2021–22 Minnesota State Mavericks men's ice hockey season
| 2021–22 Minnesota State Mavericks men's ice hockey season | |
|---|---|
 | |
| CCHA, Champion CCHA tournament, Champion NCAA tournament, runner-up | |
| Conference | 1st CCHA |
| Home ice | Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center |
| Rankings | |
| USCHO.com | #2 |
| USA Today | #2 |
| Record | |
| Overall | 38–6–0 |
| Conference | 23–3–0 |
| Home | 16–1–0 |
| Road | 16–3–0 |
| Neutral | 4–2–0 |
| Coaches and captains | |
| Head coach | Mike Hastings |
| Assistant coaches | Todd Knott Paul Kirtland Brennan Poderzay |
| Captain(s) | Wyatt Aamodt |
| Alternate captain(s) | Reggie Lutz Jack McNeely |
| Minnesota State Mavericks men's ice hockey seasons « 2020–21 2022–23 » | |
The 2021–22 Minnesota State Mavericks men's ice hockey season was the 53rd season of play for the program. They represented Minnesota State University, Mankato in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season and for the 1st season in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). They are coached by Mike Hastings, in his 10th season, and play their home games at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center.
Season
[edit]Minnesota State joined with six other members of the WCHA to restart the CCHA for the 2021–22 season. With their new conference being relatively weak in national rankings, the Mavericks scheduled several games against non-conference opponents that were expected to be very strong. MSU kicked off the season with a road series against the defending national champions Massachusetts. Dryden McKay, who was just 3 shutouts shy of tying the career record of 27 held by Ryan Miller, kicked off the campaign with an 18-save blanking of the Minutemen. That game set te tone for the entire season; Minnesota State relied on a constant offensive attack that kept the puck in their opponent's end. Holding to the maxim 'the best defense is a good offense', MSU stopped most of their opponents from generating offensive chances by forcing them to defend. When their defense was called upon, the corps, led by Jake Livingstone and captain Wyatt Aamodt, was up to the task and limited the opposing forwards to fewer than 20 shots on goal on most nights. Of those reduced shots, only a paltry number managed to get past McKay.
The Mavericks began the season by playing both of the finalists from the previous year's national championship and won three out of four games. For their third week, the team participated in the Ice Breaker Tournament and lost the championship game to Michigan, the then-#3 team in the country. While the defeat cost MSU their #1 ranking, they were still left with a very strong resume as they entered their conference schedule.
After sweeping Northern Michigan, which included McKay's record-breaking shutout, Minnesota State played probably its worst game of the season against lowly Ferris State. While the Mavs could only manage a single goal, the defense allowed the Bulldogs to get 30 shots on McKay, the most they would allow all season. The team responded by flattening their foes over the next couple of weeks, winning their next five games by an average score of nearly 6–1, including two more shutouts. While the CCHA's overall weakness held Minnesota State back, the sheer number of victories and the overwhelming nature of play could not be ignored and MSU received the #1 ranking for the second time in late-November.
McKay was forced to miss the team's first game against Lake Superior State, giving freshman Keenan Rancier his first career start. While the backup played well, allowing just 1 goal, the team's offense fell flat and they were shutout for the only time on the season.[1] McKay returned the following night and began a run of games that was nearly unheard of in NCAA history; Minnesota State won each of their next nine games with McKay allowing a maximum of 1 goal in each affair. The stretch of 12 consecutive games by MSU of allowing less than 2 goals was the longest in Division I history. The five shutouts recorded during that run put McKay at 32 for his career and 8 on the season. He was not, however, alone for lofty goaltending statistics. both Yaniv Perets and Devon Levi were also having magical seasons for their respective programs, leading some to call the 2022 season as the 'Year of the Goaltender'.
When Minnesota State lost its fifth game of the season, they were firmly established one of the two best teams in the country (Michigan being the other). MSU was top three in both goals for and goals against as well as boasting the nation's scoring leader Nathan Smith. With that in mind, there was little surprise when, after the NHL backed out of the 2022 Winter Olympics, head coach Mike Hastings was added to Team USA's coaching staff. Smith joined soon afterwards but, despite persistent rumors, Dryden McKay was not included on the roster.
MSU did not lose a beat in their absence and won their final eleven regular season games. In winning 20 out of 21 games, Minnesota State became one of the select few teams to post 30 wins during the regular season and were rewarded by nearly sweeping the CCHA awards. They were also mathematically guaranteed to make the NCAA tournament and receive a favorable seeding for at least the opening round.
