The University of Denver Pioneers are heading back to the NCAA men’s hockey championship after a wild 4-3 double-overtime win over No. 1 Michigan on Thursday in Las Vegas. Senior defenseman Kent Anderson buried the winner 7:25 into the second extra session, sending Denver into Saturday’s title game against Wisconsin. The result came despite a lopsided shot total that made the Pioneers’ rally feel like a long shot right up until the final buzzer.
Anderson’s finish ends a tense semifinal
On the deciding play, Anderson drifted in from the right point and snapped home a feed from Kristian Epperson, finally closing out a marathon that swung back and forth through two overtimes. Denver had even gotten the chance for extra hockey only after Clarke Caswell tied the game with 2:46 left in regulation, a late jolt that changed the entire tone of the night. As detailed by College Hockey News, Anderson’s strike punched the Pioneers’ ticket back to the national title game.
Hicks’ 49 saves keep the Pioneers alive
Freshman goalie Johnny Hicks turned the semifinal into his personal coming-out party, stopping 49 shots while Michigan spent long stretches tilting the ice in its favor. The Wolverines owned the shot chart, reported in some box scores as roughly 52 to 26, which only highlighted how much Denver relied on Hicks’ poise and a few well-timed goals. As reported by The Denver Post, his performance was the backbone of a survival act that kept the Pioneers in the tournament.
Wisconsin waits in the title game
Wisconsin advanced to the championship with a 2-1 semifinal victory over North Dakota, according to the tournament bracket, setting up a Saturday clash with Denver. The matchup pits two of college hockey’s most decorated programs against each other for the trophy. The ESPN tournament page lists the full Frozen Four bracket and the weekend game times.
What this means for Denver
Denver now stands one win away from what would be an NCAA-record 11th national championship, a milestone that would add another layer to the program’s storied history. The title game is scheduled for Saturday at 2:30 p.m. PT at T-Mobile Arena, according to the arena’s event listing, and will air on ESPN’s networks. As Axios Denver noted, this run has kept Denver firmly in the hunt for another banner and a deeper imprint on the college hockey record books.
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