NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The third-seeded St. Olaf College team will visit second-seeded Bethel University in a rematch of last year's title game in the semifinals of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Men's Hockey Playoffs on Saturday evening.
After clinching its spot in the five-team tournament on the final day of the regular season, St. Olaf (13-9-3) will face Bethel (13-9-3) for the fourth time this season in a 7 p.m. puck drop at Bethel University Arena at the National Sports Center in Blaine. The winner will advance to the championship game on Saturday, March 8 at the site of the highest remaining seed. Top-seeded Gustavus Adolphus College will host fifth-seeded Concordia-Moorhead in the other semifinal at 5 p.m. on Saturday.
As of Friday afternoon, all tickets for Saturday's semifinal have been sold. Doors for all spectators will open at 6 p.m. and there will be no re-entry once a ticket is scanned. Bethel will provide live video and live stats for those unable to attend in person.
St. Olaf, which has won the MIAC Playoffs in two of the last three seasons, is making its 16th appearance overall in the field (1988, 1991-92, 2004-07, 2009-10, 2012-14, 2022-25) and its fourth in a row. The Oles have won the tournament three times (2006, 2022, 2024) and are 15-13-0 all-time in the MIAC Playoffs. Saturday night's game will mark a rematch of last year's title game, which St. Olaf won 4-1 as the No. 5 seed in the second-ever postseason meeting between the two programs.
Bethel is in the MIAC Playoffs for the third time in four seasons after not appearing since 2008 prior to 2022. The Royals are making their eighth overall appearance in the field (2001, 2005-08, 2022, 2024-25) and are 7-7-2 in their seven prior berths, including winning their lone title in 2007. Bethel started the run to the 2007 title with a 5-1 win over St. Olaf in the semifinals.
Saturday night's semifinal will be the fourth meeting this season between St. Olaf and Bethel, with the Oles holding a 2-1 edge in the first three encounters. Junior Jonathan Panisa's goal at 1:11 of overtime gave St. Olaf a 1-0 win outdoors in St. Louis Park on Nov. 30 before the teams split their MIAC series last weekend, with both teams winning on home ice. Bethel claimed a 3-1 victory on Friday evening before St. Olaf locked up its playoff spot with a 3-2 comeback win the next day. The teams also met four times last season, with the Royals going 2-1-1 in those four meetings, although the Oles' one win was in the playoff championship game.
