Spotlight: 2023 Men's Ice Hockey Playoff Preview

Come Tuesday, Worcester State will take home ice for a MASCAC playoff game for the first time since 2019. It will be the culmination of what can only be considered as a fantastic story that the 2022-23 Lancer Men’s Hockey team has written. 

Two years ago there was no season. A year ago it was a sub .500 record and a quarterfinal loss. This year they come into the tournament with a program-best 12-5-1 MASCAC record, and an impressive 13-11-1 overall line. For the guys that have been around for the last half-decade, this is what it’s all been building towards. Fifth year senior Henry Bruckner (Franklin, Mass.) laid it out simply. “We saw this program pretty low, and now we're seeing it pretty high.” 

The Lancers leading goal-scorer, senior Mikey Wilson (Alexandria, Virg.), attributes the success to a simple yet important characteristic. “Everyones bought into the goal that we wanna achieve,” he said. “And that's winning.” It seems that the ability for everyone on the team to be on the same page is paramount, with nine Lancers reaching double-digits in points on the season. 

Due to the weather, what was supposed to be a mid-week tilt last week was pushed back to Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. Some may think that a long layover may be tough for a team to bounce back from. Wilson says that even though they weren’t going toe-to-toe with other squads, there’s no reason to worry. “Keeping the same intensity in practice, or even higher,” has been the Lancer’s strategy. 

The blue and gold are more than ready to take on Salem State on Tuesday, the very team that ended their season a year ago. Though WSU took all three games from the Vikings this season, the Lancers will most definitely not be taking their foot off the gas. “Playoffs are a completely different animal,” Bruckner explains. “Doesn't matter what happened in the regular season.” 

With the regular season in their rearview mirror, Worcester State will be glad to start their postseason run at home, in a building where they have excelled this season. They went 7-4 at Fidelity Bank Worcester Ice Center, and Nick Pennucci, a Worcester native, can’t wait to step onto the ice for a playoff tilt. “The intensity of having a home playoff game is special,” he says. “It's pretty special. We have a lot of (guys from Massachusetts), so it gives people a chance to have some family and friends come to the game.” 

With fans-a-plenty eager to pack the barn on Tuesday, there’s more than enough reason to be excited about the Lancer’s upcoming postseason run.

~ Chris Wright ~