MANKATO, Minn. – CCHA Player of the Year
Alex Tracy posted his fifth shutout of the season with 27 saves as Minnesota State men's hockey defeated Bemidji State 4-0 in the CCHA Mason Cup Semifinals Saturday night at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center.
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Tracy and
Adam Eisele (two goals) helped the Mavericks (26-8-3, 15-18-5 CCHA) advance to the conference championship, where they will try to lift the Mason Cup for the third time in team history on Friday, March 21 at 7:07 p.m. against third-seeded St. Thomas (19-13-3, 13-9-4). The Tommies were 3-1 winners over Bowling Green in the early game Saturday and will make their first appearance.
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The win also cemented Minnesota State's 10
th qualification to the NCAA tournament in the Division I era (St. Thomas is ineligible in 2024-25 to advance). Head Coach
Luke Strand guided MSU to the big dance in his second year at the helm.
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The Mavericks have won four straight games and are unbeaten over their last ten, dating back to a January 31 loss to the Tommies.
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MSU outshot the Beavers 27-23, extending the lead with two third period goals. Beavers head coach Tom Serratore left six skaters on the ice with 4:15 remaining in the third period, but the Mavericks kept the puck out, including against a BSU late power play.
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The Mavericks scored first at 8:06 of the opening stanza.
Luigi Benincasa won an offensive zone faceoff back to
Zach Krajnik, who roofed his sixth goal of the season. Benincasa added his 17
th assist, and the Mavericks held a 1-0 edge after 20 minutes with a 10-4 shot advantage. Mattias Sholl made a glove save on a deceptive shot through a screen by
Brenden Olson late in the period.
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The Beavers turned the ice back in their favor in the first half of the second period before a long stretch of over seven minutes of continuous play saw chances generated by both teams.
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Later,
Josh Groll deflected the puck to
Ralfs Bergmanis in the neutral zone. Bergmanis gained the line, then found Eisele streaking in from the right side, who ripped through his 12
th goal of the year at 16:39.
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Rhett Pitlick picked up the puck and created a two-on-one through the neutral zone, sliding the puck across for a one-timer by Eisele for his second of the evening.
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Tracy sprawled for a save at the far post before Bohlsen cleared the zone into the empty net at 18:17.
Campbell Cichosz assisted.
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The Mavericks did not have a power play on the night, while Bemidji State went 0-2. Mattias Sholl made 19 saves in goal for the Beavers. BSU upended No. 2 seed Augustana in a deciding game last weekend, but saw their postseason bookend in Mankato.
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