Bemidji State (9-14-1) at Michigan Tech (10-10-5)

In what is historically a formidable opponent for Bemidji State, the Beavers traveled to Houghton, MI, to slug it out for six important conference points against Michigan Tech.

An even first period in game one on 1/19 saw the Huskies narrowly outshoot the Beavers 11-10. Only 1:14 into the second, the Beavers broke the deadlock off a bad-angle goal from Eric Martin that slipped through goaltender Blake Pietila. With 7:36 to go in the period, Michigan Tech's Isaac Gordon scored to tie the game, and just under four minutes later, the Huskies recorded another goal to take a 2-1 lead.

After giving up a weak goal earlier in the game, Pietila had a strong third period and brushed aside all nine shots on net to help Michigan Tech defeat Bemidji State 2-1. 

In game two, Kirklan Irey started off the scoring to put Bemidji State ahead eight minutes into the game. A late-period power play opportunity led to a Lleyton Roed goal, his twelfth of the season, leading to a 2-0 Beavers lead after one. Bemidji State goaltender Mattias Sholl stood on his head in period two to keep Michigan Tech off the board and the Beavers' two-goal lead intact, with Sholl making 37 saves through two periods.

With 6:14 remaining, the Huskies finally found a way past Sholl to make it a one-goal game, and with time expiring and their goaltender pulled, Michigan Tech sent the game to overtime after tying it with only 4.9 seconds left. The extra session went scoreless, and Bemidji State won the shootout, claiming the extra conference point to hold their second-place position in the CCHA standings. 

The Beavers will have one final bye weekend before resuming play against Augustana on 2/2 and 2/3 in Bemidji. 

No. 10 Minnesota (14-6-4) vs. Ohio State (9-11-4)

The Gophers returned to Big Ten play this weekend and welcomed Ohio State to campus, a series that has favored Minnesota in recent history with a 7-1-2 record in their previous 10 games. 

Minnesota opened game one with their most complete period of play this season, outshooting the Buckeyes 17-6 and leading 3-0 after one. The Rhett Pitlick-Oliver Moore-Jimmy Snuggerud line drove the scoring, with Pitlick and Snuggerud picking up a goal and Moore collecting two assists.

The second period saw a strong pushback from the Buckeyes, who tallied the lone goal of the period on a power play. Just over three minutes into the third, the Gophers extended their lead to 4-1 before making it 5-1 only minutes later, with Rhett Pitlick nicely finishing both goals to complete his first collegiate hat trick. Ohio State added another power-play goal to close out the game, and the Gophers won 5-2, with Justen Close making 27 saves in his twelfth win this season. 

A quiet first period in game two was followed by a four-goal second, with fourth-liner Garrett Pinoniemi scoring his first goal this season to put Minnesota ahead. With 12:39 remaining in the period, a quick snapshot from Bryce Brodzinski doubled the Gophers lead, but the Buckeyes responded on the next shift, making it 2-1 on a goal from Joe Dunlap. Late in the period, Rhett Pitlick scored to make it 3-1, snapping a quick shot directly off the draw in a similar fashion to one of his goals the night before.

In the third, Minnesota added goals from Aaron Huglen and Jaxon Nelson to extend the lead to 5-1 and put the game out of reach. The Buckeyes added two quick goals to claw it back to 5-3 with five minutes remaining, but the Gophers sealed the home sweep with a late empty netter, winning 6-3.

Minnesota moved into fourth place in the conference standings and will now travel to East Lansing to face the No. 7 ranked Michigan State Spartans (16-5-3), with games on 1/26 and 1/27. 

Minnesota Duluth (8-11-4) at No. 11 Western Michigan (15-6-1) 

Minnesota Duluth's first road trip of 2024 saw the team head to Kalamazoo, MI, for a series against the Western Michigan Broncos. 

The Bulldogs' Anthony Menghini opened the scoring 1:42 into game one, but the Broncos equalized to close the period tied at 1-1. Ahead 2-1 to start the third after a Ben Steeves power-play goal in the second, freshman Braden Fischer scored his first goal of the season to double the Bulldogs lead 2:49 into the period.

Then, a flurry of goals took place, with Western Michigan scoring twice, but Minnesota Duluth responded both times to hold onto their two-goal advantage and lead 5-3 heading into the final five minutes of regulation. With 3:19 remaining, the Bulldogs were gifted a 2-on-0 opportunity, and Kyler Kleven buried it, scoring his first goal of the season while clinching a critical 6-3 road win for UMD. 

Game two started swimmingly for the Bulldogs with goals from Ben Steeves and Blake Biondi, putting the team ahead 2-0 after one, but unfortunately, it all went downhill from there. In the second, the Broncos cut the lead in half 5:36 into the period before Carter Berger tied the game at 2-2 only a minute later, with Western Michigan outshooting UMD 14-5 in the middle frame.

That 2-2 score held through most of the third period when the Broncos' Sam Colangelo scored the game-winner with 3:17 remaining, with Western Michigan adding two empty net goals to score five unanswered and beat UMD 5-2.

