The Maryville M1 Hockey Saints took on the No. 4 ranked Liberty Flames in the first round of the ACHA Men's D1 National Tournament Friday, April 16. The tournament was held at the Maryville University Hockey Center in Chesterfield, Mo. The game marked the first time the Saints have qualified for the tournament in the program's three seasons of play, its second season at the D1 level.
 
The Saints put together an impressive first 25 minutes of play with the game tied at zero. However, Liberty scored four goals in five minutes midway through the second. The Flames experience and maturity was on full display as the Flames beat the Saints 9-0. Liberty advanced to the semifinals before getting edged by Minot State 2-1. The No. 1 ranked Adrian Bulldogs beat Minot State in the finals capturing its second National Championship (2018, 2021) in the last three played tournaments, with a 6-1 decision.
 
"You don't know until you know," Saints head coach John Hogan said. "We can break down film, show styles of play that work at this level, and preach good habits to prepare our team for playoff hockey. But, there is nothing like firsthand experience. Now our young men know firsthand what it takes to win playoff hockey at the college level. While we, unfortunately, were bounced out the first day of the tournament, our guys were able to watch the tournament with their own eyes and see Adrian lift a trophy.
 
"I believe having the tournament in our hockey center, giving our team the opportunity to watch playoff hockey, will pay huge dividends and be exponential in the years to come," Hogan said. "It is a process and, hopefully, our guys learn from their first national tournament experience and be better for it. I'm extremely proud of our group and all the things they accomplished this spring. Living through a pandemic, it hasn't been an easy journey. My hope is we can return in the fall with some sense of normalcy, with our boys ready to work with a chip on their shoulders."
 
The 2021 spring season marked the first winning season in the program's first three seasons. The Saints went 10-6 and captured their first MCH conference regular season championship with a conference record of 7–3. Maryville was ranked as high as sixth nationally, and finished the season ranked No. 13 earning them their first national tournament appearance.
 
The Saints will be back on the ice in four short months, taking on the University of Alabama at the Maryville University Hockey Center on Sept. 10-11 for their first games of the 2021-22 season.