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2024–25 Minnesota State Mavericks men's ice hockey season
College ice hockey team season From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The 2024–25 Minnesota State Mavericks men's ice hockey season was the 56th season of play for the program, 29th at the Division I level, and 4th in the CCHA. The Mavericks represented Minnesota State University, Mankato in the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, played their home games at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center and were coached by Luke Strand in his 2nd season.
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Season
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The Mavericks entered Strand's second season with modest expectations.[1] The team had lost its top two scorers from the previous season in Sam Morton and Lucas Sowder but the Mavericks retained the bulk of their firepower. The Defense only saw couple of departures but was able to fill in the gaps with one of MSU's two NHL draft picks, Luke Ashton. Perhaps the biggest change was in goal, where Alex Tracy was given complete control of the net after Keenan Rancier's transfer.
The early part of the season saw the team go through a bit of up and down play, splitting the first three weekends. While some of that was due to the strength of their opponents, the offense had some difficulty in finding its consistency through the first few months. What was readily apparent was that Tracy was fully prepared to be the Mavs' starting goaltender and they were able to rely heavily on his performance for the entire season. Not only did Tracy prove to be one of the top goaltenders but he was very consistent throughout the year. Not once did he allow more than 3 goals in a game and quite often he was able to lead his team to victory despite an off night from the forwards. Tracy was helped mightily by the strong defense in front of him. Ashton, along with Campbell Cichosz and Mason Wheeler were prolific shot-stoppers, combining for more than 170 blocks for the season and limited opponents to less than 27 shots per game.[2]
The low goals against Allowed the Mavericks to back several wins early while the offense worked to fix its issues and had Minnesota State atop the standings by the beginning of December. By that time, Rhett Pitlick, a Minnesota transfer, had fully taken over as the team's offensive leader and helped the Mavericks post an outstanding record for the first half of the season. Entering the winter break, Minnesota State was ranked #12 in both the polls and the national rankings and was in an excellent position to earn an at-large bid for the NCAA tournament.
Unfortunately for MSU, January was not kind to the Mavericks. The team began the second half of their schedule with a loss to one of the worst teams in the country, Northern Michigan. While they were able to salvage the weekend and earn a split after the offense returned, the rest of the month was no different. Hot and cold scoring caused the team to split the next three series as well. While the losses weren't catastrophic for Minnesota State's position in the standings, they cause the team to drop below the cut-line for the national tournament. Compounding their problems was that the CCHA was one of the lowest-ranked conferences this season; this meant that MSU would receive only a small bonus to their ranking by winning conference matches but would take a large hit through any losses. By the start of February, the team's tournament chances had narrowed considerably and, even though they didn't suffer a single loss in their final seven games, they barely moved in the PairWise.[3]
Playoffs
By the start of the CCHA tournament, Minnesota State sat at #17 in the national rankings despite possessing a stellar 23–8–3 record. MSU knew that a conference championship was the only real way the team could return to the national tournament and entered their series with Lake Superior State with a determination to do just that. Tracy's outstanding play during the regular season continued into the postseason but it was Zach Krajnik who proved to be the hero of the first game. In his final playoff run with the Mavs, Krajnik entered the game with just 1 goal on the season but he tripled that total in the first period. The defense held the Lakers back during a furious second period and kept the lead for the rest of the game. After lake State pulled their goaltender, Krajnik was sent onto the ice and he finished off the game with the only hat-trick of his college career.[4]
The rematch saw Lake Superior twice take the lead but Krajnik, again, came to the rescue to tie the match just 15 seconds after the second LSSU marker. Evan Murr, the all-around star on the Mavericks' blueline, gave his team their first lead shortly afterwards and then joined the rest of the team in slowing down the Lakers and stopping any further goals from being scored. The win sent MSU into the semifinal round where they found that they had risen up to 15th in the rankings. While 16 teams did qualify for the tournament, MSU was not yet above the cut line because both the CCHA and Atlantic Hockey America champions would be guaranteed entry and, since no other team in either conference was ranked ahead of the Mavericks, they needed to be ranked at least 14th to earn an at-large bid.
Bemidji State was next on the list for Minnesota State and, once again, Zach Krajnik put his stamp on the match. He opened the scoring with his 5th goal of the postseason while Alex Tracy made sure it stood as the winning goal. MSU scored three more times for good measure and progressed to the championship match. While the team was still one game away from a championship, the Mavericks became the first team in the country to receive an automatic bid thanks to a confluence of events.[5] St. Thomas was the team's opponent in the championship game. However, because the Tommies had recently transitioned from Division III, they were not yet eligible for the NCAA tournament. This meant that even if Minnesota State did not win the conference championship, they would still receive the CCHA's automatic qualifier. This did not stop the team from playing hard in the match and the two teams exchanged leads in the second period. Krajnik again got onto the scoresheet, this time with an assist, but it was Murr's goal midway through the third period that proved to be the difference-maker. The defenseman was named Tournament MVP for his efforts and sent the Mavericks to the nationals in style.
