skip navigation

COLLEGE HOCKEY ROUNDUP: It's Playoff Time For Minnesota Teams

03/06/2017, 10:45pm CST
By Peter Odney
Credit: Courtesy University of Minnesota Duluth Athletics.

Credit: Courtesy University of Minnesota Duluth Athletics.

D1 Men

Minnesota-Duluth (21-6-7)

The Bulldogs, rated No. 3 in the country by the United States College Hockey Online poll, ended the regular season with a series split on the road against Western Michigan. The Bulldogs lost the first game 7-4 and took game two 6-3.

The Bulldogs will face Miami (Ohio) in the first round (best-of-three) of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference playoffs, with home games at Amsoil Arena starting on Friday March 10.

Minnesota (22-10-2)

The No. 5 rated Golden Gophers split with Michigan over the weekend in Ann Arbor, losing game one 5-3 and winning game two 4-1. This weekend marks the second consecutive series in which the Golden Gophers have split games.

The Gophers will conclude the regular season by playing host to Michigan State at Mariucci Arena. The 2017 Big Ten Men's Ice Hockey Tournament begins March 16.

St. Cloud State (16-17-1)

Despite the sub-.500 record, the Huskies managed to snag the last spot in the USCHO rankings, coming in at No. 20.

Like the two teams ahead of them in the rankings, the Huskies split their series this weekend, downing Colorado College 5-2 before losing the series finale 2-1.

The Huskies next face North Dakota, March 10-12, in a best-of-three first round NCHC playoff series. 

Bemidji State (22-14-3)

The Beavers edged Northern Michigan in a best-of-three Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoff series over the weekend, taking game one 3-0, losing game two 4-2, and punching their ticket to the second round with a 3-1 win in game three.

Next up for the Beavers will be a best-of-three semifinal series against Bowling Green, March 10-12.

Minnesota State (21-11-4)

The Mavericks will face Michigan Tech in a WCHA best-of-three semifinal series this coming weekend after defeating Alaska-Fairbanks by scores of 3-0 and 4-1.

Credit: Courtesy Gopher Athletics.

gophersports.com

D1 Women

After defeating Minnesota in double overtime in the WCHA Final Face-Off, Minnesota-Duluth fell to No. 1 ranked Wisconsin in the championship game of the WCHA playoffs, losing to the Badgers 4-1 in the finals at Mariucci Arena.

Up next for the No. 3 ranked Bulldogs will be the NCAA Quarterfinals, where they will face an opponent that they’re already familiar with - those same University of Minnesota Golden Gophers.

The fifth-ranked Gophers, seeking their third-straight NCAA title, will face UMD at the Bulldogs’ Amsoil Arena on March 11, after finishing in a tie for third in the WCHA tournament and receiving an at-large bid to the national tournament. 

About the NCAA Tournament Field (from gophersports.com):
The Gophers (25-7-5) secured one of four at-large berths to the 2017 NCAA Women’s Hockey Championship, joining No. 3 seed Minnesota Duluth, St. Lawrence, and Cornell to make up the at-large selections. Postseason conference tournament winners No. 1 seed Wisconsin (WCHA), No. 2 seed Clarkson (ECAC Hockey), No. 4 seed Boston College (Hockey East), and Robert Morris (College Hockey America) all secured automatic berths and round out the tournament field.

Along with the Bulldogs hosting the Gophers, Wisconsin hosts Robert Morris, Clarkson hosts Cornell, and Boston College hosts St. Lawrence in quarterfinal action. All four games are set for Saturday afternoon, and the four winnings teams will advance to the 2017 NCAA Women's Frozen Four co-hosted by the St. Louis Sports Commission and Lindenwood University at The Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo., March 17-19.

No. 5 Minnesota is making its 10th-straight and 15th overall appearance in the NCAA postseason. The Gophers have won four of the last five national championships, and Minnesota has advanced to five straight NCAA title games. The Gophers are in search of their 13th Frozen Four appearance, eighth national title overall, and a historic third consecutive NCAA crown.

Meanwhile, No. 3 Minnesota Duluth returns to the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 2010-11 season. The Bulldogs are hosting an NCAA quarterfinal game for the first time since 2009-10. Minnesota Duluth has won five NCAA titles (2001, 2002, 2003, 2008 and 2010).

Saturday’s quarterfinal game will be streamed for free online at www.nchc.tv along with having free audio at GopherSports.com. Live stats will be available at UMDBulldogs.com as well.

For additional coverage of the 2017 Division I NCAA Tournament, visit uscho.com.

Credit: Courtesy Augsburg College Athletics.

Credit: Courtesy Augsburg College Athletics.

D3

AUGSBURG, ST. THOMAS PUNCH TICKETS TO NCAA DIII NATIONALS

Men’s: Augsburg 3, St. Thomas 2

Augsburg rallied from a 2-1 deficit to earn a trip the NCAA Division III championships, earning a bye into the quarterfinals and the conference title with a 3-2 win over St. Thomas on March 4.

After a scoreless first period, Michael Dockry and Brett Gravelle scored for St. Thomas (14-8-5), with an Augsburg goal from Corbin Chapman sandwiched between the Tommie tallies.

Max Pernhem tied the game at the 0:49 mark of the third period, and Chapman scored his second of the game at the 14:15 mark, giving the the Auggies (17-4-6) the insurmountable 3-2 lead.

The Auggies will face St. Norbert, ranked No. 3 in the United States College Hockey Online poll, on March 18.

Women’s: St. Thomas 3, Augsburg 2 (OT)

Allison Parnell scored the game-winning goal just 3:02 into overtime to lift St. Thomas to a 3-2 win over Augsburg and a spot in the NCAA national championships on Saturday afternoon.

Allie Borgstrom drew first blood for the Tommies in the first period, with Augsburg’s Megan Robertson evening the score 1-1 at the 9:18 mark of the first frame.

Darby Lindgren gave the Auggies (19-8-0) a 2-1 lead entering the third, which the Tommies’ Kathryn Larson answered with a goal of her own midway through the third period before Parnell’s overtime winner.

The win gives the Tommies (15-8-3) their fourth consecutive MIAC playoff championship.

The reward the Tommies get for winning the MIAC is a quarterfinal matchup with three-time defending national champion Plattsburgh State, ranked No. 1 in the USCHO poll.

Top Stories

Tag(s): State Of Hockey  News  College