The Bulldogs will return home after their series split and suit up next against the last-ranked NCHC team, the Miami RedHawks (7-13-2), with puck drop at 7:07 PM on 1/26 and 1/27. 

Minnesota State (12-9-3) at Bowling Green (8-16-0)

The Mavericks traveled to Ohio this weekend for a series against Bowling Green, hoping to keep their winning streak alive after beating the Falcons in their previous 13 games. 

Minnesota State opened the scoring 6:53 into the game, but the Falcons answered back late in the period to head into the second all squared up at 1-1. Bowling Green took a 2-1 lead early in the second before Lucas Sowder equalized for Minnesota State, with Sowder recording his eighth goal of the season.

Down 3-2 to start the third, it took the Mavericks only 19 seconds to level the score again, as Brian Carrabes finished a beautiful tic-tac-toe passing play. Still tied at 3-3 with little time remaining, Bowling Green's Ethan Scardina capitalized on a Maverick defenseman's error to walk in alone and beat the goaltender, securing a 4-3 victory and ending the Falcons' losing streak against Minnesota State. 

In game two, Minnesota State outshot Bowling Green 15-7 in the opening period, and captain Sam Morton scored late in the period to put the Mavericks ahead 1-0 at the first intermission.

That 1-0 lead held until the waning minutes of the second period when Kaden Bohlsen and Lucas Sowder added back-to-back goals only 47 seconds apart to extend the Mavericks' lead to 3-0. The third period was an ugly one in which 60 total penalty minutes were called, including four game misconducts, with both teams adding late-period goals to finish with a 4-1 Minnesota State scoreline. 

With the split, the Mavericks sit in third place in the CCHA standings and are four points behind first-place St. Thomas. Up next on the docket is a home series against Northern Michigan on 1/26 and 1/27 before a home-and-home series against the Tommies on 2/2 and 2/3. 

No. 13 St. Cloud (11-7-4) vs. No. 6 North Dakota (16-6-2)

It was a battle between the two top teams in the NCHC this weekend, and in game one, the visiting Fighting Hawks started the scoring and led 2-0 after one. Only 24 seconds into period two, the Huskies made it 2-1 off a tally from Mason Salquist; however, later in the period, Jackson Blake added his second goal to put North Dakota in front 3-1 heading into the third period.

A back-and-forth third period ensued, with St. Cloud striking twice, but the Fighting Hawks had an answer each time, sealing a 5-3 victory with a late empty netter. The Huskies' third goal was scored by senior forward Veeti Miettinen, who, with that goal, became the 39th player in St. Cloud history to reach 100 points. 

In front of a capacity crowd in game two, the Huskies scored first via Kyler Kupka, but it took North Dakota only eight seconds to respond, with Jackson Blake corralling a turnover off the draw and scoring his third goal of the series. An even second period followed and almost went scoreless before Grant Ahcan scored on a semi-breakaway goal to put St. Cloud ahead 2-1 heading into the second intermission. A fortuitous bounce tied the game at 2-2 only 2:03 into the third before Veeti Miettinen regained the lead for St. Cloud minutes later for his thirteenth goal this season.

With just under seven minutes to go, Cameron Berg tallied his twelfth goal of the season to make it 3-3, and the game eventually headed to overtime. Dominic Basse made a few big saves for the Huskies in overtime to force a shootout where St. Cloud won it and secured two conference points, leading both teams to end the weekend with 26 points in the NCHC standings.

St. Cloud will remain at home this week and welcome Nebraska Omaha (11-9-2) to town for two games on 1/26 and 1/27.

St. Thomas (12-11-1) at Northern Michigan (8-12-2)

Earning a sweep at home against the Wildcats earlier this season, the reverse trip to Marquette, MI, would end up being a tougher battle for the Tommies this weekend. 

Leading game one by a score of 1-0 to start the second, Northern Michigan doubled their lead 2:59 into the period off a goal from Michael Colella. With under eight minutes to go in the period, the Tommies cut the lead in half via a power play goal from Ryan O'Neill, tallying the sixth goal of the season for the St. Thomas Academy Cadet.

Around four minutes later, a Luc Laylin tip tied the game at 2-2, and the teams headed to the third period all square. Only 2:28 into the third, the Wildcats scored a go-ahead goal and the eventual game-winner, as Beni Halasz saved all 13 third-period St. Thomas shots in the 3-2 Northern Michigan victory. 

St. Thomas flipped the script in game two and took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission off Lucas Wahlin's team-leading tenth goal this season. The second period saw the Tommies take three straight minor penalties, and the Wildcats capitalized to tie it at 1-1. It did not take long for St. Thomas to respond as Cooper Gay pounced on an open puck to score a shorthanded breakaway goal, leading 2-1 after two.

With 8:02 remaining in regulation, a pinpoint shot from Ryan O'Neill extended the lead to 3-1, and the Tommies held on for the win, leaving Michigan with the series split and a first-place spot in the CCHA standings. 

The Tommies will have an off weekend before returning to competition against Minnesota State at home on 2/2 and 2/3.