Due to the team's poor strength of schedule, Minnesota state was rated 14th in the field of 16, however, due to seeding requirements they were moved into the Fargo regional and set against NCHC champion, Western Michigan. MSU was at a significant disadvantage in terms of firepower as the Broncos had the #2 offense in the nation, however, the Mavericks were able to respond with the nation's top defense. The two clashed in a physical game that saw very few penalties, however, WMU was able to draw first blood early in the second on the power play. Minnesota State was able to get their chances on the Broncos' net and eventually managed to break through early in the third thanks to Kaden Bohlsen finishing off a combination from the two top playoff performers, Krajnik and Murr. Western ramped up the pressure and kept MSU hemmed in their own end for long stretches in the third and overtime but Tracy and the defense held. In the second overtime, Luc Wilson nearly won it for the Mavericks after a turnover in the Broncos' end but he had the puck knocked off his stick at the last moment. Unfortunately, that was as close as MSU got to a win and Western was able to finally solve Tracy a few minutes later on a scramble in front.[6]
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Departures
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Recruiting
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As of August 24, 2024.[7]
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Standings
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Schedule and results
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NCAA tournament
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| March 27, 2025 4:00 pm | (1) Western Michigan | 2–1 (2OT) (0–0, 1–0, 0–1, 0–0, 1–0) | (4) Minnesota State | Scheels Arena Attendance: 4,817 |
| Game summary |
| The game started with a bang as both teams laid big hits on one another. The temperature cooled down a bit after the first minute but both squads skated up and down the ice as they looked for an early goal. During one such rush, WMU was able to turn the puck over in the Mavericks' end and, in reply, Jordan Power was called for tripping when he tried to prevent an open shot at his goal. Western had one of the best power plays in the country but MSU was able to match with a stelar kill. The few shots that made it through to Alex Tracy weren't too dangerous and Minnesota State was able to survive. The Mavericks turned defense to offense and immediately went on the attack. They were able to get a 3-on-2 but the Bronco defenders were able to limit them to a sharp-angle shot from the wall. Chances came fast and furious for both sides but both netminders looked to be on their respective games. A heavy hit by Campbell Cichosz on Owen Michaels in the corner looked to stun the Western forward but the Broncos were still able to tilt the ice towards the Mavericks' end in the middle of the period. Minnesota State was able to counter after WMU iced the puck but the Mavericks missed on a couple of passing plays and never ended up with a decent shot on goal. The fast and physical play continued and both benches called for penalties but the referees allowed play to continue. With about 6 minutes to go, MSU got on another odd-man rush but saw the opportunity go for naught when the play was blown dead for offsides. Minnesota State continued to let chances melt down and get low-percentage chances on goal but the continual puck possession in the WMU end prevented the Broncos from getting anything going in the later half of the period. The first real scoring opportunity came with two and half minutes left when Evan Murr launched an off-balance point shot that was deflected en route and just barely stopped by Hampton Slukynsky. Despite the up and down action, neither team took any real risks during the period until the waning seconds. Alex Bump was able to sneak past the MSU defense and streak in on Tracy. However, just as he was going to shoot, Adam Eisele slashed his stick and was called for a minor penalty. The first 16 seconds of the man-advantage did not produce any results with the rest being held over to the start of the second.
