Bemidji State (11-15-2) at Northern Michigan (9-14-5)

Bemidji State's last out-of-state trip of the regular season saw the team travel to Marquette, MI, to battle the Northern Michigan Wildcats.

The Beavers carried a 1-0 lead into period two, but back-to-back power-play goals from the Wildcats saw them fall behind 2-1 halfway through the second. It did not take long for the Beavers to retake the lead as goals from Eric Martin and Adam Flammang quickly led to a 3-2 Bemidji advantage at the second intermission. The Wildcats stormed back with 17 shots on net in the third period, but an Eric Pohlkamp power-play goal with 6:32 solidified the victory, with Mattias Sholl making 23 saves in the Beavers's 4-2 win. 

Scoreless through one in game two, both teams traded punches in the second, with Warroad's own Grant Slukynsky starting the scoring for Northern Michigan. At the 8:03 minute mark, the Beavers tied it at one-all before Artem Shlaine put the Wildcats back in front, with Eric Pohlkamp answering less than a minute later to head into the third period tied at 2-2. With 11:32 remaining, the Beavers scored the go-ahead goal off Adam Flammang's third tally of the weekend.

However, with 5:39 remaining, the Wildcats retied the game, and an overtime period was eventually required. Neither team capitalized in the 3-on-3 overtime, and Bemidji State would claim the shootout point, with Eric Martin being the lone shootout goal scorer. 

Moving up to third place in the CCHA standings, the Beavers will return home for a Thursday-Friday series against Ferris State (10-18-1), with a puck drop at 7:07pm CT on both nights. 

No. 8 Minnesota (18-7-5) vs. Penn State (12-13-3)

It has been a one-sided affair between these two teams in recent history, with Minnesota winning eight of the last 10 matchups. 

This weekend's series featured two sold-out games at Mariucci Arena, and the Gophers gave the home crowd something to cheer about early in game one. Rhett Pitlick scored on Minnesota's first shot of the game only 49 seconds in before adding a second goal three minutes later, marking Pitlick's sixteenth and seventeenth goals this season.

That lead held into the second period, where the Nittany Lions battled back and placed 19 shots on the net. However, Justen Close remained perfect through two. Penn State also had two 5-on-3 opportunities to close out the second period, but Minnesota's penalty kill held strong and gained momentum heading into period three.

Only 1:16 into the third, Connor Kurth added an insurance goal, and the Gophers eventually skated to a 3-0 win, with Justen Close making 36 saves in the shutout victory, his twelfth career shutout. 

The Nittany Lions came out flying in game two, but the Gophers weathered the storm, and period one ended scoreless. Just over a minute into period two, the Gophers opened the scoring with Aaron Huglen putting home a 2-on-1 opportunity. A few minutes later, Huglen struck again to make it 2-0, with the Roseau native scoring his eighth goal and fourteenth point this season.

Late in the third period, Mason Nevers scored to extend the lead to three, and the Gophers skated to a second straight 3-0 victory. Justen Close turned aside all 30 shots on the net to claim his thirteenth career shutout, which ties Minnesota's all-time shutout list alongside Kellen Briggs and Adam Wilcox.

The Gophers remain third in the Big Ten standings and eighth in the Pairwise with a showdown against Notre Dame (14-14-2) this weekend in South Bend on 2/16 and 2/17. 

Minnesota State (15-11-4) at Michigan Tech (12-13-6)

Swept by the Huskies back in November, Minnesota State traveled to Houghton, MI, looking for revenge. 

An early Ryland Mosley goal 1:06 into the game put the Huskies ahead, his fourteenth goal this season, and Michigan Tech led 1-0 after one. With 7:41 to go in the second, Kaden Bohlsen leveled the score on a power-play goal, but Michigan Tech retook the lead shortly after that, and the Huskies led 2-1 heading into the final frame. Minnesota State had multiple opportunities to tie it up in the third, including three power plays, but Blake Pietila stopped all nine shots on net, and the Huskies won game one 3-1. 

In game two, Minnesota State scored first via a Brian Carrabes goal before Tyrone Bronte responded for Michigan Tech, leading to a 1-1 score after one. The Mavericks' top-scorer, Sam Morton, scored his twentieth goal to make it 2-1, and Kaden Bohlsen extended their lead to 3-1 at the tail end of the second period.

