By Karson Buelow
MANKATO, Minn. — In what will go down as one of the most controversial games in college hockey history, Minnesota State was able to be on the winning side of things.
Behind senior goaltender Dryden McKay’s NCAA Division I record-setting 35the win of the season and senior defenseman Jack McNeely’s second goal of the season, MSU was able to secure the Mason Cup with a 2-1 victory over Bemidji State in overtime on Saturday.
The Mavericks celebrated twice. The first time was 3:02 into overtime after sophomore forward Josh Groll took the puck by himself with a full head of steam and beat Mattias Sholl with a beautiful move.
Minnesota State was awarded the Mason Cup by CCHA commissioner Don Lucia. Not long after both teams left the ice, word spread that the goal was being looked at carefully to see if it had entered the net legally.
Nearly an hour since Groll’s overtime winner, the official call was made by the CCHA that the puck went underneath the goal frame and was therefore not a goal. While fans scurried to get back into the building, both teams were faced with adversity in needing to get redressed and refocused to finish the hockey game.
“We had an indication that there were better replays available,” Lucia said. “We felt that the puck had gone underneath the net when the goalie slid and hit the pipe. Ultimately I thought the most important thing was that we get the call right.”
The teams were given five minutes to warm up and do any sort of pregame preparation that was necessary before play resumed. The overtime period continued at 9:48 p.m., over an hour since Groll’s goal occurred.
The Mavericks picked up right where they left off, controlling much of the opening minutes since the game resumed. At 5:11, McNeely walked right down the slot and beat Sholl glove-side to secure the game-winning goal after an hour’s worth of controversy.
Minnesota State coach Mike Hastings talked briefly about the message that was delivered to his team prior to the game. “We talked about controlling what we need to control and we knew it was going to be a close game,” Hastings said. “We knew that they’d bring it and that they didn’t want their season to end.”
The Mavericks, who had been recently crowned as CCHA regular season champions, had already secured their spot in the NCAA tournament, while Bemidji needed to win to keep its playoff hopes alive.
The game began long before puck drop as the rowdy Minnesota State student section was completely full roughly an hour until start time. Bemidji State athletic director Tracy Dill kicked off the action with a ceremonial puck drop, which commemorated the inaugural season of the CCHA.
Despite the thunderous noise from the sold-out crowd at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center, Bemidji State was able to control much of the first period, registering five shots before MSU was able to tally one. The Mavericks found offensive pressure late in the first, but Sholl was able to deny any shots that came his way ending the period at zeros.
Almost halfway through the second period, Bemidji had its first grade-A scoring opportunity of the game denied by McKay. Seconds later, senior forward Alex Adams deflected a shot past McKay at 9:17 to give the Beavers a 1-0 lead.
Bemidji didn’t carry the momentum for much longer as a cross-checking penalty gave Mankato its first power play of the game. Junior forward Brendan Furry went top shelf at 17:16 to tie the game 1-1 heading into the final frame.
Sholl continued his dominant performance for the Beavers early in the third, denying senior forward Julian Napravnik from point-blank range. Minnesota State was playing quality hockey during the first 10 minutes but was unable to convert on key opportunities.
The final few minutes saw both teams getting good looks, but nothing strong enough to cross the line. The CCHA championship headed to overtime at 1-1.
Minnesota State will find out who it will play in the first round of the NCAA tournament during Sunday’s selection show at 5:30 p.m. Central on ESPN.