CCHA tournament
[edit]The Mavericks continued their inspired play in the postseason, posting a pair of wins over St. Thomas to all but guarantee MSU one of the four #1 seeds. A demolition of Northern Michigan, who had upset the Mavs the year before, sealed a top seed and set the team up for a showdown against Bemidji State. The Beavers were fighting for a tournament appearance, being ranked too low to earn an at-large bid, and gave the Mavericks everything they had. MSU was held scoreless for more than half the game and, when Bemidji netted the first goal around the mid-way point of the match, it appeared that the boys in green may have had a chance. Fortunately for the Mavericks, their power play, which had been a strength for them all season, provided them with the tying goal and forced the game into overtime. Less than three minutes into the extra session, The puck found its way into the Bemidji cage and Minnesota won the revived CCHA championship.
Half an hour later, after hoisting the trophy and heading to the locker room, both teams were called back onto the ice. While the goal was initially ruled to be a 'good goal', a camera angle that had initially not been available to replay showed conclusively than the puck had gone under the goal cage rather than through the 4-by-6 opening.[2] The goal was waved off and both teams were recalled to the ice to resume the game. Luckily for the Mavericks, their very next shot went into the goal cleanly and they were able to celebrate a championship after what is described as 'the craziest championship ever'. The win was also McKay's 35 victory on the season, breaking the record that had jointly been held by college hockey legends Robb Stauber and Marty Turco.
NCAA tournament
[edit]MSU received the #2 overall seed and began their run facing Harvard, the ECAC Hockey champion. The first 35 minutes of the game was a complete mismatch. The Mavericks scored the first three goals and were completely dominating the Crimson in shots and offensive zone time. Everything changed in the later part of the second period when Sean Farrell fired a puck from behind the goal line that deflected in off of McKay's skate. Less than a minute later Harvard netted their second goal and had reduced the Mavericks' advantage to just 1. Ondřej Pavel scored on a rush early in the third to put a little distance between the two but Harvard would not go away and they netted a third marker on the power play with 3:31 left on the clock. The Crimson went on a furious charge at the MSU cage and twice had looks at a half-open cage. Luck was with the Mavs, however, as both shots went awry and Minnesota State escaped with a 4–3 victory.
The quarterfinal match against Notre Dame turned into a classic goaltending battle with both McKay and Matthew Galajda playing nearly perfect games. While MSU more than doubled up the Irish in shots over the first 20 minutes, they were only able to sneak the final one into the goal with just 16 seconds remaining in the period. Smith's marker remained the only goal for the rest of the contest as both teams attacked relentlessly but to no avail. Vital to the win was MSU's penalty-kill which held Notre Dame back during their three man-advantages.
In the national semifinals, which consisted entirely of western teams, Minnesota State faced off against Minnesota. Though the two had never had much of a rivalry, this was the second time in as many years that they were meeting in the NCAA tournament. As they had all season, MSU shot out of the gate and dominated play for most of the match. It was the Gophers, however, who opened the scoring in the first. The Mavericks were undeterred and continued to assail the Minnesota net. They finally managed to break through midway through the second and that began a deluge of goals. Minnesota State scored the final 5 markers to take the game comfortably and send the team to its first ever Division I championship game appearance.
The final game of the year looked to be following a familiar format when Minnesota State controlled the puck from the opening faceoff and outshout Denver 18–8 through the first 40 minutes. Despite the disparity in play, the Mavericks only enjoyed a 1–0 lead entering the third and little room for error with how well Denver's defense was playing. In the final frame, MSU appeared to move away from the constant attack that was the hallmark of the team and played a more traditional defensive shell. This maneuver proved disastrous for the club as it allowed the Pioneers to get their offense flowing. Denver scored three times in the third and a shell-shocked Mavericks team scrambled to respond. They ended up being forced into pulling McKay for an extra attacker but all that served to do was give Denver two empty-net goals. When the final buzzer sounded, one bad period had completely sunk Minnesota State's entire season and ruined the championship hopes for the school.
