The #3 overall-seeded Denver Pioneers are returning to the Frozen Four for the second time in the last three years and the third time since 2019. After a marathon 2-1, double-overtime victory over the UMass-Amherst Minutemen in the Springfield Regional semifinal on Thursday afternoon, the Pioneers and, more specifically, goaltender Matt Davis put forth another strong performance en route to their second consecutive 2-1 victory, this time in regulation against regional #3 seed Cornell. Davis stopped 24 of the Big Red’s 25 shots on goal while Miko Matikka and Sam Harris tallied late in the first and second periods, respectively, to send the Pioneers back to St. Paul as the first of four teams who will clinch berths in the 2024 Frozen Four. Continue reading Matt Davis Turns Into Brick Wall Against Cornell as Denver Advances to 19th Frozen Four →

This is not ‘the revenge tour’ because Denver is fielding an entirely different team than the one that lost to UMass and Cornell in previous tournaments.  However, the Springfield Regional was a chance to make amends for an overtime loss to UMass in the 2019 Frozen Four (4-3). Now, they have a chance to make up for a Manchester Regional semifinal loss to this same Cornell team a year ago. Based on statistics and the eye test, Cornell will be a much tougher challenge than UMass-Amherst. Continue reading Springfield Regional Final: Denver Faces Toughest Task Yet With Manchester Rematch →

60 minutes wasn’t enough. 80 minutes wasn’t either. After almost 100 minutes of hockey and nearly four hours after the puck dropped on the NCAA Tournament in the Springfield Regional, top-line center Tristan Broz sent a shot from the high slot past Michael Hrabal to end the double-overtime marathon and send the #1-seeded Denver Pioneers through to the Regional Final with a 2-1 victory over the #4-seeded and regional co-host UMass-Amherst Minutemen at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass. It was far from the Pioneers’ best performance of the season but Matt Davis and DU’s defense stepped up in a huge way when it mattered most. Continue reading Survive and Advance: Tristan Broz Scores in 2nd Overtime to Send Pioneers to Regional Final →

For the umpteenth time in the history of the NCAA Men’s Hockey Tournament, the Denver Pioneers are the poster children for the problems with the current selection process and system. After winning the Frozen Faceoff last night – a result that put the UMass-Amherst Minutemen into the tournament as the #14-seeded team instead of Colorado College – the selection committee in all of its “wisdom” has placed the #3-overall seeded Pioneers in the Springfield, Mass. regional which is hosted by…UMass-Amherst. This means that the regional’s #1 seed Denver will play the regional host and #4 seed in Thursday’s first-round matchup at noon mountain time. Continue reading 2024 Men’s Hockey NCAA Tournament Selection Show: #3 Pioneers Sent to Springfield →

DU head Coach David Carle wanted his team to give the NCHC Frozen Faceoff their full effort after losing momentum last season, falling to Colorado College at the the Frozen Faceoff and an early NCAA Tournament exit. Saturday night, DU gave their full effort after a grueling OT game 24 hours earlier against St. Cloud State. Heading into the game, the DU staff knew that a win would send Colorado College out of the NCAA Tournament bracket. Winning the NCHC Tournament Trophy also meant that Denver might be sent to the Springfield, Massachusetts Regional hosted by UMass-Amherst, instead of a more favorable midwest spot like St Louis. We will know tomorrow when the seedings are announced. The hockey Selection Show is Sunday at 4:30 p.m. MT on ESPNU. Continue reading Denver Wins NCHC Tournament Trophy Over Omaha, 4-1 →

Old habits die hard. The nation’s leading scoring hockey team, the Denver Pioneers, scored goals as usual but gave up wide-open scoring opportunities to St. Cloud State in the first two periods – a return to their porous selves from the first half of the season. However, Denver found defense over the third period and won in overtime, 5-4, on a dazzling goal by Zeev Buium. North Dakota fell in the earlier afternoon game to Omaha 6-3 – setting up a Denver vs Omaha final in St Paul, Minnesota Saturday night. The win all but assured Denver a top-four seed in the NCAA hockey tournament, Continue reading Frozen Faceoff Semifinal Goal Fest Turns into Overtime Thriller, 5-4 →