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No. 6-seeded MSU hockey faces familiar foe to open national tournament

Alex Eisen/MDN Minot State’s Dylan Johnson (16) stands in front of the net against the University of Illinois in an ACHA Division I National Tournament semifinal game played last year in Columbus, Ohio.

FRISCO, Texas — The computer rankings have an intriguing sense of humor.

A year removed from bowing out of the ACHA Division I National Tournament in the semifinals against the University of Illinois, the No. 6-seeded Minot State men’s club hockey team will square off against the No. 11-seeded Fighting Illini in the opening round of the national tournament for both squads this afternoon in Frisco, Texas.

It’s a rematch to behold, as this is the fifth meeting between Minot State and Illinois over the past two seasons with the series tied at two wins apiece.

“There are certainly no secrets between the two teams,” MSU head coach Wade Regier said. “We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses… It’s the national tournament. You are going to have those ebbs and flows in a one-game playoff. For both teams, I think it’s going to be interesting to see which team really keeps their emotions in check and plays the most disciplined.”

While the Beavers did graduate a handful of players last year, those who are returning to the national stage for another go-around certainly remember what happened last season.

“A tough loss to them last year when they knocked us out of the tournament,” captain Blake Fournier said. “So, I think it’s time for us to do the same thing to them.”

This is the first time in four years that MSU enters the national tournament without the No. 1 ranking next to its name. No longer with that glaring target on their backs, the Beavers find themselves with a renewed mindset.

“I kind of like the underdog mentality,” Fournier said. “It doesn’t really matter what (seed) you go in as. Whether you are No. 1 or No. 20, everyone has a shot to get it done. You got to beat everyone anyways. It’s a new challenge and maybe eyes won’t be on us as much and we could surprise a few teams.”

After a slow start to the 2018-19 season, MSU needed a wake-up call. Back-to-back defeats against Iowa State on Oct. 26-27, 2018, did exactly that.

“I don’t think a lot of people would have thought we be in the position that we are,” Fournier said. “There was a huge turnover in losing a lot of guys last year. Then, a really tough start to the year. But, since Halloween and couple tough losses to Iowa (State), we have really turned the corner and put ourselves in a nice position – jumping from No. 18 (ranked) to No. 6 is a pretty big accomplishment by itself, but we are definitely not satisfied yet.”

Now, the Beavers are one of the hottest teams in the country, winning 12 out of their last 13 games.

It’s been a group effort to get pucks in the net with Davis Sheldon (16 goals, 19 assists), Shain Scheschuk (19, 15), Johl Swedlo (14, 20) and Dylan Gejdos (15, 15) racking up 30 points or more this season. Eight different players have scored 10 or more goals.

“We had a little bit of a learning curve at the start,” Gejdos said. “We got that wake-up call when we were ranked 18th and we have battled back every since.”

In net, Minot native Breydan Effertz has emerged as the go-to goalie with a 17-2 record, sparkling 94.8 save percentage and an ACHA Division I leading 1.16 goals against average.

Joshua Bykowski, who started last season’s semifinal contest against Illinois, has had a solid season as well with a 9-2 record, 93.0 save percentage and 1.64 goals against average.

Illinois also has a pair of goaltenders, Elliot Gerth and Jake Barnhart, who could start against the Beavers. Gerth has the slightly better numbers (2.47 goals against, 91.2 save percentage), but has played over 500 minutes less than Barnhart (2.56 goals against, 91.2 save percentage).

“Their all-star goaltender is no longer there and they have been doing it by committee,” Regier said. “So, we don’t actually know who they might start in goal. It’s a little tough to prepare for that.”

Offensively, the Fighting Illini is led by freshman forward Kacper Ryba with 18 goals and 15 assists. Backing him up is sophomore Thomas Kolaz (14 goals, 18 assists), who scored the game-winning goal against the Beavers in the semifinals last year.

“They are a team built on speed with a big ice (rink),” Regier said. “Their home ice is 190- by 115-feet. It’s almost 30-feet wider than an NHL-sized rink. So, we feel like our big size is going to be an advantage for us to slow their speed down.”

The 1:30 p.m. puck drop this afternoon will also provide some unique challenges.

“Your routine gets thrown off a little bit in terms of when you eat, when you have your nap, when you like to get to the rink and do your walk around,” Regier said. “The thing is, though, they have to play at 1:30 p.m. too. So, nobody is getting an advantage… It will play a factor, especially moving forward with logistics. But, we will cross those bridges when it comes.”

The winner of the rematch affair will advance to face Adrian College in the quarterfinals Sunday with another 1:30 p.m. start time at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas. The semifinals will be held Monday and the national championship on Tuesday.

MSU would need to win four games in four days to bring home its second ACHA Division I national title.

Alex Eisen covers Minot State athletics, the Minot Minotauros and high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @AEisen13.

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