Doping ban
[edit]After the season, it was reported that Dryden McKay, who had by then won the Hobey Baker Award, accepted a 6-month suspension from international hockey for testing positive for a banned substance.[3] The United States Anti-Doping Agency could have imposed as much as a 4-year suspension, however, the body accepted the evidence that McKay provided which proved he had unwittingly consumed the substance as part of an effort to combat COVID-19. On the weekend that the team was to play Lake Superior State, a strain of the flu was going around the Mavericks' locker room. Compounded with increased worries over the Omicron variant, McKay took non-NSF-certified antiviral supplements over the course of 10 days that had been contaminated with Ostarine. The drug is typically used to combat muscle wasting and osteoporosis and has been banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency since 2008.
McKay had submitted the sample on January 23 and the results were available by January 31. Because this occurred prior to the start of the Olympics, it was likely the primary reason that McKay was left off the United States Olympic roster. Minnesota State had given a mandatory provisional suspension to McKay on February 3 but had lifted the prohibition on the same day. Since Ostarine was detected in a sealed bottle sent to a testing lab by the manufacturer, McKay was determined to have not been at fault for the positive test and remained eligible to play for the remainder of the season.
Departures
[edit]| Player | Position | Nationality | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colby Bukes | Defenseman |  United States |
Transferred to Merrimack |
| Todd Burgess | Forward | United States |
Graduation (signed with Manitoba Moose) |
| Walker Duehr | Forward | United States |
Graduation (signed with Calgary Flames) |
| Ryan Edquist | Goaltender | United States |
Graduation (signed with Evansville Thunderbolts) |
| Evan Foss | Goaltender | United States |
Left program (retired) |
| Dallas Gerads | Forward | United States |
Graduation (signed with Greenville Swamp Rabbits) |
| Jake Jaremko | Forward | United States |
Graduation (signed with Florida Everblades) |
| Shane McMahan | Forward | United States |
Left program (retired) |
| Jared Spooner | Forward | United States |
Graduation (retired) |
| Chris Van Os-Shaw | Forward |  Canada |
Transferred to American International |
| Riese Zmolek | Defenseman | United States |
Graduation (signed with Iowa Wild) |
Recruiting
[edit]| Player | Position | Nationality | Age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steven Bellini | Defenseman | Canada |
21 | Sault Ste. Marie, ON |
| Josh Groll | Forward | United States |
20 | San Diego, CA; transfer from Michigan |
| Will Hillman | Forward | United States |
20 | Blaine, MN |
| Zach Krajnik | Forward | United States |
22 | Eagle River, AK |
| Benton Maass | Defenseman | United States |
22 | Elk River, MN; graduate transfer from New Hampshire; selected 182nd overall in 2017 |
| Andrew Miller | Goaltender | United States |
21 | Boulder, CO |
| Brenden Olson | Forward | United States |
20 | Eau Claire, WI |
| Keenan Rancier | Goaltender | Canada |
21 | Victoria, BC |
| David Silye | Forward | Canada |
22 | Arnprior, ON; transfer from Clarkson |
| Bennett Zmolek | Defenseman | United States |
19 | Rochester, MN |
Roster
[edit]As of August 20, 2021.[4]
| No. | S/P/C | Player | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | DoB | Hometown | Previous team | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 
|
Akito Hirose | Sophomore | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 1999-04-09 | Calgary, Alberta | Salmon Arm (BCHL) | — |
| 3 | 
|
Jack McNeely (A) | Senior | D | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 1996-12-16 | Lakeville, Minnesota | Muskegon (USHL) | — |
| 4 |
|
Andy Carroll | Senior | D | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 178 lb (81 kg) | 1997-02-17 | Northfield, Minnesota | Green Bay (USHL) | — |
| 6 | 
|
