Cats skate past Griz with ease in the season finale

The MSU men’s hockey team closed its regular season this weekend with back-to-back wins over the University of Montana on Friday, Feb. 4, and Saturday, Feb. 5. The Cats scored 15 goals in the two games, winning 9-2 on Friday and 6-1 on Saturday.

From puck-drop to the final buzzer, the Cats dominated on Friday night. MSU controlled the play and ripped multiple shots off the goalposts early in the first period before Cats’ forward Lucas Solanik found the back of the net with 7:49 to go in the opening frame. The sellout crowd at Haynes Pavilion erupted as the Bobcats took the lead. A few minutes later, two Bobcat forwards came flying into Griz territory, looking to expand the lead. As a pass from the right-wing slid across the ice, Solanik broke free on the left wing and dove to redirect the puck past the UM netminder, doubling the Cats’ advantage. The period ended 3-0, and the Cats tallied 20 shots on net to UM’s seven. The score only grew more lopsided as the Cats added three more goals in each of the final two periods, leaving the building with a 9-2 victory.

On Saturday night, the Cats and Griz took the ice once more, with the home crowd hoping to witness another drubbing. Although the Bobcats took an early lead, the Griz quickly tied the score at one, giving the game a different energy than the previous night. The first period ended with the Cats leading 2-1 despite possessing the puck the majority of the time, and the Bobcat faithful settled in for what appeared to be a nailbiter. The Bobcats busted that illusion in the second period as penalties on both teams gave MSU’s special teams an opportunity to shine. The Cats struck while down a man to take a 3-1 lead, then added another tally while on the power play to increase their lead to three just a few minutes later. The Cats would score once more in the second and again in the third period on their way to a convincing 6-1 win, closing out their slate of regular-season games.

With the two wins over the Griz, Bobcat hockey finished the regular season 17-12-0. They will begin their postseason schedule on Friday, Feb. 11, against an opponent to be determined. The team hopes to advance to regionals, and eventually the American Club Hockey Association National Championship Tournament. The last time they reached nationals was in 2019 when they made an improbable run at the Western Regionals to advance nationals.

Keep up with the MSU hockey team’s progress throughout the postseason by following its Instagram account @msubobcathockey.