Because the NCAA had previously announced that all winter sports athletes would retain whatever eligibility they possessed through at least the following year, none of St.

[3] The Huskies started well, winning their first three matches and used some of the games to give their backup netminders a turn in goal.

Aside from the honor of being ranked so highly after beginning the season unranked, the Huskies were guaranteed a spot in the NCAA tournament if they could maintain their position.

The losses didn't cost STC too much, since the NCHC is typically regarded as the best conference in college hockey (St.

Cloud went through a bit of a rough patch in February, splitting series against two teams with losing records, and found themselves in a race for second place with UMD.

The two ended the regular season with a home-and-home series over two weekends and when the Bulldogs took the first game they were just one point behind St.

The Huskies dominated the middle frame, outshooting the Bulldogs 18–6, but the teams exchanged goals to leave St.

Cloud put up a defensive wall in the third and were able to hold UMD off of the scoresheet to win the game and head to the title match.

Cloud, North Dakota possessed a far better offense than Duluth and when the Fighting Hawks got some power play opportunities in the third they took full advantage.

Cloud State being ranked 7th by the NCAA selection committee and the team received was set to face Boston University in the regional semifinals.

Cloud continued to pile shots on goal and were finally able to break through after the half-way point of the game.

Chase Brand took a major penalty for elbowing Jay O'Brien in the head and gave BU a chance to get back into the game.

The penalty ended without another goal and Hrenák held BU scoreless in the third while the Huskies scored twice more to run away with a 6–2 win.

[4] In their second game the Huskies met Boston College, who had been advanced due to the forced withdrawal of Notre Dame.

The defense proved stout once again and held the Eagles scoreless over the final 45 minutes of the game to send St.

Cloud fought a mostly even duel with Minnesota State for the rest of the game but, with less than a minute to play, Nolan Walker deflected a point shot over the shoulder of Dryden McKay and put the Huskies ahead.

While the Huskies found themselves down by just a goal as the first neared its end, there was a bit of controversy when a UMass player grabbed the puck and threw it out of his defensive zone.

Instead, the Huskies were caught after a bad turnover and Philip Lagunov put UMass ahead by 3 after a highlight-reel goal.

While it can't be known what difference the missed calls in the first or the absence of Brodzinski made, Massachusetts was the better team throughout the game and St. Could would have to wait for another year.