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Season over for MSU hockey teams, ACHA National Tournament canceled amid COVID-19 concerns

One of the hardest team meetings Wade Regier or Ryan Miner has ever had to conduct happened Thursday afternoon. Both Minot State hockey coaches had to inform their separate teams that the season was abruptly over.

“No one ever wants to hear that,” said Miner, the MSU women’s hockey head coach. “To hear your season is done just like that is upsetting.”

Following in line with the NHL’s decision to pause the 2019-20 season in light of the ongoing developments resulting from COVID-19, the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) issued a statement to cancel the 2020 National Championship Tournament which was set to begin at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas, on March 19.

The Minot State men’s hockey team, the defending ACHA Division I champions, were getting ready to practice on Thursday when Regier delivered the heart-wrenching news.

The No. 5-seeded Beavers were slated to play No. 12-seeded Jamestown in their opening-round tournament game on March 21.

“It’s devastating,” Regier said. “This squad had aspirations to win another national title. All of that hard work we put toward it, and now it’s no longer there. It’s tough, and it has been crazy.”

The Minot State women’s hockey team was going to make its first appearance at the ACHA Division I National Tournament after making the jump up from Division II. The Beavers earned the No. 2 seed in the tournament and were going to play No. 7-seeded McKendree University in the first-round series that was scheduled to start on March 25.

“All the hard work that these girls have put in, for it to be ripped away from them is devastating,” Miner said. “Obviously, it’s out of our control, but it’s still disappointing. We are probably going to hang our heads for a while over this, and it’s going to be hard to let go. But, at the end of the day, it’s out of our control. On the positive side, the season we had this year was spectacular.”

The ACHA initially released a video leading up to nationals stating they were monitoring the situation and that the tournament was still on. But, after seeing major sports in the NBA, NHL and NCAA enforce restrictions, postpone and then cancel events altogether to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the falling dominoes eventually reached the ACHA.

“When USA Hockey canceled its national championships late last night, I knew this wasn’t a good sign,” Regier said. “I woke up this morning and from about 7:30 a.m. to when I went to the rink at 11:30 a.m., I was on my phone constantly with coaches, officials and people in Texas. But once the NBA and NHL shut down, I knew they weren’t going to allow the ACHA to have their tournament. It was tough seeing it all unfold.”

The cancelation of the national tournament marks the end of the season. It’s a sudden end to the collegiate careers for 10 Minot State seniors.

The men’s team featured seven seniors: captain Blake Fournier, Dylan Johnson, Alex Bechtold, Holden Kurtz, Joshua Bykowski, Kent Walchuk and Johl Swedlo.

“I told them to look back — I know it’s sad and frustrating right now — and I’m proud of them,” Regier said. “These seven guys only know final fours — two in Columbus and one in Texas last season. All they know is winning games and a championship… I know it hurts for them right now, but they can look back and know they helped maintain the culture, pride and excellence that is Beavers hockey.”

The women’s team featured three seniors: Mackenzie Balogh, Brooke Mead and Shelby Tornato.

“My heart goes out to the seniors,” Miner said. “You thank them for everything they have done, the accomplished they have had and the leadership they have shown for this program. Four years ago, when this program was starting to get under its feet here, they were at the ground floor. They helped build this program up. Without them, this program wouldn’t be here. There is not enough thanks and appreciation to give to them.”

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

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