Western swiftly got the puck into the zone but had trouble getting through the MSU defense. After a blocked shot, the Mavericks collected the puck but failed to clear and the rubber bounced to Liam Valente. The Bronco forward then walked to the center of the right circle and beat Tracy high-glove for the opening goal. WMU continued to press after the goal and forced Minnesota State into a few turnovers but they were unable to capitalize. With Western taking over the balance of play MSU needed someone to change the momentum and that's exactly when they got when Brett Moravec went on a solo rush up the ice. After splitting to Bronco defenders, Moravec was slashed by Joona Väisänen to give the Mavericks their first power play of the match. Unfortunately for Minnesota State, their passing continued to be poor and Western ended up getting better chances. Even when the Mavs were able to set up a one-timer, Murr's stick snapped and the Broncso were able to clear. It was only at the very end of the man-advantage that MSU was able to generate a good scoring chance but a sprawling Slukynsky just managed to keep the puck out of the net. After the power play, the game reverted back to a back-and-forth match with both defenses preventing any good shots on goal. Around the mid point of the period, Western's offense began to exert itself once more but Tracy remained stout and kept the puck out of the net. MSU countered after a few minutes and Will Hillman was able to get a puck through Slukynsky but it bounded to the side of the goal. The Mavericks were able to apply some offensive pressure but, again, several opportunities went by the wayside thanks to inaccurate or deflected passes. With under 5 minutes to play, Brian Carrabes fired a shot from the point that just missed the far corner of the net past a screed Slukynsky. MSU kept the puck in the WMU end for much of the remaining time but continued to be plagued by bad passes. With just seconds left, Josh Groll skated into the slot and received a pass from behind the net. He launched a one-timer on goal but the shot was low and Slukynsky was able to make a leg save to keep the Mavericks off of the scoresheet. After opening the period by icing the puck, Minnesota State was able to get its offense into gear and not only set up in the zone set up in the zone but finally get a good shot on goal. Slukynsky was able to stop the initial shot from Murr but the rebound from Zach Krajnik bounced up and was toward the goal off of a Bronco defender. As it was sliding towards the net, Kaden Bohlsen was the first one to reach the puck and he slammed it home to tie the match. End-to-end action persisted after the goal with both sides narrowly missing out on scoring chances. At around the 12-minute mark, Western appeared to commit a tripping penalty right in front of the Maverick net but neither referee made a call, much to the displeasure of Minnesota State. Fortunately for the Mavs, they were able to get control of the puck and push it back up the ice. With both teams not willing to take a risk and make a disastrous mistake, the game reverted to a tight-checking match but that didn't prevent the offenses from getting their chances. With about 9 minutes to play, MSU got on a late 2-on-1 but could not beat Slukynsky. Shortly afterwards, on a separate possession, Moravec attempted to lay a heavy hit on Bump but as the Bronco forward moved to avoid the check he caught a trailing leg and crashed to the ice. That play had the Western bench up in arms but the referees, perhaps as a makeup call, did not assess a penalty. Minnesota State continued to play physically, crashing into WMU players when the opportunities presented themselves and made use of the long leash provided by the refs. The final few minutes were played mostly in the Western end and Luigi Benincasa was nearly able to find the winning goal. With about 70 seconds left, The Maverick forward got a rebound right in front of the net and one-timed it towards the goal, the puck was rolling and he wasn't able to make good contact, causing the shot to just go off angle and bounce off of the far post. However, neither team could find the winning tally and overtime was needed. Western Michigan went on the attack at the start of OT but MSU's defense didn't crack. The kept up their physical play and then countered but were unable to get the puck past Slukynsky. A few minutes into the period, MSU committed three consecutive icings. In order to give his players a breather, head coach Luke Strand used his timeout. On the ensuing faceoff, the Mavs got control of the puck and skated it up the ice to take the pressure off. Minnesota State then began to establish zone time and got several good looks on goal but Western's sturdy defense was able to block the puck away. Even though only a few shots got through, Slukynsky still had to stay on the top of his game and stop several high-percentage chances. The middle of the period was typified by tight defense with the refs allowing both teams to commit letter-of-the-law penalties without punishment. MSU was able to take advantage of this and tilt the puck towards the Western end but that didn't prevent the Broncos from having chances of their own. Off of a faceoff in the Maverick end, Bump wired a shot high on goal but Tracy blocked it with his shoulder. A little later the Purple goaltender was called upon again to stop Grant Slukynsky at the side of the net and kept the game going. With five and half left in the period, Western committed an icing. With the players already tired from a long shift, it was Pat Ferschweiler's turn to call a timeout. About a minute later, Bump was able to find a streaking Michaels who went in alone on the MSU net but Tracy was able to make a glove save on a low shot. Both defenses were instrumental in keeping the puck out of the net for the final three minutes as both teams continued to press. With just a few seconds left, Bump found a rebound in front of the Minnesota State crease but he had to rush the shot and Alex Trace telescoped out to made the save just before the end of the period. Western again was the first to the attack at the beginning of the fifth period and almost was able to find the net just seconds into the session. MSU replied soon thereafter and had their own glorious chance halted by Slukynsky. A few minutes later, WMU coughed up the puck deep in their own end but Luc Wilson had the puck knocked off of his blade as he tried to stickhandle around the Bronco netminder. About a minute later, Western nearly found the net when Wyatt Schingoethe got the puck alone in front of the goal. Tracy made two toe saves before stopping Tim Washe on a third to save the team's season. With both teams growing increasingly fatigued, the hitting tailed off but MSU remained the more physical of the two. Nearing the middle of the period, Zach Nehring threw a weak shot on goal that Tracy was not able to collect. Grant Slukynsky backhanded the rebound which deflected off of Wilson into the net, ending the game. |
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Scoring statistics
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Rankings
Note: USCHO did not release a poll in week 12 or 26.[10]
Note: USA Hockey did not release a poll in week 12.
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Awards and honors
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References
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