BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The 2022-23 season has arrived for Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) men’s hockey teams.
The regular season is set to begin on Friday, October 28 with a handful of non-conference contests. The first conference series of the season is scheduled for the following weekend, with the regular season running through Saturday, February 18. Teams are scheduled for 16 conference contests with two games against every MIAC opponent.
For the first time since 2007, two MIAC teams will also participate in Hockey Day Minnesota, as Augsburg and Saint John’s have been selected to play outdoors at Polar Lakes Park in White Bear Township on Friday, January 27.
The top five teams at the end of the regular season will head to the 2023 MIAC Men’s Hockey Playoffs. The No. 4 team in the standings will host the No. 5 team in the quarterfinal round on Thursday, February 23, with the semifinals set for Saturday, February 25, and the championship game scheduled for Saturday, March 4. The winner of the MIAC Playoffs will receive the conference's automatic bid to the 2023 NCAA Division III Men’s Hockey Championships.
2021-22 FINAL STANDINGS
*%Augsburg (25-5-0, 14-2-0)
Concordia (13-10-3, 10-4-2)
Saint John’s (17-8-2, 9-4-1)
St. Scholastica (11-10-2, 7-6-1)
Bethel (15-11-1, 7-8-1)
Saint Mary’s (8-14-1, 5-7-0)
#%St. Olaf (11-15-3, 5-8-1)
Hamline (4-18-4, 1-10-3)
Gustavus (6-16-4, 0-9-3)
*MIAC Regular Season Champion
#MIAC Playoff Champion
%NCAA Championship Participant
RULE CHANGES
MIAC men’s and women’s hockey teams will utilize the same points system to order conference standings in 2022-23. Victories achieved in regulation will be worth three points, while overtime or shootout wins will be worth two points. Losses in either overtime or a shootout will be worth one point each. Playoff tiebreakers were also adjusted to suit the new points system.
Effective for 2022-23, the NCAA ruled that a three-person shootout is permissible in all regular season contests. For non-conference games, the host institution's conference policy shall be used. The previous rule allowed for shootouts in conference games only.
The NCAA also added a standalone major penalty option for both contact to the head and hitting from behind infractions. The MIAC continues to monitor major penalties for the health and safety of student-athletes and puts a high emphasis on clean play and good conduct in competition.
NEW MIAC WEBSITE & APP
The MIAC launched a refreshed website and new mobile app over the summer through a new multi-year partnership with SIDEARM Sports. The updated website design is more user-friendly and interactive for student-athletes, parents, alumni, and fans, featuring easy access to stories, schedules, results, standings, and championship information. The new mobile app is free to fans and can be downloaded on both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for Android devices. The MIAC's previous "Front Row" app will be retired and no longer update as of the 2022-23 academic year.
AWARD WATCH
MIAC coaches will vote on the 2022 MIAC Men’s Hockey All-Conference honors at the conclusion of the regular season. In addition to a 20-player All-MIAC squad, coaches will also vote on individual awards for the MIAC Offensive, Defensive, Rookie, and Coach of the Year.
Throughout the regular season, the MIAC will recognize top individual performances with the MIAC Men’s Hockey Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week awards. Athlete of the Week awards will begin on Monday, October 31, and be announced each Monday following through the end of the regular season. During the week following the MIAC Playoffs, participating coaches will also select a 10-player All-Playoff Team to recognize outstanding performances throughout the conference tournament.
LOOKING AHEAD
First Non-Conference Game Date: Friday, October 28
First Conference Game Date: Friday, November 4
MIAC Playoffs: Thursday, February 23 (Quarterfinals), Saturday, February 25 (Semifinals), Saturday, March 4 (Championship)
Season Links: Standings | Schedule | News | Statistics | Athletes of the Week | Playoffs | Record Book