St. Paul will play host to the first annual North Star College Cup later this month, as the hockey tournament comes to the Xcel Energy Center January 24th & 25th, on the heels of the Hockey City Classic. The mid season tournament will include former Western Collegiate Hockey Association rivals, Bemidji State (WCHA), Minnesota (B1G), the Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC), Minnesota State (WCHA) & St. Cloud State (NCHC).
The tournament will use what’s called a Tournament Championship format, with two semifinal games on Friday, followed by Third Place and Championship games on Saturday. This year will have Minnesota State-Mankato taking on Minnesota Duluth in the first game, and St. Cloud State and the Gophers in the second game. With the WCHA and in-state rivals getting back together, Golden Gophers hockey tickets are in high demand. Minneapolis-based Ticket King reports that hockey tickets range from $45-$125 per day for this premier hockey event.
Because this format was chosen, only four of the five schools will participate in the annual tournament, with a rotation where each school (excluding the University of Minnesota) will sit out a year. In this inaugural year, Bemidji State will be the odd man out. Minnesota, as the tournaments permanent host, will participate in the tournament every year. St. Cloud State will sit out in 2015, Minnesota-Duluth in 2016 and Minnesota-State in 2017.
The tournament is one way to alleviate fan concerns that in-state rivalries will be lost following the major reorganization of college hockey this year. Previously, the five participating teams were all a part of the WCHA, but now find themselves scattered in leagues throughout the college landscape, Bemidji State and Minnesota State being the only teams to remain in the WCHA.
Minnesota is currently ranked #1 in the country, and sits atop the B1G Conference. Leading the Gophers statistically is Junior Sam Warning, with 21 Points on 5 Goals and 16 Assists. Right on his heals is Junior Captain Kyle Rau with 5 Goals and 15 Assists for 20 Points. Sophomore Adam Wilcox from South St. Paul, MN has started 18 of the Gophers 19 games, and has been stalwart in the blue paint, with a 2.13 GAA and Save Percentage of .923, garnering Hobey Baker consideration along the way.
Minnesota-Duluth is currently unranked and fifth place in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC). Their offensive leaders Alex Iafallo and Caleb Herbert lead the team with 13 Points apiece. Iafallo, a Freshman from Eden NY, has 13 Points on 6 Goals and 7 Assists. Herbert, a Junior from Bloomington, MN, has 4 Goals and 9 Assists. The Bulldogs goaltending has been by committee this season, with Alex Fons, Matt McNeely and Aaron Crandall all seeing playing time. Crandall, a Senior from Lakeville, MN, has played a majority of the games (13), and carries a 2.69 Goals Against Average and .910 Save Percentage into this weekend.
Minnesota State is currently unranked and sits in third place in the Western Collegiate Hockey Associations (WCHA). The Mavericks scoring leader is Junior Jean-Paul Lafontaine from Oxford, MI, who has 10 Goals and 10 Assists for 20 Points so far this year. Between the pipes, Freshman Cole Huggins has played in 16 games, while Stephon Williams has started 10. Huggins, a Freshman from Centennial, CO, has a Goals Against Average of 1.98, and a .917 Goals in 16 games.
St. Cloud State is currently ranked #3 in the most recent USCHO poll, and #4 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll. That puts them in first place in a very competitive NCHC. They are led offensively by Sophomore forward Jonny Brodzinski, brother of Gophers Freshman defenseman Michael Brodzinski. Jonny leads the Huskies with 11 Goals and 8 Assists for 19 Points. In goal, Junior Ryan Faragher has been the Huskies mainstay in net. He has a Goals Against Average of 2.13, and a .920 Save Percentage.
One thing that can always be counted on from a Minnesota based college hockey program, and that’s playing it’s best hockey of the year when you put them up against an in-state rival. This tournament should prove to have a playoff feel to it, and might satisfy, even if only for a moment, a Minnesota hockey fans need for some home cooking.