MCLA had already rattled off what was likely one of the biggest upsets in the history of the National Pairwise Index just to get here by dispatching perennial conference powerhouse Plymouth State in their swan song in the MASCAC. They would be faced with another big time challenger in the form of Anna Maria College, a new face in the conference and another name inside the top 25, for their opportunity to compete for the conference title. As I suspected would happen going into this game, they navigated this matchup in a similar manner to the quarterfinals. As I also considered, it would end up working in their favor.

The first period was defined by the Trailblazers employing zone defense and taking away opportunities for the AMCATS to get good shots from the interior. While the Trailblazers did occasionally dump it in deep/ice the puck when under pressure from the Anna Maria forecheck, they mostly were able to prevent sustained pressure by playing the game on their own terms inside their own zone. As one would anticipate, goaltender Mathew Gover did excellently when called upon, as Anna Maria did get some high danger looks. However, it seemed as though the AMCATS mostly got pucks to him by moving pucks through traffic as opposed to creating and utilizing space. The shot blocking by MCLA and their ability to take away lanes were outstanding, with blueliner Spencer Craig being a primary driving force as he would be throughout the game. Ultimately, the Trailblazers scored the only goal of the period, with star winger Cade Herrera unleashing a rocket with the most satisfying clanging of iron you will ever hear, exploiting an unfortunately placed defensive tip. While the AMCATS led the opening stanza in shots on goal 20-13, it was very difficult to pin one team as appearing more competitive.

In the middle frame, MCLA continued to play their game, and grew the lead in the exact manner one would anticipate. Craig blasted a shot from the top after a cross-ice pass from pairing partner Shane Green (in an interesting Flyers fan to Penguins fan connection) which was stopped by Anna Maria G Matthew Hennessey but kicked out an excellent rebound to forward and Red Deer, Alberta native Easton Moore, who potted it home in an excellent “Johnny on the spot” moment. MCLA adopted a “The best way to protect a lead is to grow it mentality” after this, with some aggressive attacks. In a way, this was a better version of what occurred after taking a 2-0 lead against Plymouth State, as their execution was much better when trying to press. Their game sense when it came to connecting on plays and facilitating transition was very strong. When getting pucks to Anna Maria’s corners, they would apply the pressure on the forecheck and did it well. However, they never overstayed their welcome on shifts. They would know when to peel off and conduct a line change. Of course, they would be met with resistance by such a strongly talented roster. Ultimately, they would be out-shot 26-8 in the second period. What worked out, though, was that Gover eradicated many chances for sustained offensive pressure with exceptional rebound control, trapping so many pucks and slowing the game down. Failing that, the Trailblazers did an excellent job cleaning up the garbage.

In the final stanza, MCLA did a considerable amount of work killing clock by forcing Anna Maria to work to peel the puck off the wall. They prevented them from opening up their game. Eventually, D/senior captain Derek Raposo (who, like Craig, had the heart of a lion in this game as an essential member of his team’s blueline core, eating up minutes and having 7 shots on goal) had a shot deflected in by RW Matthew Byrne to split the deficit in half. However, while facing some challenges, MCLA would rise to the occasion and sustain some pressure in the offensive zone in the final part of the run. On top of that, their motor to win puck races and prevent icings kept the puck out of their zone on multiple occasions, which made it all the more difficult for the AMCATS to generate offensive plays. Anna Maria were not given a good opportunity to pull Hennessey for the extra man until very, very late into the game. The play attempted in the final ~16 seconds did not amount to a high danger opportunity. Ultimately, the final seconds rolled off the clock, and 8th seeded MCLA booked their spot in the championship game. Gover was credited with 63 saves in the matchup, as his résumé across his two collegiate seasons only improved with another statistically absurd performance, only bolstered by his team emerging victorious over yet another heavily favored opponent.

MCLA face off against Fitchburg State in the final on Saturday, March 8th at 4:00 PM. Their fourth seeded opponents themselves had a somewhat arduous path to get here, most notably having defeated Salem State in a triple overtime thriller in their semifinal on the road last night. I cannot imagine many onlookers expected that these two teams would be facing each other for a berth at the national tournament at stake. When looking at MCLA specifically, though, their run has been nothing short of a major defiance of the odds. No matter the outcome, these few days have provided some perspective on what a well-executed team plan and what buying into a system can do.