Head-to-head, winner-takes-all matchups between the top two teams in the conference in the regular season’s final weekend don’t happen all the time. But when they do, they should be savored. In the past decade, we’ve seen this happen once before in the race for the MacNaughton Cup. The last time it happened – the 2019-20 … Read more
It always feels like this. In the 10 years I’ve spent covering the old WCHA, then the new WCHA, and now finally the new CCHA, it can often feel like I’m writing the same story every year at the season’s end: Nothing is decided, and everyone is pretty close. Michigan Tech leads Minnesota State by … Read more
It’s that time of year again. I’m not talking about the holidays. I’m talking about the end of the first half of the college hockey season, when my editors generously let me write a thousand or so words where I get to pretend like I’m Nostradamus. And, if you’ve been following the CCHA at all … Read more
It’s a holiday tradition unlike any other: Minnesota State versus Bemidji State in mid-December for a chance at first place in the conference at the break. If this scenario sounds familiar, it’s because it’s happened before. It’s unclear if it’s some kind of grand design or just how the schedule has happened to play out, … Read more
Minnesota State did the CCHA double a year ago, winning both the regular season and tournament title. The Mavericks were also 20 minutes away from their first NCAA Division I title. While all three of those are certainly in MSU’s sights this season, there’s another, more unofficial title the Mavericks can win this season: Minnesota … Read more
The first season of the CCHA’s return to competition was nearly perfect. We’ll stress the word “nearly” there. Minnesota State came within a period of winning its first-ever national title, leading Denver 1-0 going into the third period of the NCAA championship game before ultimately losing 5-1. That, of course, wasn’t the way the Mavericks … Read more
Minnesota State has been selected by the CCHA head coaches to win the MacNaughton Cup, which is awarded to the regular-season champion, in the 2022-23 preseason coaches poll. The defending champions and Frozen Four finalists also won the 2022 Mason Cup as the league’s tournament winners. The Mavericks collected six first-place votes and totaled 69 … Read more
Minnesota State has announced that Cory Lonke is joining the men’s hockey staff as goaltending coach. Lonke spent the 2021-22 season in the same role with the USHL’s Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. In addition, Lonke was the goaltending coach for the NAHL’s Austin Bruins in 2020-21 and served as an assistant coach with the NAHL’s Minot … Read more
Minnesota State goalie Dryden McKay closed out his senior season in dominant fashion, becoming the first Maverick in program history and the first goaltender since 2001 to win the Hobey Baker Memorial Award. Last week, he was also named the USA Hockey Jim Johannson College Player of the Year. The Downers Grove, Ill., native capped … Read more
Earlier this week, Minnesota State senior goalie and 2022 Hobey Baker Award winner Dryden McKay received a six-month anti-doping suspension for a banned substance found in a contaminated vitamin supplement. In a statement, the USADA said that McKay tested positive for ostarine as the result of a sample collected on January 23, 2022, at McKay’s … Read more
Already the 2022 Hobey Baker Award winner as the top college hockey player in 2021-22, Minnesota State senior goaltender Dryden McKay has been named the USCHO.com player of the year. McKay, a three-time All-American went 38-5-0 record this season with a 1.31 GAA, .931 save percentage and 10 shutouts. McKay’s 38 wins this year led … Read more
Minnesota State coach Mike Hastings has been named an assistant coach for the 2022 U.S. Men’s National Team. Team USA will compete in the 2022 IIHF Men’s World Championship May 13-29 in Tampere and Helsinki, Finland, with David Quinn previously announced as the squad’s head coach. Hastings is serving as an assistant coach of a … Read more
The final men’s monthly honorees of the 2021-22 season, covering the months of March and April, as chosen by the Hockey Commissioners Association are Denver sophomore defenseman Mike Benning (player), Michigan freshman defenseman Luke Hughes (rookie) and Minnesota State senior goalie Dryden McKay (goaltender). Benning was named Most Outstanding Player of the Frozen Four with … Read more
Minnesota State junior forward Nathan Smith has signed with the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes, forgoing his senior season with the Mavericks. Smith, whose rights were traded from Winnipeg to Arizona last month, ranked second in the nation in scoring this year and first on the Mavericks in scoring with 19 goals and 31 assists for 50 … Read more
The Mavericks had chances to extend a one-goal lead but Magnus Chrona kept the Pioneers in the game.
Minnesota State scored with Mike Benning in the penalty box but he contributed a goal and an assist in the Pioneers’ third-period rally.
“Once we started helping each other out, it made a huge difference,” said Denver’s Mike Benning, who scored the go-ahead goal.
The Mavericks hadn’t lost when leading after two since a mid-October matchup against Michigan.
Denver captured its record-tying ninth NCAA championship Saturday by rallying for a 5-1 victory against Minnesota State at TD Garden.
Mike Benning’s goal gave the Pioneers the lead for good and Magnus Chrona kept Denver in the game with big saves.