WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - The Stevenson University Mustangs will compete for the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) championship against the Wilkes University Colonials on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Toyota Sportsplex. Tickets can only be purchased online here through Wilkes' box office.

This season marks a milestone for the MAC, as it becomes eligible for an automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time. The change follows the addition of Misericordia University's program and the inclusion of Wilkes University and Neumann University as associate members.

The Mustangs and Colonials enter the championship game with identical 17-7-2 records. Their regular-season meetings were tightly contested, with Stevenson claiming a 2-1 overtime win in the first game, Wilkes responding with a 6-4 victory, and the Mustangs securing a 2-0 shutout in their final meeting. With the title on the line, anticipation is building for another highly competitive matchup.

Stevenson's offense is led by senior Liam McCanney, the program's all-time points leader with 112 career points. He has recorded 15 goals and 12 assists for 27 points this season. Junior Blake Benson, the MAC's leading goal scorer, follows closely with 17 goals and 7 assists for 24 points. On the defensive end, junior Jack Karlsson leads with 18 points, while senior Evan Beers has contributed 17 points.

Wilkes' offense is driven by senior defenseman Cole Jungwirth, who leads the team with 26 points (3 goals, 23 assists) while also tallying 42 blocked shots. Junior forward Patrick Roginski follows closely with 25 points (9 goals, 16 assists). On defense, sophomore Nate Terski strengthens the Colonials' blue line with 40 blocked shots and a +17 rating.

The Mustangs secured the No. 2 seed in the MAC playoffs and advanced to the championship after a thrilling 2-1 overtime victory over Neumann University in the semifinals. Junior Blake Benson opened the scoring late in the first period, and sophomore Matt Yeager netted the game-winning goal in overtime. Junior goaltender Ford DeLoss made 31 saves to help secure the win.

The Colonials, the tournament's No. 1 seed, dominated Alvernia University in the semifinals with a commanding 6-0 victory. The Colonials struck early, with sophomore Cam Lowe and sophomore Matt Carlson finding the net in the first period. Wilkes extended its lead in the second with goals from junior Max Cocchi and Lowe before senior Cole Jungwirth and sophomore Leyton Pettypiece capped off the scoring in the third.

This matchup also carries extra weight given last season's UCHC semifinals, where Stevenson and Wilkes fought to a 3-3 tie in regulation. That game extended into a 20-minute overtime period, where Stevenson's Kyle Lightfoot sealed the win with a goal just two and a half minutes into extra time.

Now, with the first-ever MAC championship on the line and a potential NCAA tournament berth at stake, Stevenson and Wilkes are set to clash in a game that will make conference history.