Tommie sophomore forward Dylan Godbout (left), junior defense Mason Poolman (right), and sophomore goalie Carsen Musser (Players) lament another goal scored by Minnesota State. The Mavericks beat the Tommies 4-1 in the CCHA championship game Friday at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center. (Evan Neubauer/The Crest) 
The Tommies lost the Mason Cup title to the Mavericks for the second year in a row. (Evan Neubauer/The Crest) 
4892 fans packed into the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center for the CCHA championship game. (Evan Neubauer/The Crest) 
Each team had two power plays. (Evan Neubauer/The Crest) 
Maverick senior goalie Alex Tracy blocked 29 shots from the Tommies. (Evan Neubauer/The Crest)
History repeated itself for the University of St. Thomas men’s hockey team Friday night. The Tommies fell short in their second consecutive Mason Cup Championship against the Minnesota State Mavericks, losing 4-1 in Mankato.
Friday’s win marks the Mavericks’ fourth Mason Cup Championship in five years. The Tommies, who will be transitioning to the National Collegiate Hockey Conference next season, ended their Central Collegiate Hockey Association campaign with the loss.
“We have to give them credit, they took us off our game,” UST coach Rico Blasi said.
The game began with a competitive first period, with both the Mavericks and Tommies netting a goal. MSU senior forward Tristan Lemyre ripped one past UST sophomore goalie Carsen Musser’s right skate, and Tommie sophomore forward Dylan Godbout sent the puck zinging past MSU senior goalie Alex Tracy’s left shoulder to make the game 1-1.
Both teams were playing aggressively, body checking each other into the glass every time they got a chance. The game had to be paused by the referees momentarily for a Tommie and a Maverick to untangle their facemasks after they slammed into each other.
“I thought we started the game off really well first shift, and then we deviated from it for some reason, and (MSU) took it to us,” Blasi said.
In the second period, Minnesota State junior defenseman Evan Murr, the CCHA Defenseman of the Year, snaked past UST first-year forward Lucas Van Vliet and fired the puck around Musser’s right leg to make the score 2-1.
In the third period, the Tommies had no answer for the Maverick defense. UST only took eight shots on goal in the third. MSU went on to score two more goals, netted by junior forward Luigi Benincasa and senior forward Jack Smith.
UST removed Musser from the net with about four minutes left in the game to increase their chances of scoring, but were unsuccessful in making the comeback.
“I thought we did a great job playing team defense and having a backbone. Tracy gives us so much confidence to do that,” Murr said.
Tracy was named the Most Outstanding Player of the game after recording 29 saves in the final.
“I’m just so grateful for everything that has happened here at this university and everyone who’s poured into us, from teammates, to coaches, and the community,” Tracy said.
While the Mavericks raised the trophy and circled the ice for their home fans to see, the St. Thomas players hung their heads and skated back to the locker room behind their captain. UST currently sits at 16th in the NCAA Percentage Index rankings, which means they are a bubble team for one of the 10 at-large NCAA tournament bids. If the Tommies do not earn an at-large bid, Wahlin, the three-time captain, skated in his final game as a Tommie Friday.
Wahlin set the single-season record of 21 goals for the Tommies this past season. The senior also was named the CCHA Defensive Forward of the Year.
“This is a jersey that will definitely keep my heart for the rest of my life,” Wahlin said.
Despite the loss, Blasi credited Wahlin and his seniors with building the Division I hockey program at St. Thomas, which began just five seasons ago.
“They set the standard, the identity, the culture, and I love them,” Blasi said. “I’m proud of them, win or lose. I don’t give a crap. What we do day to day is what matters to me, and they have grown as people.”
With their Mason Cup title, MSU again grabbed an automatic spot in the NCAA tournament, which will begin next weekend. Matchups and their locations for the tournament will be announced Sunday.
Minnesota State coach Luke Strand, who became head coach of the program in 2023, said the team has “a job to be ready for whoever it is and wherever it is.”
“And that’s the neat part about this group, is they keep taking steps. We’ve gotten better. We’ve gotten better in February, we’ve gotten better in March. We got better yesterday,” Strand said. “That’s the real privilege as a coach for these guys, they come to work.”
Owen Bell can be reached at bell9606@stthomas.edu.
