NCAA Tournament Preview: Wild Prospects Continue Pursuit for National Title

Minnesota Wild prospects Charlie Stramel (Wisconsin), Jimmy Clark (Minnesota), Rieger Lorenz (Denver) and Nate Benoit (North Dakota) will continue their pursuit for a national title on Thursday and Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

They hope to punch their ticket to the Frozen Four — which will be held this year in St. Paul at Xcel Energy Center on April 11 and 13 — by winning their respective regionals.

Stramel (2023 first-round pick)

The 19-year-old Rosemount native has three goals and eight points with 42 shots and 20 penalty minutes in 34 games this season as a sophomore after notching 12 points and registering 59 penalty minutes during his rookie campaign in 2022-23. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound forward brings a strong blend of size and physicality to the table. Stramel, who plays right wing on Wisconsin’s third line, was named the Big Ten Conference Third Star of the Week back in December.

Stramel and the Badgers open up the tournament in the Providence Regional against the Quinnipiac University Bobcats at Amica Mutual Pavilion on Friday at 4:30 p.m. Central time.

Clark (2023 seventh-round pick)

The Edina High School product has scored four goals and 10 points with a +5 rating in 37 games in his freshman season at the University of Minnesota. The 19-year-old Clark, who is now in a bottom-six role with the Gophers, notched 19 goals and 47 points with a +11 rating over 62 games last season with the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers.

Clark and the Gophers face the University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks in the first round in the Sioux Falls Regional on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Central time at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center.

Lorenz (2022 second-round pick)

The 19-year-old winger enters the tournament on a hot stretch with seven goals and 11 points in his past 11 games for the University of Denver, which included two points in the NCHC playoffs last weekend. Lorenz scored in the Pioneers’ 4-1 championship win over the Omaha Mavericks on Saturday inside Xcel Energy Center, where he hopes to one day play as a member of the Wild.

“It’s a nice championship to win,” Lorenz told Wild.com last Saturday. “I think it’s the best conference in college hockey, and I think we proved we’re the best team in it. Obviously we got bigger fish to fry coming next weekend — but we’re excited.”

Lorenz has made encouraging strides with the Pioneers this season as a sophomore with 15 goals (tied for third on Denver) and 28 points in 40 games after a nine-point rookie campaign in 2022-23. Lorenz is thriving on the third line with a +20 rating and has solidified himself as one of the Pioneers’ key penalty killers.

Lorenz has an opportunity to continue to showcase his strong play this season in the Pioneers’ first-round matchup in the Springfield Regional against the University of Massachusetts Minutemen at MassMutual Center on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. Central time.

Benoit (2021 sixth-round pick)

The 21-year-old freshman left-shot defender has one assist, four penalty minutes, nine blocks and 10 shots in 19 games with North Dakota this season. Benoit combined for six goals and 25 points in 58 games last season between the USHL’s Omaha Lancers and Waterloo Black Hawks.

Benoit wasn’t in the lineup in the NCHC playoffs but looks to get some playing time as the Fighting Hawks face the University of Michigan Wolverines on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Central time at the Centene Community Ice Center for their first-round matchup in the Maryland Heights Regional.

To learn more about the Minnesota Wild's prospects, visit Wild.com/ProspectCentral.