Dakotas Rematch No Cakewalk
ROUND ROCK, Texas – If you travel nearly 2,000 miles due north of here, you’ll run into an old Air Force Base town called Minot, N.D. It is where this game’s journey started. It’s also why anyone who thinks this title is a St. Thomas slam dunk should tune in.
When the Tommies and Montana State met in Minot, the final was a 13-12 overtime triumph for St. Thomas. Back then, Montana State rookie attackman Liam Prescott was in his fifth collegiate game and still managed to dish out four assists against UST. Now that he’s entering his 22nd contest, he’s playing at a very high level.
We all know about Jonathan Serrell and what he can do for the Bobcats, but Prescott adds a new dimension. He doesn’t run; he floats. And he’s been able to get to the corner from X against some of the top poles around. He’ll obviously be one of the top projects for the Tommies’ legion of athletic close defenders, along with Serrell.
St. Thomas was one of two losses for Montana State this season, both by a 13-12 final. The second was to top-seeded Air Force in the RMLC title game. The Bobcats avenged that loss with a startling, 21-4 destruction of the Falcons in the semifinals. MSU clearly had something to prove and came out with a drive that Air Force couldn’t match. The Bobcats also shut down two of the best attackmen in the country in Mark Tang and Sam Gee.
For St. Thomas it will be the familiar recipe. Outside of Cam Gelling and Cam Loberg, they’ll run out a bunch of nameless, faceless drones who can fill any role that you need, and do it with unbelievable discipline. The team-first Tommies are on the precipice of moving past Colorado State as the owner of the most championship in MCLA history.
As is often the case when the big trophy is on the line, the primary storyline is in net. While the All-American discussions are still on-going, I’d put St. Thomas’ Gunner Arens and Montana State’s Ethan Zwickey as goalies 1A and 1B on the list, in no particular order. Those two will control the arc of how this novel’s plot unfolds on Saturday.
Both programs have a chance to break through on Saturday. St. Thomas for a record seventh championship and Montana State for its first. It’ll be a lot warmer than Minot, but the intensity will carry over.