The Bemidji State Beavers are one weekend away from clinching their first-ever CCHA championship and first regular-season title since capturing the WCHA championship in 2017 after a 3-1 win over St. Thomas to complete a weekend sweep.
The Beavers took five of six points in the CCHA standings after winning 6-5 in overtime on Friday night. This sets up a meeting with second-place Minnesota State in the final weekend to the regular season. Two of six points next weekend would earn Bemidji State the outright league title.
Kyle Looft gave the Beavers a lead it would never relinquish at 13:12 of the first period. Eric Pohlkamp and Vince Corcoran each scored in the third to extend the lead before Liam Malmquist pulled the Tommies within two late.
Eric Pohlkamp banks it off a defender's skate and the Beavers are up by two with 13 to play!#GoBeavers #BeaverTerritory pic.twitter.com/3sLPZpuu4D
— Bemidji State Men’s Hockey (@BSUBeaversMHKY) February 25, 2024
Mattias Sholl finished the game with 24 saves to earn the victory for the Beavers.
Minnesota State, which won on Saturday, 4-3, over Lake Superior to split the weekend series, remains in striking distance but must take five points next weekend against Bemidji State to share the title and would need a sweep of regulation wins and six points to win the title outright.
No. 16 New Hampshire 3, No. 14 Massachusetts 2 (F/OT)
Liam Devlin scored at 1:13 of overtime as New Hampshire rallied from 2-1 down late and earned the victory over UMass, 3-2, in a battle that could mean plenty to the PairWise Rankings just four weeks short of Selection Sunday.
Devlin does it in overtime!
‘Cats take down UMass 3-2!#BeTheRoar pic.twitter.com/b9aVg1wHGD
— UNH Men's Hockey (@UNHMHOCKEY) February 25, 2024
Getting to overtime on the road for UMass likely will pay dividends. Despite the loss, UMass slipped just one spot to 13th. They began the weekend ranked 15th and below the PairWise cut line but jumped to 12th after Friday’s home win over UNH.
UMass looked like it might be headed for a second-straight regulation win after Cole O’Hara struck not once, but twice, his second coming with 12:35 left in regulation to break a 1-1 deadlock.
UNH captain Alex Gagne scored his first goal of the season, though, with just 2:09 remaining redirecting a shot-pass home. UMass unsuccessfully challenged for goaltender interference on the play. That forced the overtime session and provided Devlin with the chance to play hero.
Oh Captain, My Captain.
Alex Gagne ties the game at 2!
Game Day Central ➡️ https://t.co/4BO1zVjqUg
Watch Live on @ESPNPlus ➡️ https://t.co/vBfbkqTA99 #BeTheRoar @HarvardPilgrim pic.twitter.com/czr99x22wK— UNH Men's Hockey (@UNHMHOCKEY) February 25, 2024
UMass is now tied with Providence, which won 2-1 on Saturday at UMass Lowell, for the fourth and final home ice spot in the Hockey East quarterfinals with two weekends remaining. New Hampshire sits in sixth place, two points behind UMass and Providence.
No. 4 North Dakota 4, Minnesota Duluth 2
The Fighting Hawks completed a much-needed get right weekend with a 4-2 victory over Minnesota Duluth to complete a two-game sweep of the Bulldogs.
The sweep helps erase the memory of two difficult road losses at the hands of Colorado College a weekend ago.
North Dakota remains in first place in the NCHC standings, three points ahead of St. Cloud and seven ahead of Denver with two weekends to play. Both St. Cloud and Denver were victorious on Saturday.
North Dakota never trailed on Saturday, jumping to a 2-0 lead on goals by Jayden Perron in the first and Jackson Kunz in the second. But Minnesota Duluth had plenty of fight, tying the game in the middle frame on goals by Aiden Dubinsky and Jack Smith.
Dylan James, though, played the role of hero at Englestad Arena, scoring twice in the third, the game-winner coming at 4:14 of the frame.
DJ, turn us UP!#UNDproud | #LGH pic.twitter.com/m8MM09mzoT
— North Dakota Hockey (@UNDmhockey) February 25, 2024
Ludvig Persson finished with 26 saves to earn the victory on a night North Dakota was outshot, 28-21.
No. 4 Michigan State 5, Ohio State 2
Host Michigan State scored three times in the second period to seize control and earn a much needed Big Ten victory and a split with a very pesky Ohio State team, 5-2.
The Buckeyes, which prior to last weekend had just a single Big Ten win, swept the Wisconsin a week ago and then upset Michigan State on Friday night. But the Spartans responded on Saturday, scoring three times on the power play – including twice on a five-minute major past the midway point of the second period – to earn the victory.
Seventh – SEVENTH – goal of the season for Gavin O'Connell against the Buckeyes. Third this weekend.
That's not a typo. pic.twitter.com/roud6Nix1N
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) February 25, 2024
Karsen Dorwart paced the offense for Michigan State with a goal and two assists. While goaltender Trey Augustine made 28 saves to earn his 19th win over the season.
Air Force 2, Robert Morris 1
The host Falcons rallied from a 1-0 deficit, tying the game in the second frame before Mason McCormick scored the game-winner with 11:52 left in regulation to earn a 2-1 victory over Robert Morris and sew up the fourth and final home ice spot in the Atlantic Hockey quarterfinals.
FOR THE LEAD 💥 pic.twitter.com/YT8yW9xDRe
— Air Force Hockey (@AF_HKY) February 25, 2024
The Falcons, along with champion RIT, as well as Holy Cross and Sacred Heart will all have byes next weekend when the Atlantic Hockey playoffs begin before hosting the following weekend. AIC will travel to Air Force for the best-of-three quarterfinals, while RIT, Holy Cross and Sacred Heart will all host opponents to be determined based on the result of next weekend’s single-elimination first round games.
Tanner Klimpkie got Robert Morris on the board at 4:05 of the first, a lead that held until Brian Adams knotted the score at 7:35 of the second.
McCormick’s game-winner spoiled a fantastic 44-save effort for Colonials goaltender Francis Boisvert. Guy Blessing made 19 saves to earn the win for Air Force.
