From unranked to No. 2: Huskies ranked second in final polls
4/12/2021 1:57:00 PM | Men's Hockey
ST. CLOUD, MINN. - There was plenty of bulletin board material for the St. Cloud State University men's hockey team entering the 2020-21 season. The Huskies were left off both the USCHO and USA Today / USA Hockey preseason top-20 polls and were selected to finish fourth, at best, in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Preseason Coaches Poll. Well, St. Cloud State went out and proved everyone wrong in 2020-21, as the team was ranked No. 2 in the final USCHO and USA Hockey polls of the year Monday afternoon.Â
The Huskies exceeded all expectations except their own in 2020-21 and overcame adversity in every sense of the word. St. Cloud State opened the regular season in the NCHC pod and posted a 6-3 record during its time in Omaha, Nebraska before returning to an abridged travel schedule in the second half of the year. The Huskies then went on to finish second in the NCHC regular season standings behind North Dakota, advance to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship game and earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.Â
St. Cloud State made the most of its trip to the national tournament, upending both Boston University and Boston College in the regional round to advance to the NCAA Division I Men's Hockey Frozen Four for just the second time in program history. From there, the Huskies defeated Minnesota State in the semifinal to make their first ever appearance in the national title game.
St. Cloud State will host an event on Wednesday, April 14 to recognize the Huskies for their incredible season and celebrate their trip to the Frozen Four. The event will start promptly at 6 p.m. on Wednesday and will take place on Herb Brooks Way in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The ceremony will be hosted by none other than Jim Erickson, the voice of the Huskies on The River 96.7 FM, and will feature speeches from President Robbyn Wacker, Director of Athletics Heather Weems and head coach Brett Larson. Fans will also have the chance to win a free t-shirt and official team poster from the trip to the Frozen Four.Â
