NCAA Men's Hockey Sioux Falls District
Thursday, Saturday: Denny Sanford Premier Center
TV, stream: ESPNU and ESPN+ games
Gophers Game Radio: 103.5pm, 11:30am
Thursday's first semi-final match
No. 4 seed Rochester Institute of Technology vs. No. 1 seed Boston College, 4 p.m.
Tiger overview: RIT (27-10-2) won the Atlantic Hockey Association Tournament and also won the conference regular season title, earning a berth to the NCAA. The Tigers enter the tournament on a seven-game winning streak and have a record of 14 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw. Averaged 3.92 goals per game (6th in the nation) and 2.31 goals conceded (5th in the nation). Elijah Gonsalves and Matthew Wild paced RIT with 19 goals apiece, while Carter Wilkie (16-25-41) and Cody Laskosky (13-27-40) were the top scorers. . Goaltender Tommy Scarfone (25-8-2, 2.18 goals against average, .928 save percentage) is a third-year starter.
Terrier overview: Boston University (26-9-2) is the No. 2 overall seed in the 16-team NCAA field and finished runner-up to Boston College in both the regular season and tournament in the Hockey East. He is 10-2-1 against the Terriers and against teams in the NCAA field he is 7-5-1. BU has star power in freshman center Maclin Celebrini, who is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in this year's NHL Draft. Celebrini is tied for second in the nation in scoring (31 wins, 58 losses, 59 draws) and has 12 power play goals. Defenseman Lane Hutson, a 2023 first-team All-American selection, ranks second nationally among blueliners with a 13-33-46 record. Goaltender Mathieu Caron has started every game and has a 2.32 GAA and .917 save percentage.
Did you know that? RIT has been a giant killer in the past, defeating No. 1 overall seed Minnesota State Mankato 2-1 in 2015.
Thursday's second semifinal match
No. 3 Nebraska Omaha vs. No. 2 Gophers, 7:30 p.m.
Mavericks Overview: Nebraska-Omaha earned an NCAA bid after finishing runner-up in the NCHC Tournament and fifth in the regular season. The Mavericks are 12-3-2 since Jan. 26. UNO doesn't have a 30-point producer, but they do have six players with 20 or more points, led by Elko's Lutke brothers. Tanner, a freshman forward, had 11 goals and 17 assists, and Griffin, a sophomore defenseman, had four goals and 23 assists. Goaltender Simon Ratkoczy has a 19-11-3 record, a 2.62 GAA, and a .913 save percentage.
Gopher Overview: Minnesota (22-10-5) received an NCAA at-large bid after finishing third in the Big Ten regular season and losing in the tournament semifinals. The Gophers have continued to perform well in the second half of the season, going 13-5-1 since January 1st. Rhett Pitlick (19-16-35) and Jimmy Snageld (21-13-34) are the Gophers' top offensive threats, while Jackson Nelson has eight goals in the past six games. are doing. Goaltender Justen Crouse, a two-time Frozen Four veteran, is 21-8-5 with a 2.25 GAA and .926 save percentage this season.
Did you know that? The Gophers have an overall record of 5-3 against UNO, including a 7-2 win in the 2021 regional tournament in Loveland, Colorado.
Saturday Championship: Semifinal Winner, 5:30 p.m.
