When Minnesota State Mankato meets St. Cloud State, and Minnesota Duluth takes on Massachusetts in the Frozen Four semifinals, there will be no shortage of star power. A look at each team's standout:
Minnesota State Mankato
Dryden McKay, junior, goalie
The skinny: If you're a goalie named after Ken Dryden, you better be good, and McKay hasn't disappointed in three years in Mankato. He has been a finalist for the Mike Richter Award (nation's top goalie) the past two years, and this year added the status of Hobey Baker Award Hat Trick finalist to his Hobey top 10 finish last year. The Downers Grove, Ill., native is 21-3 this season with a 1.39 goals-against average (second nationally), .931 save percentage (sixth) and 10 shutouts (first). McKay, who was not drafted, blanked the Gophers 4-0 in the NCAA West Regional final, giving him 24 shutouts for his career. That's two short of the NCAA record set by Michigan State's Ryan Miller.
St. Cloud State
Veeti Miettinen, freshman, forward
The skinny: The native of Finland took the NCHC by storm, leading the Huskies with 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) and earning conference Rookie of the Year honors. He had five power-play goals and one game-winner as the Huskies finished second to North Dakota in both the regular season and the conference tournament. A second-team all-conference selection, Miettinen teams with countryman Jami Krannila and Zach Okabe to form a line that has been together since early January and has produced 46 points. The sixth-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2020 NHL draft has yet to be called for a penalty this season. The Huskies are 6-1 when Miettinen scores.
Minnesota Duluth
Jackson Cates, junior, forward
The skinny: On a team known for its balanced scoring, Cates has been on a hot streak lately, with three goals and five assists in his past five games. That includes the opening goal for the Bulldogs in their epic 3-2 five-overtime victory over North Dakota in the NCAA Midwest Regional final in Fargo. The 6-0, 190-pound former Stillwater High School standout is tied for the Minnesota Duluth lead in points with 27 points on 11 goals and 16 assists. Cates has five power-play goals, a 13.6 shooting percentage and is a plus-9. He has 27 goals and 37 assists in his Bulldogs career and has committed only two minor penalties this season.
Massachusetts
Bobby Trivigno, junior, forward
The skinny: A 5-8, 162-pounder, Trivigno leads the Minutemen with 31 points on 10 goals and 21 assists. The first-team All-Hockey East selection also was a plus-19 and contributed three game-winning goals. UMass is back in the Frozen Four after falling 3-0 to Minnesota Duluth in the 2019 national championship game. Trivigno was a key contributor as a freshman, collecting 13 goals and 15 assists. A 2017 graduate of Shattuck-St. Mary's in Faribault, Trivigno helped the Shattuck Under-16 team win the 2016 national championship. He had 33 goals and 33 assists in 56 games in 2016-17 for Shattuck's prep team.
