The Gustavus Men’s Hockey team is in the MIAC playoffs for the fifth straight season, giving itself a chance to repeat the magic of the last two seasons. Matching recent success has been difficult, as Gustavus finished the year 8-6-2 in the conference, earning the fourth seed in the MIAC playoffs on the final day of play.

In 2009, the team finished second in the NCAA Frozen Four in Lake Placid, giving the program its best finish in school history. That tremendous season was followed by a return to the NCAA National Tournament, culminating in an appearance in the quarterfinals and exceedingly high expectations for this year.

“Coach Peterson has set a high standard for the program and has done an excellent job recruiting talent,” Senior defenseman Mitch Carlson said. “We expect to be at the top of the MIAC every year.”

At the beginning of the 2010-11 season, Gustavus was at the top and ranked eighth in the nation. Since then, the Gusties have stumbled, dropping out of the national rankings amid a season defined by inconsistency. The Gusties now look for a fresh start in the playoffs and hope to eradicate the inconsistency that has crippled them all year.

“Experience, or lack thereof, has played a crucial role in the difference between this year and last,” Carlson said. Carlson is a captain and one of only five seniors on this year’s squad, which is a drastic change from the eleven seniors that graduated last season.

“The talent level is very similar [to last year],” Carlson said. “We just have many young players [who] have not experienced adversity at this level until now.”

The Gustavus Men’s Hockey team ended the season last Saturday with a big victory over Saint Mary’s at home on Senior Night, propelling the team into the fourth seed in the playoffs and securing a home game in the first round.

“I think the way [the] playoffs are set up could really benefit us,” Senior forward Brad Wieck said. “Obviously a MIAC Championship and a one seed would be ideal, but with the four seed, we get another home game and a chance to play at Hamline where we’ve won already.”

The Gusties’ opening playoff game will be at home tonight at 8:00 p.m. against Augsburg. Many of us remember last year’s battle with Augsburg in the MIAC semifinal game, which lasted four overtimes and was the longest game in NCAA Division III history.

The winner of that game must travel to Hamline to play the Pipers in the MIAC Semifinal at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, but Gustavus isn’t afraid of a matchup with the MIAC’s top seed.

“Playoffs are all about being the better of two teams on one night,” Wieck said. “You don’t have to be the best team in the nation every single day.”

Playoff hockey will be showcased on Friday in Don Roberts Ice Rink and promises to yield a capacity crowd. “Without a doubt we have the best fans in the league,” Senior goaltender Josh Swartout said. “When there is a big hit or we score, the place erupts, and all that does is fire up the [men] more.”

The Gustie men promise to bring the heat on Friday but will rely on fans for extra support. The regular season MIAC title has been lost, but the conference championship will be won this weekend and remains Gustavus’s last opportunity to return to the NCAA National Tournament.

“You can throw all the records out now,” Wieck said. “We’re in the playoffs, and we plan on making a run.”