It’s a holiday tradition unlike any other: Minnesota State versus Bemidji State in mid-December for a chance at first place in the conference at the break.
If this scenario sounds familiar, it’s because it’s happened before. It’s unclear if it’s some kind of grand design or just how the schedule has happened to play out, but the Mavericks and the Beavers often seem to meet as the first half of the season comes to a close, as was the case during the past two seasons.
In the COVID-shortened 2020-21, it was a nonconference game, but last season in Bemidji the teams were No. 1 and 2 in the standings. The Mavericks, who had a five-point lead going into the series, swept the Beavers in that series, widening the gap and separating themselves from the CCHA pack en route to their fifth consecutive MacNaughton Cup.
This season, the situation is similar, as the Mavericks and the Beavers are once again playing for a chance to be atop the CCHA at Christmas. However, there’s one important difference: One of three different teams could lead the league at the end of the weekend.
Here’s the situation: The Mavericks are currently tied with Bowling Green for first place in the conference with 23 points. MSU has two games in-hand on the Falcons so unless they are swept by the Beavers on Thursday and Friday, they will pass BGSU (who is playing a nonconference series with Ohio State this weekend). But that doesn’t mean they will be in first place. Bemidji State is just three points behind in fourth place and could leapfrog both teams with the right combination of points.
Confused yet?
Good, because there’s a fourth team in the mix: Michigan Tech. The Huskies are in third place but just a point behind MSU and BG. They travel to Sault Ste. Marie to play Upper Peninsula rivals Lake Superior State on Friday and Saturday.
“These are obviously big points right now,” Bemidji State head coach Tom Serratore said during his weekly media session. “When you take a look at the standings, even though it’s early, there’s mass chaos right there. Who’s in first, who’s in second, who’s in third, who’s in fourth? There’s so many different variables because there’s a discrepancy in games and everything else. But this is going to be our league this year.
“It’s going to go down to the wire, and every game is going to be really important because I have a feeling it’s going to be tight the whole year.”
To simplify things: By Saturday, one of three teams (Minnesota State, Michigan Tech or Bemidji State) will lead the CCHA as the first half of the season ends. It’s a far cry from last season, where the Mavericks’ crown was never really in doubt. They may very well be on top as 2022 comes to a close, but it’s clear the MacNaughton Cup is very much up for grabs for the first time since 2017, when Bemidji State lifted the cup as WCHA champions. The year before, Tech and Minnesota State shared the title.
The CCHA (and the previous incarnation of the same teams in the WCHA) is usually known for parity, but for things to be this jumbled this late into the season is unusual.
Minnesota State head coach Mike Hastings is always clear-headed about how tough it is to win in the CCHA (as it also was in the post-realignment WCHA) but this season especially he knows nothing is a given, despite how his team has dominated in recent years.
“One of the goals we have at the beginning of the year is getting home ice,” Hastings said. “We’re in a battle for that. Another one of the goals is trying to win a league championship. We’re in a battle for that. We want to play in the NCAA tournament, and we’re on the outside looking in right now. All of that combined just puts a little more importance when you’re playing your rival.”
The Mavericks (10-7-1, 7-4-1 CCHA) are No. 20 in the Pairwise while the Beavers (7-5-4, 5-2-3 CCHA) are No. 24. The only CCHA team close to an at-large bid at the moment is Michigan Tech (10-4-3, 6-3-3) at No. 16. It’s very likely the CCHA will be a one-bid league this season, so winning the conference title and earning the highest possible seed for yourself come tournament time is very important.
“We’re playing our in-state rival, our biggest rival in the league, and a team that we have so much respect for, a team that’s so well-coached and a team that has dominated the league,” Serratore said of playing the Mavericks. “We’re chasing them. We’re trying to catch them. We’re having a decent season, we’re pretty happy with our season, but at the end of the day these games have a lot to say where everybody’s at at the end of the season.”
