SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – Completing a season sweep of Lake Superior State with a 4-1 win Saturday night, Minnesota State captured sole possession of the MacNaughton Cup, the trophy awarded to the CCHA regular season champion, for the seventh time in eight years at Taffy Abel Arena.
 
The Mavericks won the MacNaughton Cup for the first time under Head Coach Luke Strand's leadership and ninth time in program history, taking it back from the Bemidji State Beavers, who topped the standings in 2023-24.
 
Minnesota State will celebrate with an on-ice trophy presentation next weekend at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center.
 
At LSSU, Josh Groll and Adam Eisele posted three points apiece and Alex Tracy made 31 saves in the Mavericks' fifth straight victory.
 
Blake Humphrey used a defenseman as a screen off the rush and wristed a snapshot past Tracy's blocker at 6:05 of the first period for the Lakers. Groll answered with his third tally of the weekend, 12^th of the season on the rebound for the Mavericks to tie the game at 1-1. Eisele set up Evan Murr for the initial shot at the top of the left circle and Groll one-timed it past Rorke Applebee at 6:05.  
 
Rhett Pitlick peeled off the half wall and threw the puck into the crease for Eisele to bang in his 11^th goal of the season. Mason Wheeler also assisted on the power play goal as the Mavericks took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.
 
Later, Groll set up Pitlick in front of the net after he wheeled behind the goal line and threw a pass back across to the low slot. The even strength marker came 1:01 into the second period for a 3-1 edge. Then Luigi Benincasa stickhandled from forehand to backhand for a nifty goal near the end of the second period, with assists from Eisele and Groll.
 
Both goaltenders kept the puck in front of the line in the third period and the Mavericks killed all four minor penalties. Campbell Cichosz led MSU with five shots on goal.
 
No. 15 ranked Minnesota State (22-8-2, 17-5-2 CCHA) hosts Bemidji State on Friday, February 28 at 7:07 p.m., then closes out the regular season on Saturday, March 1 against the Beavers. Lake Superior State (11-20-2, 9-15-1) travels to Bowling Green to end the year.