As the Pioneers head into their 19th Frozen Four on Thursday, DU wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for goalie Matt Davis and the team’s talented freshmen.
Denver goaltender Matt Davis makes a stop on a shot by Cornell forward Ryan Walsh during the third period of an NCAA men’s college hockey tournament regional final in Springfield, Mass., Saturday, March 30, 2024. Heading into the season, two huge question marks for the University of Denver hockey team were whether new starting goalie Matt Davis could be the man in net, and if the Pioneers’ youngsters would be able to help carry them where they wanted to go.
Add in nine players who were on Denver’s 2022 national championship roster, including six who played in that year’s Frozen Four, and DU has the ideal mix of veterans, new firepower and goaltending to win a record 10th national championship this weekend. That stretch included two career-long shutout streaks over the last month, including a new high of 127:19 across three games March 9-16. His play in the 2-1, double-OT win over UMass in the regional opener — the longest game in program history — was followed by another stellar performance in the 2-1 win over Cornell in the second round. The latter included a highlight-reel save with seconds left in the game that sealed this week’s trip to St. Paul, Minn.
“The start of the season and a bit of the middle, we didn’t have a problem putting the puck in the net, but we had a problem keeping it out,” sophomore forward Rieger Lorenz said. “To see that growth throughout the season, and to win 2-1 games in our only 2-1 games of the season, was pretty reassuring going into the Frozen Four.”
Senior captain McKade Webster emphasized that DU can beat BU, and then either Michigan or Boston College in Saturday’s title game, no matter what direction those games take — be it low-scoring, physical affair or track meet on skates. Should the Pioneers meet the Wolverines in the final, the winner would be the first program to 10 national titles.
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DU Pioneers headed to 19th Frozen Four after exacting revenge against Cornell in regional finalMatt Schubert is the Sports Editor for The Denver Post. He is a graduate of the Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. His journalism career has spanned three time zones and four states, with previous stops in Washington, Nebraska and Indiana.
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