Gustavus is the regular season champion in the MIAC for the first time since 2010 after beating Hamline 6-5 in overtime on Friday night. The Gusties lost 7-4 to the Pipers Saturday but it had bearing on a MIAC race that was tightly contested.
Gustavus led 3-1 after one and 5-3 going into the third before the Pipers forced OT. Jack Wineman scored the game winner just 44 seconds into the extra session.
The Gusties have now won 15 MIAC titles in program history. They are 14-8-2 overall and 10-3-2 in the MIAC despite going just 2-3-2 in the final month of the season.
Oles and Royals split
St Olaf and Bethel will play in a MIAC semifinal this coming weekend after finishing out the regular season against each other.
The Royals won the series opener 3-1 on Friday but the Oles responded with a 3-2 win on Saturday.
Bethel secured the No. 2 seed for the conference tournament with Friday’s win as three different players scored goals, including one from MIAC goal scoring leader Tyler Braccini. Austin Ryman racked up 23 saves.
Bethel is 13-9-3 overall and 9-5-2 in the MIAC and hopes home ice advantage plays a part against the Oles in the tourney as the Royals are 9-1-1 at home this season.
The Oles secured a playoff spot with Saturday’s win, scoring twice in the third to earn the comeback win.
Matthew Pointer and Joey Kennellyscored 20 seconds apart in the third to lift St. Olaf to the win. It’s the third straight year where St. Olaf didn’t clinch a playoff spot until the final day. Thomas Lalonde made a season-high 30 saves for St. Olaf, which is hoping to win the MIAC tourney for the third time in four years.
Johnnies close with a win
Saint John’s avenged a series opening loss to Concordia by beating the Cobbers 4-2 on Saturday. Concordia won the opener last Thursday by the same score.
The win on Saturday gives Saint John’s a playoff berth and it will play Concordia in an opening round game on Wednesday.
Mason Campbell scored twice for the Johnnies and Bailey Huber made 22 saves to win the 20th game of his collegiate career.
The Johnnies are 11-13-1 overall and 8-7-1 in the league while Concordia is 11-11-3 and 7-6-3.
Concordia went on a six game unbeaten streak late in the year but dropped two of its last three, though the Cobbers are still playoff bound.
WIAC Tournament
Falcons fly into next round
After winning 4-1 on Friday, UW-River Falls notched a 4-0 shutout win over UW-Stout on Saturday to move on to the semifinal round of the WIAC tournament.
The Falcons have swept their opening round series two consecutive years. Owen Belisle scored twice for River Falls and Brennan Boynton recorded a career-high 36 saves on his way to his second shutout win of the year.
River Falls improved to 16-10-1 while Stout’s season ends with a 12-13-2 record.
Dylan Smith and Tyler Lee each scored twice in Friday’s win while Jonny Meiers tallied three assists.
Blugolds moving on
Max Dronen highlighted Friday’s 8-1 win over Northland in a WIAC tourney series, coming through with a hat trick, the first of his collegiate career. Ethan Roberts was in goal and made 21 saves.
Kyler Grundy came through with two goals on Saturday for the Blugolds, who finished off the series with a 4-0 win.
For Northland, its year ends as well as its program as the school is closing at the end of the academic year. Loghan Gallagher scored the lone goal of the weekend for the Lumberjacks, who finish 1-26.
NCHA Tournament
Spartans dominate opening series
Aurora won 4-1 and 4-2 to finish off an opening round series against Lawrence.
Four different players scored goals in Saturday’s finale while JaCob Mcuitelli racked up 25 saves. Juliano Santalucia tallied a goal and an assist.
Schmuck scored twice in Friday’s win while Hassan Akl tallied three assists in the win.
Aurora is 23-3-1 and has won its last five games. The Spartans are 13-0 at home.
Green Knights push past Falcons
St. Norbert and Concordia played to a 2-2 tie in their series finale, but the Green Knights prevailed thanks to the first to three points format for the playoffs. Hunter Garvey played a key role as he stopped 23 shots, including four in OT.
Friday’s game wasn’t nearly as close as St. Norbert rolled to an 8-1 win thanks to a hat trick from Curtis Hammond. Gustay Portillo racked up three assists.
The Green Knights are 21-5 and are unbeaten in their last eight games.
Bulldogs survive
Adrian needed a mini game to hold off MSOE in an opening round series. And that mini game went to OT before Connor May finished things out with a game-winning goal.
Ethan Mann scored twice for the Raiders in Saturday’s Game 2 to force a mini game against the Bulldogs and keep hopes for an upset alive.
Adrian won Friday’s game 4-2, with Bradley Somers and Ian Amsbaugh each tallying a goal and assist.
Adrian is 17-9-1 on the year while MSOE finishes the season with a 13-10-1 record.
Trine rolls into next round
The Thunder dominated their series against Marian, rolling to a 5-0 win on Friday and closing things out with a 4-1 win on Saturday.
Logan Furstneau led the way in the finale, scoring twice and dishing out an assist. Ronnie Petrucci tallied 20 saves. Drew Welsch dished out three assists for Trine in Friday’s win. Michael DiPietra added two assists.
Trine is now 20-5-2 and that ties the program record for wins in a season.
Marian finishes at 9-17-1 on the season.
