Fighting Sioux 23
New member
Re: 2020 NCAA Hockey Tournament - What If: A Simulation of the 2019-2020 Postseason
Midwest Regional Final – Allentown
#1 –Minnesota State v. #2 – Penn State
With a spot in the Frozen Four in Detroit on the line, the Minnesota State Mavericks took on the Penn State Nittany Lions in front of a PSU-favorable crowd in Allentown this afternoon. Hobey Baker Finalist Dryden McKay took his spot in net for Minnesota State, while Peyton Jones manned the pipes for the Nittany Lions. The Mavericks tested Jones early and often in the first period, and midway through the opening stanza, MSU took advantage of Nikita Pavlychev’s boarding minor. With the man advantage, Minnesota State’s Nathan Smith held the puck along the far boards, and dished a cross ice pass to Ian Scheid at the top of the near circle. Scheid blasted a howitzer past Jones’ blocker, giving the Mavericks a 1-0 lead. McKay held firm in net for MSU in the first twenty minutes, and after one period of play, Minnesota State held a 1-0 advantage. The Mavericks added to their advantage early in the middle frame when Reggie Lutz grabbed a rebound at the top of the crease and put just enough lift on a wrister to clear Jones’ kick-save attempt to put MSU up 2-0. The Nittany Lions roared back, and midway through the period Cole Hults found Brandon Biro streaking through the neutral zone. Biro split the Maverick defenders, and sent a backhand that found just enough space on McKay five-hole to find the back of the net to pull PSU within a goal at 2-1. The Allentown crowd erupted with approval, and the Nittany Lions used the momentum to pour pressure on the Mavericks. The pressure paid off with just over four minutes to play in the second, when Pavlychev made up for his prior penalty by unleashing a rocket from the near boards that found its way through traffic and flew past a screened McKay to knot the score at 2-2. PSU continued their pressure the rest of the second period, but were unable to push the go-ahead goal before the period ended, and after forty minutes of play, MSU and PSU remained all square at 2-2. The Nittany Lions continued their offensive assault early in the third period, and just over three minutes into the final frame, PSU’s Nate Sucese lifted a wrister from the near circle that seemingly had eyes to the top shelf, just behind McKay’s outstretched blocker, and Penn State grabbed its first lead of the matchup. The Mavericks pushed valiantly for the equalizer, and earned a powerplay just past the midway point in the third after Tyler Gratton was called for interference in the neural zone. While Minnesota State launched four shots on goal, they were unable to solve Jones with the man advantage, and as the clocked ticked down, the Mavericks remained looking for the tying goal. Finally, with just over two minutes to play, Jack McNeely pinched in along the far boards and sent a wrister on net. The puck was blocked by a Penn State defender, but the puck went right to Nicholas Rivera’s stick in the slot, and Rivera wasted little time ripping a wrister that beat Jones stick-side, and knotted the score at 3-3. Both sides pushed for the certain game winner in the final minutes of regulation, but when the scoreboard showed all zeroes, overtime would be necessary to decide who would get to continue to play for the National Championship. Overtime would not last long however. On the first shift of extra time, Parker Tuomie grabbed a loose puck in the far corner, skated behind the PSU net and to the bottom of the near circle, and launched a wrister on Jones, who was able to make a kick-save, but the rebound went to Marc Michaelis’ stick, and the Senior Hobey Baker Finalist knew exactly what to do, lifting the puck into the gaping net to send the Minnesota State Mavericks to the Frozen Four, thanks to a 4-3 overtime victory over Penn State.
Midwest Regional Final – Allentown
#1 –Minnesota State v. #2 – Penn State
With a spot in the Frozen Four in Detroit on the line, the Minnesota State Mavericks took on the Penn State Nittany Lions in front of a PSU-favorable crowd in Allentown this afternoon. Hobey Baker Finalist Dryden McKay took his spot in net for Minnesota State, while Peyton Jones manned the pipes for the Nittany Lions. The Mavericks tested Jones early and often in the first period, and midway through the opening stanza, MSU took advantage of Nikita Pavlychev’s boarding minor. With the man advantage, Minnesota State’s Nathan Smith held the puck along the far boards, and dished a cross ice pass to Ian Scheid at the top of the near circle. Scheid blasted a howitzer past Jones’ blocker, giving the Mavericks a 1-0 lead. McKay held firm in net for MSU in the first twenty minutes, and after one period of play, Minnesota State held a 1-0 advantage. The Mavericks added to their advantage early in the middle frame when Reggie Lutz grabbed a rebound at the top of the crease and put just enough lift on a wrister to clear Jones’ kick-save attempt to put MSU up 2-0. The Nittany Lions roared back, and midway through the period Cole Hults found Brandon Biro streaking through the neutral zone. Biro split the Maverick defenders, and sent a backhand that found just enough space on McKay five-hole to find the back of the net to pull PSU within a goal at 2-1. The Allentown crowd erupted with approval, and the Nittany Lions used the momentum to pour pressure on the Mavericks. The pressure paid off with just over four minutes to play in the second, when Pavlychev made up for his prior penalty by unleashing a rocket from the near boards that found its way through traffic and flew past a screened McKay to knot the score at 2-2. PSU continued their pressure the rest of the second period, but were unable to push the go-ahead goal before the period ended, and after forty minutes of play, MSU and PSU remained all square at 2-2. The Nittany Lions continued their offensive assault early in the third period, and just over three minutes into the final frame, PSU’s Nate Sucese lifted a wrister from the near circle that seemingly had eyes to the top shelf, just behind McKay’s outstretched blocker, and Penn State grabbed its first lead of the matchup. The Mavericks pushed valiantly for the equalizer, and earned a powerplay just past the midway point in the third after Tyler Gratton was called for interference in the neural zone. While Minnesota State launched four shots on goal, they were unable to solve Jones with the man advantage, and as the clocked ticked down, the Mavericks remained looking for the tying goal. Finally, with just over two minutes to play, Jack McNeely pinched in along the far boards and sent a wrister on net. The puck was blocked by a Penn State defender, but the puck went right to Nicholas Rivera’s stick in the slot, and Rivera wasted little time ripping a wrister that beat Jones stick-side, and knotted the score at 3-3. Both sides pushed for the certain game winner in the final minutes of regulation, but when the scoreboard showed all zeroes, overtime would be necessary to decide who would get to continue to play for the National Championship. Overtime would not last long however. On the first shift of extra time, Parker Tuomie grabbed a loose puck in the far corner, skated behind the PSU net and to the bottom of the near circle, and launched a wrister on Jones, who was able to make a kick-save, but the rebound went to Marc Michaelis’ stick, and the Senior Hobey Baker Finalist knew exactly what to do, lifting the puck into the gaping net to send the Minnesota State Mavericks to the Frozen Four, thanks to a 4-3 overtime victory over Penn State.
