Preview: Minnesota State faces Minnesota Thursday on ESPNU

Thursday, Apr. 7 at 8:30 p.m. (ET)
#6 Minnesota (26-12-0) vs. #2 Minnesota State (37-5-0)
TV: ESPNU
Video Stream: ESPN App & TSN App
Radio: MSU - 1420 AM & 102.7 FM KTOE
Live Stats: Click Here
Game Notes: UM | MSU

The Minnesota State University Mavericks, recipient of the 2022 MacNaughton Cup as the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) regular season champion and the 2022 Mason Cup as the CCHA playoff champion, is making its eighth NCAA tournament appearance this year and second consecutive birth in the Frozen Four.

CCHA Frozen Four Central Page

Minnesota State will represent the CCHA when they face-off vs. in-state opponent, University of Minnesota Gophers Thursday night in the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Frozen Four semifinal. Puck drop is set for 8:30 p.m. ET at TD Bank Arena (capacity 17,565) in Boston Mass. The game will be televised live on ESPNU and streamed live on the ESPN App here.

The winner of Thursday's game advances to the national championship game (TV: ESPN2) against the winner of Denver/Michigan on Saturday, April 9 at 7:00 p.m. CT.

Minnesota State, a one-seed in the NCAA Tournament and the overall number-two seed, has won 26 of their last 27 games and is on a 17-game winning streak. The Mavericks have been nationally ranked No. 1 the last eight consecutive weeks. Minnesota, a two-seed in NCAA Tournament and the overall number-six seed ended the regular season on an eight-game winning streak before falling to Michigan in the Big Ten Championship game and are currently ranked fifth in the nation.

In a series that dates back to 1998, Minnesota State has won seven of its last nine games vs. the University of Minnesota. The Gophers hold a 37-17-6 edge in the overall series. The last meeting between the two schools was at last year's NCAA Western regional championship game where the Mavericks claimed a 4-0 win to end Minnesota’s season, en-route to its first NCAA Frozen Four appearance.

The 2022 NCAA Men’s Division I Frozen Four field features three No. 1 seeds (Denver, Michigan, Minnesota State), a No. 2 seed (Minnesota) and a combined 22 national championships, the most ever in a single Frozen Four field.

Frozen Four Videos