Sam Morton | Junior | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 174 lb (79 kg) | 1999-07-28 | Lafayette, Colorado | Wenatchee (BCHL) | — |
| 7 |
|
Wyatt Aamodt (C) | Senior | D | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 201 lb (91 kg) | 1997-11-22 | Hermantown, Minnesota | Lincoln (USHL) | — |
| 8 | 
|
Nathan Smith | Junior | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 1998-10-18 | Hudson, Florida | Cedar Rapids (USHL) | WPG, 91st overall 2018 |
| 9 | 
|
Tanner Edwards | Freshman | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 2000-03-11 | Anchorage, Alaska | Muskegon (USHL) | — |
| 10 | 
|
David Silye | Sophomore | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 187 lb (85 kg) | 1999-03-02 | Arnprior, Ontario | Clarkson (ECAC) | — |
| 11 |
|
Benton Maass | Senior | D | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 1998-11-25 | Elk River, Minnesota | New Hampshire (HEA) | WSH, 182nd overall 2017 |
| 12 | 
|
Josh Groll | Sophomore | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 2001-08-09 | San Diego, California | Michigan (Big Ten) | — |
| 13 | 
|
Brendan Furry | Junior | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 1998-07-08 | Toledo, Ohio | Tri-City (USHL) | — |
| 14 |
|
Ryan Sandelin | Junior | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 192 lb (87 kg) | 1999-01-03 | Hermantown, Minnesota | Penticton (BCHL) | — |
| 15 | 
|
Julian Napravnik | Senior | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 167 lb (76 kg) | 1997-05-06 | Bad Nauheim, Germany | Des Moines (USHL) | — |
| 16 |
|
Reggie Lutz (A) | Senior | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 178 lb (81 kg) | 1996-10-18 | Elk River, Minnesota | Chicago (USHL) | — |
| 17 |
|
Bennett Zmolek | Freshman | D | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2002-04-17 | Rochester, Minnesota | Youngstown (USHL) | — |
| 18 | 
|
Ondřej Pavel | Sophomore | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 2000-08-29 | Prague, Czech Republic | Fargo (USHL) | — |
| 19 |
|
Will Hillman | Freshman | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 198 lb (90 kg) | 2000-11-22 | Blaine, Minnesota | Youngstown (USHL) | — |
| 20 |
|
Connor Gregga | Sophomore | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 2000-07-24 | Markham, Ontario | Coquitlam (BCHL) | — |
| 21 |
|
Lucas Sowder | Junior | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 1998-11-15 | Trinity, Florida | Wenatchee (BCHL) | — |
| 22 |
|
Steven Bellini | Freshman | D | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 2000-05-23 | Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario | Tri-City (USHL) | — |
| 23 | 
|
Jake Livingstone | Sophomore | D | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 1999-04-16 | Creston, British Columbia | Langley (BCHL) | — |
| 24 |
|
Zach Krajnik | Freshman | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 172 lb (78 kg) | 1999-05-13 | Eagle River, Alaska | Kenai River (NAHL) | — |
| 25 | 
|
Brenden Olson | Freshman | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 173 lb (78 kg) | 2000-10-18 | Eau Claire, Wisconsin | Sioux City (USHL) | — |
| 27 | 
|
Tony Malinowski | Sophomore | D | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | 1999-10-15 | Clarkston, Michigan | Des Moines (USHL) | — |
| 28 |
|
Cade Borchardt | Junior | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 1998-07-06 | Burnsville, Minnesota | Sioux Falls (USHL) | — |
| 29 | 
|
Dryden McKay | Senior | G | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 1997-11-25 | Downers Grove, Illinois | Madison (USHL) | — |
| 32 |
|
Andrew Miller | Freshman | G | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 182 lb (83 kg) | 2000-02-10 | Boulder, Colorado | Fargo (USHL) | — |
| 35 |
|
Keenan Rancier | Freshman | G | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 184 lb (83 kg) | 2000-06-21 | Victoria, British Columbia | Minot (NAHL) | — |
Standings
[edit]| Conference record | Overall record | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | W | L | T | OTW | OTL | 3/SW | PTS | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | ||
