The last matchup of the 2024-25 Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) is finally here and this might be a good time to run through both teams and see who has the edge.
So without further here’s the breakdown:
Minnesota State
Now it’s no secret the Minnesota State Mavericks are the favorites to win it all but how much of an edge do they have over St. Thomas?
Ranking at number 16 in the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) standings, the Mavericks are a powerhouse. Junior goaltender Alex Tracy was selected as a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award and named the CCHA’s Goaltender of the Year The Mavericks also have Defenseman of the Year in the sophomore Evan Murr.
But the Mavericks aren’t only menaces on the defense but they’re cranking on offense as well. The Mavericks are also home to Forward of the Year winner Rhett Pitlick. Recording a CCHA-best 30 points with 10 goals and 20 assists in 26 games. His fellow forward Zach Krajnik has also making some noise recently with his hat trick against Bemidji State in the quarterfinals.
Minnesota State seems to be in good hands as well, with their athletic director being one of 28 winning the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) AD of the Year award. Oh and don’t forget the Mavericks not only have home-ice advantage but also, according to Minnesota State Athletics, Minnesota State is 29-11-2 overall against St. Thomas dating back to 1975. With this win the Mavericks will be on their way to the NCAA tournament as well.
But no pressure.
St. Thomas
The St. Thomas Tommies are one of four teams in the country with 15 wins this season, winning eight regulation games in a row and breaking their program record. But will this be enough to win the steam-rolling Mavericks on the road?
Although they’re not the favorites, the Tommies seem to be comfortable breaking records with three players earning all-CCHA second-team honors, another first in program history. The Tommies also seem to be comfortable with goaltending with Jake Sibell winning all of his last 12 games and even becoming his verb. St. Thomas athletics like to say “getting Sibelled.”
The Tommies also have quite a few names in the CCHA rankings. Forwards Cooper Gay and Liam Malmquist are tied at first for the most goals in the league with 19 each and Lucas Wahlin at third with 17 goals. Malmquist is also ranked first in the CCHA assists with 37.
This game will be a nail-biter from start to finish and whoever’s hungrier will ultimately come out on top. The Mavericks have had all the glory but the Tommies aren’t shy about being the underdogs of the competition. This is a game you will not want to miss.
Puck drop: Friday, March 21 at 7:07 p.m. CST.
