Minnesota State, Western Michigan Go Toe-to-Toe in Frozen Four Opener

Minnesota State University and Western Michigan University go toe-to-toe in the their Frozen Four opening matchup.

St. Cloud State's Mika Ilvonen tries to get control of the puck in front of the Western Michigan University goal during the Saturday, Jan. 19, game at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud. Scsu Hock 1 / Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@stcloudtimes.com

Each opening round matchup of the 2025 Men's Frozen Four tournament is intriguing, and that's especially true for Western Michigan versus Minnesota State University. WMU is one of the top teams in the NCAA this year, but Minnesota State is ready to shock the entire field.

WMU is the #4 overall seed in the tournament and sits in the same spot in the latest PairWise ranings. They finished their regular season with an outstanding record of 30-7-1, giving the program hope they could win their first-ever national championship.

Minnesota State is having their own program-enhancing campaign. The 14th team in the PairWise rankings finished 27-8-3 and the top team in the CCHA conference.

Players to Watch: Western Michigan University

The Western Michigan Broncos have a deep squad that's contributed to their 30-win season. Philadelphia Flyers prospect Alex Bump is the leading scorer with an equal 23 goals and 23 assists in 38 games.

Another player to watch is Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick Joona Vaisanen. The right-handed shooting defenseman has four goals, tied for first among team defenders, and 23 points.

Players to Watch: Minnesota State University

The entire game hinges on the performance of MSU goalie, Alexander Tracy. He likely will win the Mike Richter Award as the NCAA's top goalie this season, and deserverdly so. He went 25-8-3 with five shutouts, a 1.41 goals-against average, and a .946 save percentage. He's the key to victory for Minnesota State.

In order to win, they'll have to score. That's where forward Rhett Pitlick comes in. In 38 games played, he led the team with 13 goals and 27 assists. He'll need a big game to help get past the Broncos

Prediction: WMU edges Minnesota State 3-2

A game-stealing performance from Tracy could change everything, but WMU is an excellent team that should be able to overcome the star goalie for the win.

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