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MEN’S HOCKEY: MacNaughton Cup on the line for Beavers, Mavericks

022620.S.BP.BSUMHKY Tyler Kirkup.jpg
Bemidji State forward Tyler Kirkup takes the puck past Minnesota State forward Reggie Lutz during the Mariucci Classic third-place game Dec. 29, 2019, at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis. (Jason Wachter/The Rink Live)

BEMIDJI -- In its nearly 10 years of existence, the Sanford Center hasn’t seen a series as big as this weekend’s season-ending matchup of the WCHA’s top two teams. Bemidji State will host Minnesota State with a share of the MacNaughton Cup and the top seed in the league playoffs on the line.

The Beavers (19-8-5, 19-4-3-2 WCHA) need a sweep to close the six-point gap that separates them from the first-place Mavericks (28-4-2, 22-3-1-1 WCHA). Two wins would earn BSU a share of the conference title and the top seed by owning the head-to-head tiebreaker advantage over MSU.

Minnesota State needs only one standings point to claim the title outright. MSU has already clinched at least a share of the league crown.

“What a great script (that’s been) written,” said BSU head coach Tom Serratore, while noting the Mavericks have been swept just once in the last two seasons. “They’re in the driver’s seat. It just makes for an exciting weekend of hockey for both teams, and most importantly, it’s going to be a great weekend for our fans.”

“It’s something you want for the league championship to come down to the last weekend,” senior defenseman Tommy Muck said. “It’s going to be rockin’ and I’m excited for it.”

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Both teams have been living large the last two months since they met in the Mariucci Classic, a 2-0 MSU win. Bemidji State has gone 11-1-2 this calendar year while Minnesota State is 12-1-1. Their lone losses came to each other one month ago during a series split in Mankato.

“We’re playing some great hockey right now,” Muck said. “I think I’ve said it a couple times now -- we’ve been playing playoff hockey for probably a month, month and a half now.”

The run of results has put the Beavers in the conversation for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. They’re currently No. 11 in the Pairwise rankings and would make the field if the season ended today.

The Mavericks, meanwhile, have been near the top of the Pairwise rankings for most of the season, where they currently sit No. 2. Boasting one of the country’s top offensive playmakers in Marc Michaelis and goaltenders in Dryden McKay, MSU will be a dangerous opponent come tournament time.

“This team had 18 goals last weekend,” Serratore said, referring to the Mavericks toppling Alabama Huntsville 10-0 and 8-0. “It has good offensive depth, it has good defensive depth, it’s got good goaltending. It’s got good special teams. … They’re one of the best defensive teams I’ve seen. … It’s challenging, and you know what, I think we have a lot of moving parts that are pretty positive, too.”

As anticipated as this series is, the Beavers aim to stay as level-headed as possible, though it’s never normal when the MacNaughton Cup is in the building.

“You can’t set it up any better than that -- the league championship coming down to the last weekend in Bemidji and senior year for us seniors,” Muck said. “It’s exciting, but personally I don’t like to blow it out of proportion. There is a lot on the line, don’t get me wrong, but you’ve still got to play your game, you’ve still got to execute. … But it’s exciting. I’m not going to deny that.”

Beavers getting ‘puck luck’ at the right time

Bemidji State was less than three minutes away from defeat last Saturday night at Alaska Anchorage. Such a loss would not have done the Beavers any favors in the Pairwise.

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But Alex Ierullo delivered in the clutch with a shorthanded goal off a feed from Tyler Kirkup to send the game to overtime where it ultimately ended in a 2-2 tie. BSU secured the extra standings point when Muck scored in 3-on-3 overtime.

“For whatever reason, things have went our way a little bit over the course of the last six weeks,” Serratore said. “And (we’ve) been on the other side of all those things. We’re receiving a little puck luck right now. … But when our back was against the wall, our guys made some big plays.”

Injury update

Sophomore forward Ross Armour will be out of the lineup for the Beavers this weekend, Serratore said Tuesday. Armour missed both games in last weekend’s series.

Freshman defenseman Elias Rosén became the latest Beaver to be held out due to injury last Saturday. Senior forward Hampus Sjödahl has missed the team’s last three games and sophomore forward Nick Cardelli the last four. A decision will be made closer to the series opener as to whether they’ll play this weekend.

As for Minnesota State, junior center Jared Spooner will miss the rest of the season with a torn meniscus in his right knee, the Mankato Free Press reported Tuesday. Spooner had logged nine goals and 19 points in 31 games.

If you go

Who: BSU vs. Minnesota State

Where: Sanford Center

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When: 7:07 p.m. Friday; 6:07 p.m. Saturday

Webstream: FloHockey.tv

Radio: Beaver Radio Network/92.1 FM

022620.S.BP.BSUMHKY Adam Brady.jpg
Bemidji State forward Adam Brady skates with the puck against Minnesota State during the Mariucci Classic third-place game Dec. 29, 2019, at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis. (Jason Wachter/The Rink Live)

Austin Monteith is the former sports editor at the Bemidji Pioneer. A native of Bloomington, Ill., he is a 2015 graduate of Butler University. Follow him on Twitter at @amonteith92. Contact the Pioneer sports department at sports@bemidjipioneer.com.

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