The Minnesota State men’s hockey team did pretty much everything right.
The Mavericks just came up a goal short.
Alex Tracy delivered an incredible performance for MSU in a 2-1 double-overtime loss to Western Michigan in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Thursday at Scheels Arena in Fargo, N.D.
“I thought they showed up every minute of the game,” MSU coach Luke Strand said of his team. “Very proud of the guys, especially the guys who have stuck here and stayed here. They moved the needle for our program, which is impressive.”
Tracy made several spectacular saves throughout both overtime periods, but the Broncos’ Grant Slukynsky scored the game-winning goal off a rebound at 7:14 of the second overtime.
It appeared Western Michigan was going to end the game just minutes earlier, but Tracy made four saves in quick succession, three of which came from point-blank range at the goal mouth.
The Mavericks also had chances to score throughout both overtimes, but Broncos’ goalie Hampton Slukynsky was also stout.
Tracy is a finalist for both the Mike Richter and Hobey Baker Memorial awards.
“This guy is standing tall in big moments in games, regardless of opponent, regardless of league we play in,” Strand said. “You can’t say enough about Alex Tracy, the goaltender, the person.”
A physical first period ended in a scoreless tie, but the Mavericks took a penalty in the final 30 seconds of the frame.
The Broncos cashed in on the power play on the other side of the intermission, with Liam Valente wiring a high wrist shot past Tracy 48 seconds into the second.
The Mavericks were unfazed by the goal and began to generate offense in the ensuing minutes. Will Hillman beat a Broncos’ defender to the goal off a rush, but his shot was stopped in close. Late in the second, Josh Groll had a point-blank look from the slot denied, as the Broncos took a 1-0 lead into the second intermission.
The Mavericks broke through at 1:51 of the third, with Kaden Bohlsen banging home Zach Krajnik’s rebound. Evan Murr initially fired the puck toward the goal from the point, prior to Krajnik’s shot, which ended up laying in the crease just inches from the goal line. Bohlsen was able to beat the Broncos to the loose puck.
The Mavericks seemed to get stronger as the game went along, which Strand said he was proud to see. MSU players train together via an organized workout program each summer, something many programs don’t do.
“Not many teams or people are willing to go through the grind that these guys have gone through,” Strand said. “I thought our conditioning showed up when we needed it to at the end.”
MSU continued to generate offense down the stretch, but neither team could score in the final minutes of regulation.
Final shots on goal favored the Broncos 44-29. Tracy made 42 saves for MSU.
The Mavericks finish the season at 27-9-3.
Strand said before the tournament that he felt Western Michigan was the best team in the country. He thought this game was a great measuring stick.
“If that’s four in the country, we’re in a pretty good spot as a program,” Strand said. “To our guys’ credit, I thought we learned how to do things together. We learned how to win together, we learned how to persevere together.”