MANKATO, Minn. - Minnesota State men's hockey was ranked No. 14 by USCHO.com and USA Hockey in NCAA Division I national rankings polls on Monday (Mar. 23). University of Michigan topped the poll with 34 first place votes, followed by North Dakota, Michigan State, Denver and Western Michigan.

Minnesota State men's hockey will travel to Loveland, Colorado to play in the 2026 NCAA Division I Regional at Blue Arena. The regional semifinal is scheduled for Friday, March 27 at 1:30 p.m. CT vs. Western Michigan (26-10-1) on ESPNU.

The game is a rematch of last season's regional semifinal, in which Western Michigan defeated Minnesota State 2-1 in double overtime in Fargo, North Dakota. The Broncos went on to win the NCAA Division I National Championship. This season, Western Michigan defeated Miami (Ohio) in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) quarterfinals, then fell to Denver in the NCHC semifinals 2-1 in overtime.
 
Also in the regional semifinals in Loveland this season are No. 5 seed Denver vs. NPI No. 11 Cornell. Winners will meet in the region finals on Sunday, March 29. The Mavericks (22-10-7, NPI No. 13), winners of MacNaughton Cup and Mason Cup titles this season are making their 11^th NCAA Division I Tournament appearance and hold a 5-10 record in NCAA postseason games all-time.