Men's Hockey | 3/24/2015 10:14:00 AM
• Mavericks Claim Second Consecutive Broadmoor Trophy as WCHA Final Five Champions • McClure Named Tournament MVP After Racking up Six Points in Two Games • Minnesota State Earns NCAA Tournament Berth for Third Straight Season • Mavericks Face RIT in Midwest Region First-Round Tilt in South Bend Saturday • Rated #1 for Fifth Time This Year, Minnesota State Stands 29-7-3 for the Season
On Tap: Rated #1 for the fifth time this year, Minnesota State (29-7-3) has advanced to the NCAA postseason tournament and square-off against RIT (19-14-5) in semi-final action Saturday at 3:00 p.m. CST at Compton Family Ice Arena in South Bend, Indiana in the Midwest Region. The other game in the region, slated for 6:30 p.m. CST, pits Nebraska Omaha (18-12-6) vs. Harvard (21-12-3). The winner of the Midwest Region advances to the NCAA Men's Hockey Frozen Four, which takes place in Boston at TD Garden April 9 and 11.
The NCAA tournament bracket is located
HERE.
Minnesota State Most Recently: The Mavericks, who have won their last five games and are 6-1-1 in their last eight contests, downed Ferris State (4-0) and Michigan Tech (5-2) in winning the Broadmoor Trophy as WCHA Final Five champions for the second straight year. Freshman forward
Brad McClure, who tallied five goals and an assist in at the Final Five, was named tournament MVP and all-tournament. Also named to the all-tournament team were junior goaltender
Stephon Williams, along with senior defensemen
Zach Palmquist and
Brett Stern.
Mavericks & NCAA Postseason: Minnesota State is making its third straight appearance and fourth overall appearance in the NCAA Division I men's hockey tournament. The Mavericks, who appeared in the Eastern Regional (Providence) in 2003, the Midwest Regional (Toledo) in 2013 and the Northeast Regional in 2014 (Worcester), are looking to get their first DI postsesason win this year in the Midwest Regional in South Bend. Overall and including DI, DII and DIII competition, the Mavericks stand 25-27-11 in NCAA postseason competition. Members of NCAA Division I since 1996-97, Minnesota State won the NCAA Division II championship in 1980.
About RIT: The Tigers, who enter the weekend with an 19-14-5 overall mark, have won their last seven games and qualified for the NCAA tournament as champions of Atlantic Hockey. RIT, which defeated Canisius and Mercyhurst to claim its league postseason championship, is led offensively by Hobey Baker finalist senior forward
Matt Garbowsky (26-27--53), along with junior forward
Josh Mitchell (15-35--50) and senior forward
Brad McGowan (23-22--45). Junior netminder
Jordan Ruby (10-7-4, .923, 2.11) has started 21 of 28 games for RIT this year. Head coach
Wayne Wilson (Bowling Green '84) is in his 16th year behind the RIT bench and enters the weekend owning a 301-179-54 career record.
First Things First: Minnesota State is tied for the nation's lead in wins (29) and goals scored (144), and leads the country in winning percentage (.782), power play goals (48), shot margin (+451), fewest shots on goal allowed per game (21.7) and shots on goal margin per game (+11.6).
Polling: Minnesota State is rated #1 in the country in this week's USCHO poll and is #2 in the poll released by USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine. The Mavericks have been rated #1 in the nation five times during the course of the 2014-15 season and have been ranked in the top five for the last 14 weeks in a row. This year marks the first time that Minnesota State has ever been rated #1 in the nation in men's hockey.
