Frozen Four Insider: MSU-Mankato’s Sandelin, McKay preview National Semifinal

Last year, the Minnesota State hockey team checked the box of making their first-ever appearance in a Frozen Four.

Between losing in the national semifinal and the pandemic-reduced crowd in Pittsburgh that prevented last year’s event from having the typical highly-charged atmosphere of a Frozen Four, the Mavericks returned to Mankato determined to make it back.

They did. The Mavericks are at this year’s Frozen Four set to play the Gophers in the second NCAA National Semifinal in Boston Thursday night at 7:30pm Central Time on ESPNU.

It’s a rematch of last year’s Regional Final that saw Minnesota State knock the Gophers out to earn that first trip to the Frozen Four.

KSTP Sports’ Chris Long is at the Frozen Four in Boston, click the video box on this page to see his chats with Minnesota State’s leading goalscorer Ryan Sandelin and Mavericks goalie Dryden McKay ahead of Thursday night’s National Semifinal matchup against Minnesota

Thursday’s semifinal features two of the hottest goalies in the nation – Mankato’s Dryden McKay and Minnesota’s Justen Close.

McKay is a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award given to the top college hockey player in the nation, and the Richter Award given to the nation’s top goalie. He’s 37-4 this season with a .932 save percentage and a 1.28 GAA. His 34 career shutouts are an NCAA record.

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Denver and Michigan play in the first semifinal on Thursday.

The semifinal winners play for the National Championship on Saturday.