Hockey, Men's Sports

Kent Anderson Scores in Double Overtime to Send Pioneers Back to National Title Game

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – In a battle of college hockey titans, overtime – two of them, to be specific – was the only option. Kent Anderson, Denver’s captain, scored 12:35 into the second overtime to beat the #1 overall seed Michigan Wolverines and send the Pioneers through to the program’s 14th national title game, where they’ll meet Wisconsin in a rematch of the 1973 national championship.

“Really proud of him that he was able to come through for us on a huge goal,” DU head coach David Carle said of Anderson’s game-winner that sent the Pioneers through to the 2026 national title game. “Unsung hero, not many probably had him on the BucciOT Challenge, but it doesn’t matter.”

In a battle between the two programs with the most national titles of all time – Denver with 10 and Michigan with 9 – the margins for error in the second national semifinal game were, in a word, tight. After a hot start with Denver’s Kyle Chyzowski opening the scoring before Michigan’s Josh Eernisse and T.J. Hughes answered in the closing minutes of the first period, both teams settled into a defensive game, just daring the other to blink.

Sure, there were a few other goals scored in regulation – Cale Ashcroft tied it for DU early in the second period, Jayden Perron scored on Michigan’s only regulation power play in the third, and Clarke Caswell tied it back up in the closing moments of regulation – but for the bulk of the final 72 minutes of the game, neither team was willing to take a chance, risk a mistake, and let the game end because of it.

No story about this game, though, is complete without mentioning Denver’s sheer ineptitude on the power play. As fantastic as the result was for the Pioneers, their piss-poor effort with the man-advantage, 0-for-5 all evening and 0-for-4 in regulation, was a key reason why the game didn’t end in regulation.

So, they went to overtime. And then another one. Both teams refused to blink. Until Kristian Epperson found Anderson wide open in the high slot. DU’s captain, looking for just his second goal of the season, did not miss.

“I don’t score many goals, so this is ranking up top so far,” Anderson quipped when asked where he would rank his goal in his career. “It means everything to play in this national championship game. It’s our goal at the beginning of the year. It’s what we work for and what we play for at Denver.”

Anderson’s goal, a legendary moment for a team that found its identity just months ago, ended a four-hour nail-biter that saw the Wolverines outshoot the Pioneers 52-26 and freshman goalie Johnny Hicks continue his mind-boggling 15-0-1 run while at times singlehandedly keeping the Pioneers in the game, despite not only being under siege by the Wolverines at times, but also surviving what looked to be a scary collision with a Michigan player early in the third period, before Perron scored to make it 3-2.

“Sometimes those plays happen in hockey,” Carle said of Hicks’ injury. “Johnny is tough, a real competitor, obviously wasn’t fazed
by it. Real proud of him and our team not being fazed by it on the bench.”

DU’s poor injury luck didn’t stop there, either. Boston Buckberger, who missed Denver’s NCAA Tournament run to the Frozen Four last year, survived a scary incident too, when a Michigan player’s skate inadvertently cut his hand.

But none of it mattered. Hicks stayed in the game, making a number of huge, highlight-reel saves in both overtimes to keep the game alive, and Buckberger came back into the game, after presumably receiving a significant number of stitches, and played key minutes down the stretch of the second overtime.

In the end, it was another instant classic between the two top college hockey programs of all time. Sure, Michigan dominated the stat sheet, but that’s the funny thing about playing Denver this time of year – that doesn’t really matter. You may dominate possession. You may dominate shots attempted and shots on goal. But the Pioneers are comfortable playing that game, and the very second you make a mistake, or the puck lands on a Pioneer’s stick in the slot at just the right time, they’re going to take full advantage.

Tonight, Kent Anderson was the hero, but it was Denver’s staunch commitment to strong team defense and a refusal to stray from their identity and game plan that won them this game. And now, Denver will play for their 11th championship on Saturday in a rematch of the 2022 national championship head coaches – David Carle for Denver and Mike Hastings, who coached Minnesota State that year, for Wisconsin.

It’s taken 53 years, but the Pioneers will finally have their chance to exact some revenge for 1973.

Highlights

 

Top photo: AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper

Hockey, Men's Basketball

Rare Gems: When it’s Not All About The Money

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A high-level Canadian Western Hockey League (WHL) player has made his NCAA commitment. Defenseman Ryan Lin of the Vancouver Giants is headed to Denver in 2026-27 along with his expected first-round NHL draft credentials. The collegiate hockey world was not so much stunned that Denver continued to add to their riches of defensive standouts, but that Denver Hockey appeared to land the top prospect without the immediate guarantee of huge NIL payments. Continue reading Rare Gems: When it’s Not All About The Money →

Hockey, Men's Sports

10 More Reasons to Dislike the University of Michigan

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Back in 2022, the last time Denver played the Wolverines in the Frozen Four (Denver won, 3-2, in overtime before winning their 9th title to tie Michigan), we gave our readers 10 Reasons to Dislike the University of Michigan. With just under a week to go before the next DU-Michigan showdown, here are ten more: Continue reading 10 More Reasons to Dislike the University of Michigan →

Neighborhood, Satire, University of Denver

City of Denver & DU Agree to Buc-ees Adjacent to I-25 & University Boulevard

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In a hastily called press conference Tuesday, Denver mayor Mike Johnston and Chancellor Jeremy Haefner announced a joint real estate agreement to allow Buc-ees to develop a parcel of land on the northeast corner of Buchtel Boulevard and University Boulevard. Under the deal, the City of Denver is relocating an aging City-owned power substation on the west side of the proposed parcel. DU’s parcel, Parking Lot 108, will comprise the eastern portion of the 4.5-acre lot (see map below). The terms of the final agreement were not immediately available. Continue reading City of Denver & DU Agree to Buc-ees Adjacent to I-25 & University Boulevard →

W Gymnastics

Denver Gymnastics Advances to Regionals Unseeded

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The ups and downs continue for Denver gymnastics. The team ended their regular season with a new  low score for a road loss against Oregon State, then took second in the Big 12 Championships behind Utah. Being ranked 23rd nationally, they will advance to Regional competition unseeded, meaning they were placed in the Corvallis, OR competition based on geographic location. Continue reading Denver Gymnastics Advances to Regionals Unseeded →

Hockey, Men's Sports

Vegas Baby: Pioneers Rout Broncos to Earn Seventh Frozen Four Berth Since 2016

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Let’s jump in a time machine and go back to January 23rd. Denver had just lost, 4-2, at home to St. Cloud State and had won just once in their previous eight games. The Pioneers were hovering around .500 at Magness Arena, and the vibes around the program and among the fanbase were as low as they’ve been in years (losses to Lindenwood and Alaska Anchorage will do that). Those same Pioneers, thanks to their latest 6-2 victory over the defending national champion Western Michigan Broncos in the Loveland Regional Final at Blue Arena in Loveland, have not lost since and earned their 7th trip to the Frozen Four since 2016. Continue reading Vegas Baby: Pioneers Rout Broncos to Earn Seventh Frozen Four Berth Since 2016 →

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