| #2 Minnesota State †* | 26 | 23 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 67 | 115 | 28 | 44 | 38 | 6 | 0 | 178 | 60 | |
| #14 Michigan Tech | 26 | 16 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 54 | 93 | 53 | 37 | 21 | 13 | 3 | 118 | 75 | |
| Bemidji State | 26 | 14 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 83 | 81 | 39 | 19 | 20 | 0 | 118 | 121 | |
| Lake Superior State | 26 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 69 | 64 | 37 | 18 | 18 | 1 | 107 | 104 | |
| Northern Michigan | 26 | 12 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 35 | 86 | 99 | 37 | 20 | 16 | 1 | 132 | 136 | |
| Bowling Green | 26 | 11 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 67 | 87 | 37 | 15 | 19 | 3 | 94 | 119 | |
| Ferris State | 26 | 9 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 28 | 66 | 99 | 36 | 11 | 24 | 1 | 90 | 135 | |
| St. Thomas | 26 | 3 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 14 | 45 | 112 | 36 | 3 | 32 | 1 | 61 | 168 | |
| Championship: March 19, 2022 † indicates conference regular season champion (MacNaughton Cup) * indicates conference tournament champion (Mason Cup) Rankings: USCHO.com Top 20 Poll | |||||||||||||||||
Schedule and results
[edit]| Date | Time | Opponent# | Rank# | Site | TV | Decision | Result | Attendance | Record | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular season | |||||||||||
| October 2 | 6:30 PM | at #1 Massachusetts* | #5 | Mullins Center • Amherst, Massachusetts | McKay | W 2–0 | 8,412 | 1–0–0 | |||
| October 3 | 3:00 PM | at #1 Massachusetts* | #5 | Mullins Center • Amherst, Massachusetts | McKay | W 6–3 | 3,808 | 2–0–0 | |||
| October 8 | 7:07 PM | #2 St. Cloud State* | #1 | Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center • Mankato, Minnesota | Spectrum 191 | McKay | W 1–0 | 4,555 | 3–0–0 | ||
| October 9 | 6:07 PM | #2 St. Cloud State* | #1 | Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center • Mankato, Minnesota | Spectrum 191 | McKay | L 1–3 | 4,838 | 3–1–0 | ||
| Ice Breaker Tournament | |||||||||||
| October 15 | 4:07 PM | #10 Providence* | #1 | AMSOIL Arena • Duluth, Minnesota (Ice Breaker Semifinal) | McKay | W 5–2 | —[a] | 4–1–0 | |||
| October 16 | 4:07 PM | vs. #3 Michigan* | #1 | AMSOIL Arena • Duluth, Minnesota (Ice Breaker Championship) | McKay | L 2–3 | —[a] | 4–2–0 | |||
| Regular season | |||||||||||
| October 29 | 7:07 PM | Northern Michigan | #3 | Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center • Mankato, Minnesota | McKay | W 4–2 | 3,952 | 5–2–0 (1–0–0) | |||
| October 30 | 6:07 PM | Northern Michigan | #3 | Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center • Mankato, Minnesota | McKay | W 7–0 | 4,004 | 6–2–0 (2–0–0) | |||
| November 5 | 6:07 PM | at Ferris State | #2 | Ewigleben Arena • Big Rapids, Michigan | McKay | L 1–2 | 1,745 | 6–3–0 (2–1–0) | |||
| November 6 | 5:07 PM | at Ferris State | #2 | Ewigleben Arena • Big Rapids, Michigan | McKay | W 5–1 | 1,776 | 7–3–0 (3–1–0) | |||
| November 12 | 7:07 PM | Bowling Green | #3 | Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center • Mankato, Minnesota | CCMk–14 | McKay | W 9–2 | 4,260 | 8–3–0 (4–1–0) | ||
| November 13 | 6:07 PM | Bowling Green | #3 | Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center • Mankato, Minnesota | CCMk–14 | McKay | W 5–3 | 4,187 | 9–3–0 (5–1–0) | ||
| November 19 | 7:07 PM | St. Thomas | #3 | Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center • Mankato, Minnesota | CCMk–14 | McKay | W 9–0 | 3,875 | 10–3–0 (6–1–0) | ||
| November 20 | 7:07 PM | at St. Thomas | #3 | St. Thomas Ice Arena • Mendota Heights, Minnesota | McKay | W 5–0 | 885 | 11–3–0 (7–1–0) | |||
| November 26 | 6:07 PM | at Lake Superior State | #1 | Taffy Abel Arena • Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan | Rancier | L 0–1 | 822 | 11–4–0 (7–2–0) | |||
| November 27 | 5:07 PM | at Lake Superior State | #1 | Taffy Abel Arena • Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan | McKay | W 3–0 | 1,014 | 12–4–0 (8–2–0) | |||
