No. 3–seed Denver and No. 1 Boston College will face off in tomorrow’s NCAA men’s hockey national championship
The GIST: After six months of ice grinding, we’re just one game away from the season’s best celly: The puck drops on the NCAA Championship tomorrow at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Frozen Four recap: Last night’s first game was a dog fight deep into overtime, until No. 3–seed Denver junior forward Tristan Broz scored the sudden-death game-winning slapshot that ousted No. 2 Boston University from the semis for the second straight season. With the win, the Pioneers return to the national final for the second time in three years.
- In the nightcap, No. 1 Boston College scored in the first 90 seconds and never looked back, walloping unseeded Michigan 4–0 to advance to their first title game since 2012. Like BU, Michigan was iced out of the 'ship once again.
Tomorrow’s championship: The Frozen Four squads have relied on high-powered offenses all season, but last night’s victors advanced thanks to ferocious defense. The nation’s Top-2 goaltenders — BC’s Jacob Fowler and Denver’s Matt Davis — will have to be at their best, or split-second mistakes could cost them the confetti.
- Denver’s top priority will be containing BC sophomore Cutter Gauthier — the Caitlin Clark of men’s hockey — and the Fresh Prince of Boston, freshman Will Smith, who both scored beauties last night.
- As for BC, they’ll have to keep an eye on the aforementioned Broz and his late-game heroics — he’s already proved he has, ahem, ice in his veins, plus he scored the equalizing goal when DU bounced BC 4–3 back in October. Cold.
