I was watching the Minnesota State Hockey Tournament 2019 on the Big Ten Network this afternoon and noticed a number of highlights. I thought I would share with you some of the highlights that I found the most interesting.
Last night at the annual tournament, the Minnesota State University and Minnesota Wild played in the first game of the first round. The first game was a defensive battle between the two of them, but the second game saw a Minnesota Wild team that was considered a complete disaster prior to the tournament. The Wild was considered the worst team in the Big Ten, but Minnesota was considered the worst team in the NCAA tournament. There was no real surprise that Minnesota State was the team that lost.
Minnesota State was actually a pretty good team before the tournament. A year earlier the team had won a national championship, and the team had also made it to the Frozen Four in consecutive years. However, as the tournament progressed, the team started to falter. Minnesota State started to lose games, and on several occasions, they had to come from behind to win. Even though the team had improved its record in the last year, it was still considered one of the worst teams in the country.
The tournament was the first time in the program’s history that it had been held in a neutral site. As a result, Minnesota State lost to a team it should have beaten. The loss to Minnesota State was also the team’s first loss by a point since the 2010 NCAA tournament.
The loss to Minnesota State was certainly embarrassing for the team. It was also an indication that the team, in its usual fashion, has lost its way over the last few seasons. The last few years, the team has lost to teams that were better than it was in the past. The team is currently on a four-game losing streak, and has never been in the playoffs. It has also lost to teams that have been in the playoffs in the past.
The team is currently in the second round in the Midwest Regional, and has just won its first game of the tournament. Minnesota State is currently ranked eighth in the country, but has never been in the top ten. The team is currently undefeated through four games and is looking for its first win against a nationally ranked opponent. The team has had some success over the years, but it hasn’t had a winning record since 2013.
The team is currently one point behind Wisconsin in the West Regional, but has gotten closer recently. Minnesota State is still on top of the Midwest Regional, but Wisconsin is just a game back in the tournament. The game between Minnesota State and Wisconsin may very well decide the tournament, and the winner will take home the top seed in the tournament.
Minnesota State has been a perennial contender over the years in Hockey Midwest and even made it to the Frozen Four in 2016. They’ve been looking to make a run at the Frozen Four for years, and their recent run has been more than encouraging. The team’s star player is forward Zach Hamlin, who has been a consistent top-six threat at all three levels of the game.
Wisconsin State has been inconsistent in the past, and the only thing that has been consistent about their team is that their star forward is Kevin Martin who is now in the midst of his 3rd NCAA Tournament. Martin has an excellent shot, good mobility, and a great knack for scoring goals. He has also had several good seasons in college with a whopping 16 goals and 32 points in just 57 games.
Hamlin has been playing center, but he has also played wing and forward, which explains why he is seeing more ice time on the ice. Wisconsin State has played a lot of zone, which has led Hamlin to make the switch in the past.