| December 3 | 7:07 PM | Michigan Tech | #2 | Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center • Mankato, Minnesota | CCMk–14 | McKay | W 2–1 | 4,522 | 13–4–0 (9–2–0) | ||
| December 4 | 6:07 PM | Michigan Tech | #2 | Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center • Mankato, Minnesota | CCMk–14 | McKay | W 3–1 | 4,494 | 14–4–0 (10–2–0) | ||
| December 10 | 7:07 PM | at Bemidji State | #1 | Sanford Center • Bemidji, Minnesota | McKay | W 5–1 | 2,941 | 15–4–0 (11–2–0) | |||
| December 11 | 6:07 PM | at Bemidji State | #1 | Sanford Center • Bemidji, Minnesota | McKay | W 3–1 | 3,212 | 16–4–0 (12–2–0) | |||
| December 30 | 7:07 PM | #6 Minnesota Duluth* | #1 | Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center • Mankato, Minnesota | CCMk–14 | McKay | W 2–1 OT | 5,117 | 17–4–0 | ||
| January 1 | 7:07 PM | at #6 Minnesota Duluth* | #1 | AMSOIL Arena • Duluth, Minnesota | My9 | McKay | W 3–0 | 5,878 | 18–4–0 | ||
| January 7 | 7:07 PM | Ferris State | #1 | Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center • Mankato, Minnesota | CCMk–14 | McKay | W 7–1 | 4,016 | 19–4–0 (13–2–0) | ||
| January 8 | 6:07 PM | Ferris State | #1 | Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center • Mankato, Minnesota | CCMk–14 | McKay | W 7–0 | 4,032 | 20–4–0 (14–2–0) | ||
| January 14 | 6:37 PM | at Northern Michigan | #1 | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | McKay | L 2–4 | 2,284 | 20–5–0 (14–3–0) | |||
| January 15 | 6:37 PM | at Northern Michigan | #1 | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | McKay | W 4–1 | 2,897 | 21–5–0 (15–3–0) | |||
| January 20 | 7:07 PM | at St. Thomas | #2 | St. Thomas Ice Arena • Mendota Heights, Minnesota | McKay | W 5–1 | 684 | 22–5–0 (16–3–0) | |||
| January 22 | 7:07 PM | St. Thomas | #2 | Blakeslee Stadium • Mankato, Minnesota (Hockey Day Minnesota) | BSN | McKay | W 7–1 | —[a] | 23–5–0 (17–3–0) | ||
| January 28 | 7:07 PM | Arizona State* | #1 | Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center • Mankato, Minnesota | CCMk–14 | McKay | W 4–2 | 4,332 | 24–5–0 | ||
| January 29 | 6:07 PM | Arizona State* | #1 | Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center • Mankato, Minnesota | CCMk–14 | McKay | W 5–3 | 4,902 | 25–5–0 | ||
| February 4 | 6:07 PM | at Bowling Green | #1 | Slater Family Ice Arena • Bowling Green, Ohio | McKay | W 3–1 | 2,854 | 26–5–0 (18–3–0) | |||
| February 5 | 6:07 PM | at Bowling Green | #1 | Slater Family Ice Arena • Bowling Green, Ohio | McKay | W 5–0 | 3,711 | 27–5–0 (19–3–0) | |||
| February 18 | 7:07 PM | Bemidji State | #1 | Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center • Mankato, Minnesota | CCMk–14 | McKay | W 5–1 | 5,058 | 28–5–0 (20–3–0) | ||
| February 19 | 6:07 PM | Bemidji State | #1 | Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center • Mankato, Minnesota | CCMk–14 | McKay | W 5–1 | 5,130 | 29–5–0 (21–3–0) | ||
| February 25 | 6:07 PM | at #14 Michigan Tech | #1 | MacInnes Student Ice Arena • Houghton, Michigan | McKay | W 2–1 OT | 2,607 | 30–5–0 (22–3–0) | |||
| February 26 | 5:07 PM | at #14 Michigan Tech | #1 | MacInnes Student Ice Arena • Houghton, Michigan | McKay | W 2–1 | 2,736 | 31–5–0 (23–3–0) | |||
| CCHA tournament | |||||||||||
| March 4 | 7:07 PM | St. Thomas* | #1 | Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center • Mankato, Minnesota (Quarterfinal game 1) | McKay | W 3–2 | 3,351 | 32–5–0 | |||
| March 5 | 6:07 PM | St. Thomas* | #1 | Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center • Mankato, Minnesota (Quarterfinal game 2) | McKay | W 8–2 | 3,627 | 33–5–0 | |||
| March 12 | 6:07 PM | Northern Michigan* | #1 | Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center • Mankato, Minnesota (Semifinal) | McKay | W 8–1 | 4,492 | 34–5–0 | |||
| March 19 | 6:07 PM | Bemidji State* | #1 | Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center • Mankato, Minnesota (Championship) | McKay | W 2–1 OT | 5,126 | 35–5–0 | |||
| NCAA tournament | |||||||||||
