overtime thanks to some heroics from Owen Michaels who struck the back of the net with under a minute left in overtime.
Ohio State stuns Michigan State almost twice
It hasn’t been the best season for the Buckeyes, but they threw their past out the window headed into East Lansing to take on the #1 team at the team in the Spartans.
Offensive pieces stepped up on Friday, with key two goal performances from Max Montes and Jake Karabela, each notching one on the power play. Kristoffer Eberly stood tall in net, making 22 stops on 23 shots.
Saturday would result in a tie, which is again another statement from Ohio State. Michigan State would go on to claim the shootout after a long fought 13 rounds on senior night.