In the third, Michigan Tech cut the deficit to one, but the Mavericks held on late for a 4-2 win and series split, with Bohlsen adding the empty net goal for his third goal of the weekend and eleventh goal this season. Alex Tracy earned the win in net for Minnesota State, making 26 saves. 

With the split, the Mavericks move into first place in the CCHA standings with 35 points and have two regular-season matchups remaining. The team will be off this weekend before playing Lake Superior State (12-16-1) at home on 2/23 and 2/24. 

No. 16 St. Cloud (14-9-5) at Miami (OH) (7-19-2)

Skating to a sweep against Miami back in early November, St. Cloud welcomed the opportunity for another sweep on the road this weekend, with the RedHawks coming into the series on a six-game losing streak. 

The 2021 Mr. Hockey winner, Jack Peart, opened the scoring late in the first period of game one, and Zach Okabe added a power-play goal minutes later, leading to a 2-0 St. Cloud lead after one. An early Miami goal cut the lead to 2-1 in the second, but the Huskies regained their two-goal advantage at the 13:18 minute mark.

In the third, the RedHawks again responded early in the period to make it a one-goal game, but Husky fans had little to worry about as goals from Barrett Hall and Cooper Wylie soon after officially put the game out of reach, with St. Cloud skating to a 5-2 victory. Jack Peart ended the game with a three-point night, which tied his career-best in one game. 

In game two, the Huskies scored on their first power play opportunity of the night, leading to a 1-0 scoreline after one. Miami's Dylan Moulton equalized with 6:17 remaining in the second, and the period ended all knotted up at 1-1, with St. Cloud outshooting the RedHawks 28-15 through two.

Still tied midway through the third, captain Dylan Anhorn stepped up and scored to put the Huskies ahead in what ended up being the game-winner, with Zach Okabe adding a late insurance goal to win 3-1 and leave Oxford with a sweep. 

The Huskies remain second in the NCHC standings and sit tied in the No. 13 spot in the Pairwise with three series to go in the regular season. St. Cloud will have one final off weekend before returning to play against No. 13 Western Michigan (17-10-1) on 2/23 and 2/24. 

St. Thomas (13-14-1) at Augustana (10-15-3)

In their first-ever meeting, St. Thomas headed west to face the Augustana Vikings, a fellow CCHA team that will receive full membership into the conference in the 2025-26 season. 

The Tommies Tim Piechowski scored a bad-angle goal 5:41 into the game, and St. Thomas held onto that 1-0 lead through to the second intermission. In the third, Augustana equalized 4:41 into the period before going ahead 2-1 only 12 seconds later, with Park Rapids native Chase Brand scoring the go-ahead goal.

With 9:57 remaining, the Vikings added a power play goal to extend their lead, but Mack Byers responded for St. Thomas a few minutes later to make it 3-2 with plenty of time remaining. Eventually pulling their goaltender, Brady Ziemer scored an empty net goal, and the Vikings held on for a 4-2 win, with Kayden Hargraves making 31 net saves for Augustana.

In Saturday's rematch, Augustana took an early lead off a goal from freshman Callum Gau, scoring only his second goal this season, with that 1-0 score holding through the first intermission. Only 2:39 into the second, the Tommies made it all square at 1-1 as Tim Piechowski scored his second goal of the weekend and third this season.

From that point forward, a goaltender battle ensued, and neither goalie flinched, with the game eventually heading to an extra session. In overtime, Augustana's Arnaud Vachon scored the game-winner, which marked the Vikings' second series sweep in program history. 

St. Thomas will face their next two opponents at home, starting with Bowling Green (12-16-0) this weekend on 2/16 and 2/17, followed by Bemidji State next weekend. 

Minnesota Duluth (10-13-4) – Bye

Currently sitting at No. 25 in the Pairwise, the Bulldogs are on the outside looking in and need to string together several wins in their final eight games to have a chance at making the NCAA tournament. Following their off weekend, the team will face a tough test in No. 6 Denver (18-8-2), playing at Amsoil Arena this Friday, 2/16, and Saturday, 2/17.