| March 24 | 11:00 AM | vs. #15 Harvard* | #1 | MVP Arena • Albany, New York (East Regional semifinal) | ESPNU | McKay | W 4–3 | 2,345 | 36–5–0 | ||
| March 26 | 5:30 PM | vs. #9 Notre Dame* | #1 | MVP Arena • Albany, New York (East Regional final) | ESPNU | McKay | W 1–0 | 3,449 | 37–5–0 | ||
| April 7 | 8:30 PM | vs. #5 Minnesota* | #1 | TD Garden • Boston, Massachusetts (National semifinal) | ESPNU | McKay | W 5–1 | 17,850 | 38–5–0 | ||
| April 9 | 7:00 PM | vs. #3 Denver* | #1 | TD Garden • Boston, Massachusetts (National Championship) | ESPN2 | McKay | L 1–5 | 17,850 | 38–6–0 | ||
| *Non-conference game. #Rankings from USCHO.com Poll. All times are in Central Time. Source:[5] | |||||||||||
National championship
[edit]| April 9, 2022 8:00 PM | (E1) Minnesota State | 1–5 (1–0, 0–0, 0–5) | (W1) Denver | TD Garden Attendance: 17,850 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Referees: Geno Binda Jr. Jeremy Tufts Linesmen: Bill Kingdon Kevin Briganti | ||||
| Scoring summary | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period | Team | Goal | Assist(s) | Time | Score |
| 1st | MSU | Sam Morton (9) – PP | Sowder and Sandelin | 13:59 | 1–0 MSU |
| 2nd | None | ||||
| 3rd | DEN | Ryan Barrow (8) | Benning and Devine | 44:46 | 1–1 |
| DEN | Michael Benning (15) – GW | Buium and Wright | 47:33 | 2–1 DEN | |
| DEN | Massimo Rizzo (12) | Mazur and Lee | 53:34 | 3–1 DEN | |
| DEN | Brett Stapley (18) – EN | unassisted | 57:28 | 4–1 DEN | |
| DEN | Cameron Wright (23) – EN | Mazur | 58:00 | 5–1 DEN | |
| Penalty summary | |||||
| Period | Team | Player | Penalty | Time | PIM |
| 1st | DEN | Michael Benning | Tripping | 12:23 | 2:00 |
| MSU | Nathan Smith | Roughing | 15:28 | 2:00 | |
| 2nd | MSU | Bench | Too Many Men | 27:07 | 2:00 |
| 3rd | MSU | Sam Morton | Tripping | 45:26 | 2:00 |
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Scoring statistics
[edit]| Name | Position | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nathan Smith | C | 38 | 19 | 31 | 50 | 43 |
| Julian Napravnik | RW | 40 | 18 | 31 | 49 | 10 |
| Brendan Furry | LW | 44 | 13 | 31 | 44 | 20 |
| Cade Borchardt | F | 44 | 15 | 26 | 41 | 18 |
| Ryan Sandelin | C | 41 | 21 | 13 | 34 | 28 |
| Jake Livingstone | D | 44 | 9 | 22 | 31 | 32 |
| Reggie Lutz | RW | 37 | 15 | 13 | 28 | 16 |
| Akito Hirose | D | 38 | 2 | 24 | 26 | 8 |
| Sam Morton | F | 38 | 9 | 16 | 25 | 12 |
| Lucas Sowder | LW | 37 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 4 |
| Ondřej Pavel | C | 44 | 12 | 10 | 22 | 24 |
| David Silye | C | 43 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 18 |
| Jack McNeely | D | 44 | 2 | 15 | 17 | 18 |
| Andy Carroll | D | 43 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 4 |
| Benton Maass | D | 42 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 14 |
| Wyatt Aamodt | D | 41 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 33 |
| Josh Groll | F | 40 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 4 |
| Connor Gregga | F | 31 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 12 |
| Zach Krajnik | C | 26 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 14 |
| Bennett Zmolek | D | 28 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 |
| Will Hillman | F | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Tanner Edwards | F | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 34 |
| Brenden Olson | F | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Tony Malinowski | D | 17 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| Dryden McKay | G | 43 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Keenan Rancier | G | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steven Bellini | D | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Bench | - | - | - | - | - | 6 |
| Total | 178 | 314 | 492 | 400 |
Goaltending statistics
[edit]| Name | Games | Minutes | Wins | Losses | Ties | Goals Against | Saves | Shut Outs | SV % | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keenan Rancier | 2 | 71 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 | .909 | 0.84 |
| Dryden McKay | 43 | 2559 | 38 | 5 | 0 | 56 | 761 | 10 | .931 | 1.31 |
