USCHO has teamed with message board member “Fighting Sioux 23” to publish simulations of the 2020 NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey championship.
Allentown Regional championship game
#1 Minnesota State 4, #2 Penn State 3 (OT)
Marc Michaelis’ goal in the opening minute of overtime capped off a wild, back-and-forth victory over Penn State, sending Minnesota State to the Frozen Four.
The Mavericks trailed, 3-2, win a little more than two minutes remaining in regulation when Nicholas Rivera picked up a blocked shot and fired it past Penn State goaltender Peyton Jones to force the extra session.
And in the extra session, it took no time to end the game and send Minnesota State to Detroit. In the opening seconds, Parker Tuomie fired a low shot from the slot that Jones kicked out right onto the stick of Michaelis who netted his third goal of the weekend en route to being named the regions Most Outstanding Player.
The Mavericks had control of the game early jumping to a 2-0 lead goals by Ian Schneid and Reggie Lutz. But Penn State had a major response.
Brandon Biro cut the lead to one midway through the second. Nikita Pavlychev then tied the game with less than four minutes remaining in the middle frame. Nate Sucese than kept the rowdy crowd in Allentown going as the Nittany Lions took their first lead of the game.
Albany Regional championship game
#1 North Dakota 3, #3 Massachusetts 2
Despite taking leads of 2-0 and 3-1, North Dakota had to pithing a furious late-game push from Massachusetts, advancing to the Frozen Four with a 3-2 victory over the Minutemen in the Albany Regional final.
After a scoreless first period, Westin Michaud finished off a feed from Cole Smith to give North Dakota a 1-0 lead. Midway through the frame, Jacob Bernard-Docker extended that lead to 2-0 firing a wrist shot past UMass goaltender Matt Murray on the power play.
John Leonard scored late in the second to close the lead to one, but North Dakota had a response with 30 seconds left in the frame when Jordan Kawaguchi fired home his second goal of the weekend for the 3-1 lead.
The third period, though, brought an onslaught from UMass, particularly late. Oliver Chau pulled the Minutemen within a goal with five minutes left. But goaltender Adam Scheel was the hero from there, stopping the final seven shots from UMass sticks to preserve the victory.
Frozen Four (simulated) Semifinals – April 9
5:00 p.m. #2 Boston College vs. #1 Minnesota State
8:30 p.m. #1 North Dakota vs. #4 Ohio State
