There will be a team from the State of Hockey in the NCAA Frozen Four as the top-ranked Minnesota Gophers and the St. Cloud State Huskies won their first-round games in the NCAA men’s hockey tournament.
Saint Cloud defeated Minnesota State-Mankato 4-0 in the first game of the Fargo Regional, and hours later the Gophers throttled Canisius 9-2. The Gophers and Huskies will meet in the Regional Final on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
Canisius, which found its way into the tournament despite finishing 41st in the national Pairwise Rankings, led the Gophers 2-1 midway through the second period before Minnesota scored twice to take a 3-2 lead into the final 20 minutes of regulation.And it was a dominant third period by Minnesota.
The Gophers lit the lamp six times in the third period, fueled by a natural hat trick by senior Bryce Brodzinski, along with goals from Jimmy Snuggerud, Brody Lamb and Mason Nevers.
Boston University and Cornell, which upset defending champion Denver, advanced in the Massachusetts Regional. They’ll meet Saturday at 4 p.m. with a trip to the Frozen Four on the line.
