![Beavers goaltender Zach Driscoll (33) went down to make a save on a shot by Gophers forward Brannon McManus (7) in the second period. ] ANTHONY SOUFFLE • anthony.souffle@startribune.com](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/MKH23XGPPWTC4H43YM4OEK5TNA.jpg?&w=1080)
College hockey fans in Minnesota experienced an embarrassment in riches last year, when three teams from the state – St. Cloud State, Minnesota State and Minnesota Duluth -- earned No. 1 seeds for the NCAA men's tournament. Though only UMD would advance to the Frozen Four in Buffalo, N.Y. – and win its second consecutive national championship – the Minnesota representation atop the field was unprecedented for any state.
A year later, Minnesota likely won't have three No. 1 NCAA seeds, but it is in line to have two. Minnesota State is No. 2 in the PairWise Ratings, the formula the NCAA uses to fill its 16-team field, while Minnesota Duluth has steadily climbed to No. 4. Both are considered locks to make the NCAA field.
But it's not only at the top where Minnesota could have an NCAA tournament presence. Both Bemidji State and the Gophers have used second-half surges to position themselves well. On Dec. 29, the Beavers left the Mariucci Classic after falling to both Minnesota and Minnesota State. But since then, they have embarked on a 10-1-1 stretch that has them No. 12 in the PairWise and in the NCAA field, as of now. With its 5-0 and 5-1 sweep at Northern Michigan last weekend, Bemidji State (18-8-4) clinched at least second place in the WCHA and trails Minnesota State by five points. The Beavers travel to Alaska Anchorage this weekend before closing the regular season with a home series against Minnesota State.
"It's a testament to the players and the leadership group. They've done an outstanding job,'' said Beavers coach Tom Serratore, whose team has scored four or more goals in nine of the 12 games in the current hot streak. "The biggest thing is we're playing a balanced game right now. There's such a fine line between winning and losing, and that's every night.''
Leading Bemidji offensive surge have been forwards Owen Sillinger (five goals, 14 assists in the past 12 games) and Adam Brady (7-6-13) and defenseman Tommy Muck (3-7-10). Not to be outdone, goalie Zach Driscoll is 9-1-1 during the streak and has allowed two goals or fewer in nine of those 11 games, lowering his goals-against average to 1.65.
"For whatever reason,'' Serratore said, "we're living right right now. We're finding a way to get it done.''
The Gophers (14-11-5) have work to do to reach the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2017, though because they lead the Big Ten standings in points percentage, I'll project them to win the Big Ten tournament and NCAA automatic bid -- just as I do with every other conference leader in this snapshot.
After a 5-9-4 start during a challenging first-half schedule, coach Bob Motzko's young team has found its stride. Beginning with victories over Bemidji State and St. Cloud State to win the Mariucci Classic, the Gophers are 9-2-1 and have moved into a tie for No. 15 the PairWise with Western Michigan and UMass Lowell. In addition, this weekend's series at No. 10 Penn State gives Minnesota a chance to move up in the PairWise if it wins and bolster its NCAA at-large case. The Gophers and Nittany Lions are tied atop the Big Ten standings, but Minnesota has two games in hand.
