ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The No. 15 nationally ranked Gustavus Adolphus College men's hockey team will take on Saint John's University Johnnies on Saturday, March 7 at 7:00 p.m. at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Playoff Championship. The winner will receive the playoff championship trophy and the Conference's automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Division III Men's Hockey Tournament.
 
GUSTIES AIMING TO DEFEND PLAYOFF TITLE
 
The Gusties began the year as the defending MIAC Playoff Champions after winning the title last season with a 2-1 victory over St. Olaf College. Gustavus entered this year's postseason as the No. 2 seed after earning 33 points with a 12-4-0 conference record in the regular season. Four of Gustavus' wins this season came in overtime as the Gusties went 4-1 in games going past the third period.
 
Following an opening round bye, Gustavus hosted the Saint Mary's University Cardinals in the semifinals on Saturday, February 28. After falling behind 1-0 early, the Gusties scored six unanswered to take down the Cardinals 6-1 to punch their ticket to the conference postseason title game.
 
Drew Holt led Gustavus with four points in the semifinal win, scoring a goal and notching three assists. Grant Ellings and Riku Brown each scored two goals for the Gusties. Jack Wineman had a goal and added an assist. Marko Belak earned the win in goal with 17 saves.
 
JOHNNIES HOSTING THE TITLE FIGHT
 
The Johnnies entered the MIAC Playoffs as the No. 1 seed, winning the conference regular season title with 35 points after going 10-3-3 in the conference. Saint John's had two fewer wins in the conference this season than Gustavus but earned more points as the Gusties won four of their games in overtime.
 
In the semifinals, the Johnnies hosted the Bethel University Royals and earned a 4-1 win to advance to the title game. After a 1-1 first period, Saint John's scored three unanswered to take down the Royals.
 
Chris Kernan scored two of the goals in the semifinals for the Johnnies. Conner Couet had a goal and an assist. Jackson Borst scored the remaining goal. Jon Howe earned the win in goal for Saint John's with a 51-save performance.
 
SEASON SERIES
 
The Gusties and Johnnies faced each other in a two-game weekend series last month, splitting the season series 1-1 with both games going to overtime.
 
The first game on Friday, February 6 saw Gustavus win a 5-4 overtime thriller in Saint Peter. The Gusties went up 3-2 in an action-packed first period but fell behind 4-3 midway through the second. Jayar Luedke scored the equalizer in the closing minutes of the second frame to tie the game at 3-3. After a scoreless third period, Sam Rice scored the overtime game winner to secure the 5-4 victory for Gustavus.
 
In the second game the following night on Saturday, February 7 in St. Cloud, the Johnnies handed the Gusties their only overtime loss of the season to end a 12-game win streak for Gustavus. Saint John's took a 2-1 lead in the opening frame, but Ludvig Mellgren tied the game up 2-2 in the second. Another scoreless third period ensued, leading to overtime where the Johnnies scored in the third minute to secure a series split with the Gusties.
 
PLAYOFF ADMISSION
 
All tickets will be sold and purchased online via HomeTown Ticketing. There will not be cash sales at any venue; however, spectators can purchase tickets using a mobile device, including while at the venue.
 
General Admission: $12 (plus HTT service charge)
Students with ID: $3 (plus HTT service charge)
Children 5 and Under: Free
* MIAC passes accepted
 
PAY-PER-VIEW
 
The 2026 MIAC Men's Hockey Playoffs will be streamed live on the MIAC Sports Network in a pay-per-view format. Individual playoff contests will be streamed for $10 each, or $25 for a "championship pass" to stream the entire tournament live. On-demand access to playoff games will be available after the NCAA Tournament concludes.
 
The MIAC Sports Network Help Page provides guidance and links to help fans navigate the streaming platform. Hudl Customer Support is also available by email or 24/7 chat to assist with any issues.
 
2026 MIAC MEN'S HOCKEY PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

Quarterfinals | Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026
No. 4 Bethel 5, No. 5 St. Olaf 2 | Box Score |
 
Semifinals | Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026
No. 2 Gustavus 6, No. 3 Saint Mary's 1 | Box Score |
No. 1 Saint John's 4, No. 4 Bethel 1 | Box Score |
 
Championship | Saturday, Mar. 7, 2026
No. 2 Gustavus at No. 1 Saint John's | 7:00 PM | Tickets | Live Stats | PPV Stream |
 
| 2026 MIAC Men's Hockey Playoffs |