| Empty Net | - | 18 | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | - | - |
| Total | 44 | 2649 | 38 | 6 | 0 | 60 | 771 | 10 | .928 | 1.36 |
Rankings
[edit]| Poll[7] | Week | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 (Final) | |
| USCHO.com | 5 (1) | 1 (24) | 1 (17) | 2 (2) | 3 (8) | 2 (16) | 3 (2) | 3 (4) | 1 (38) | 2 (6) | 1 (32) | 1 (37) | 1 (43) | 1 (42) | 2 (15) | 1 (20) | 1 (29) | 1 (30) | 1 (40) | 1 (38) | 1 (48) | 1 (46) | 1 (46) | 1 (35) | - | 2 |
| USA Today | 5 | 2 (9) | 1 (10) | 2 | 2 (6) | 2 (9) | 3 (1) | 3 (3) | 1 (25) | 3 (5) | 1 (15) | 1 (21) | 1 (28) | 1 (27) | 2 (9) | 1 (24) | 1 (25) | 1 (22) | 1 (28) | 1 (29) | 1 (32) | 1 (31) | 1 (30) | 1 (20) | 1 (22) | 2 |
Note: USCHO did not release a poll in week 24.
Awards and honors
[edit]| Player | Award | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| Dryden McKay | Hobey Baker Award | |
| Mike Hastings | Spencer Penrose Award | |
| Dryden McKay | AHCA All-American West First Team | [8] |
| Nathan Smith | ||
| Dryden McKay | CCHA Player of the Year | [9] |
| Nathan Smith | CCHA Forward of the Year | [10] |
| Jake Livingstone | CCHA Defenseman of the Year | [11] |
| Dryden McKay | CCHA Goaltender of the Year | [12] |
| Mike Hastings | CCHA Coach of the Year | [13] |
| Dryden McKay | CCHA First Team | [14] |
| Jake Livingstone | ||
| Nathan Smith | ||
| Julian Napravnik | ||
| Bennett Zmolek | CCHA Rookie Team | [15] |
| Jack McNeely | NCAA All-Tournament Team | [16] |
| Sam Morton |
Players drafted into the NHL
[edit]| Round | Pick | Player | NHL team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 217 | Reese Laubach† | San Jose Sharks |
| 7 | 219 | Cade Littler† | Calgary Flames |
† incoming freshman [17]
References
[edit]- ^ "MSU goalie Rancier was ready for his opportunity". The Free Press. December 3, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
- ^ "MSU Mankato Tops BSU in One of the Craziest-Ever Finishes to a College Hockey Game". YouTube. March 22, 2022. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
- ^ "Updated: McKay accepts 6-month suspension for accidental doping violation". The Free Press. April 18, 2022. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
- ^ "2020–21 Men's Hockey Roster". Minnesota State Mavericks. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
- ^ "Minnesota State 2021-22 Team Schedule". College Hockey Inc. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
- ^ "Minnesota State Univ. (Mankato) 2021-2022 Skater Stats". Elite Prospects. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
- ^ "USCHO Division I Men's Poll". USCHO.com. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
- ^ "Four players return to 2021-22 Division I men's All-American teams, led by three-time pick Dryden McKay". USCHO.com. April 8, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
- ^ "MSU's McKay named CCHA Player of the Year". CCHA (Press release). March 17, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
- ^ "MSU's Smith named CCHA Forward of the Year". CCHA (Press release). March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
- ^ "MSU's Livingstone named CCHA Defenseman of the Year". CCHA (Press release). March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
- ^ "MSU's McKay named CCHA Goaltender of the Year". CCHA (Press release). March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
- ^ "MSU's Hastings named CCHA Coach of the Year". CCHA (Press release). March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
- ^ "Six players earn All-CCHA First Team honors". CCHA. March 15, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
- ^ "Six teams represented on CCHA All-Rookie Team". CCHA. March 14, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
- ^ Trefzger, Ed (April 9, 2022). "Most Outstanding Player Benning redeems himself for penalty with Denver's game-winning goal". USCHO. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
- ^ "NCAA player rankings, selections in 2022 NHL Draft". USCHO.com. Retrieved July 9, 2022.