Friday, April 12, 2024

Boston College, Denver Pave Way for Title Game Clash

Eagles Ride Underclassmen, DU Gets OT Tally from Broz

SAINT PAUL, Minn. — The 2024 NCAA Frozen Four championship game will be a showcase of the country’s two most potent offensive teams.

Junior Tristan Broz (Bloomington, Minn.) scored midway through overtime in the first of two semifinals at Xcel Energy Center, lifting Denver to a 2-1 victory over Michigan, while freshman G Jacob Fowler (Melbourne, Fla.) pitched a 32-save shutout in the nightcap as Boston College blanked Michigan 4-0.

It sets up a clash between the only two teams in Division I men’s hockey averaging better than four-and-a-half goals per game.

Frozen Four Media Kit (.pdf) | Tournament Bracket

Denver and Boston College met head-to-head back in October, a 4-3 win for visiting DU, but it will mark the first time these two storied programs will meet in the national championship game.

Saturday’s national title game is set for 5 p.m. CT on ESPN2 and ESPN+. It will also be streamed live in Canada on TSN+. Westwood One will provide the radio broadcast.

National Scoring Leaders | National Goaltending Leaders | National Team Leaders

Denver 2, Boston University 1 (ot):

Box Score

The highest-scoring team in men’s college hockey suddenly looks very comfortable playing in 2-1 games.

Broz’s overtime goal midway through the extra session gave the Pioneers a third consecutive 2-1 victory in the NCAA Tournament after having previously gone the entire season without playing in a 2-1 game.

In fact, it’s the first time in school history DU has logged three straight 2-1 wins.

For the Minnesota-born-and-raised Broz, it was a stirring homecoming. The former University of Minnesota transfer took a Sean Behrens (Jr., Barrington, Ill.) feed in the offensive zone and beat BU netminder Mathieu Caron (Jr., Abbotsford, British Columbia) five-hole at 11:09 of overtime, sending the Pioneers to Saturday’s title game.

It was Broz’s 15th goal and 40th point, increasing his career highs in both categories.

“We ran that drill yesterday, doing 2-on-1s, and a few times I scored, just kind of no-look, trying to shoot five-hole,” said Broz. “And [tonight] I just kind of blacked out in that moment and [it] happened to go in.

“I think that’s what every kid dreams of, to do something like that for your team.”

Prior to Broz’s heroics, Caron and DU goalie Matt Davis (Jr., Calgary, Alberta) had taken center stage for much of the night, combining to stop 46 of 48 shots in regulation and 14 more in overtime. Caron made a pair of highlight-reel, sprawling glove saves during regulation, but Davis was every bit his equal, particularly in the opening 40 minutes when his teammates were outshot 20-11.

“I thought both goaltenders were the teams’ two best players tonight,” said DU head coach David Carle. “Our guy happened to make one more save than theirs. That’s these games this time of year sometimes.”

Sophomore F Tristan Lemyre (Mirabel, Que.), listed as the 13th forward on DU’s line chart, scored the first goal for the Pioneers late in the second period. BU’s Luke Tuch (Sr., Baldwinsville, N.Y.) opened the scoring in the first period.

Boston College 4, Michigan 0:

Box Score

As has been the case all season long, Boston College’s stars shone brightly Thursday night in the NCAA Frozen Four semifinal.

Cutter Gauthier (So., Scottsdale, Ariz.) tied the school record with his 38th goal, Will Smith (Fr., Lexington, Mass.) scored twice to eclipse the 70-point mark, Gabe Perreault (Fr., Hinsdale, Ill.) racked up three points, and Fowler stopped all 32 shots he faced.

It all added up to a 4-0 victory – BC’s school-record 34th of the year and 15th in a row – over Michigan and a berth in Saturday’s national title game against Denver.

“All in all, it was a track meet, which we kind of expected,” said BC head coach Greg Brown. “A lot of rushes going both ways, but I think our rush defense was probably the best part of our game tonight. And we did a great job there.”

Smith set the tone early, opening the scoring just 80 seconds into the game when he finished off a 2-on-1 feed from classmate Ryan Leonard (Amherst, Mass.). The he gave the Eagles a 2-0 cushion at 12:25 of the second period when his attempt at a centering pass from behind the net ricocheted in off the skate of a Michigan defender.

Gauthier added a breakaway tally just 49 seconds later, effectively putting the game away. Perreault tacked on an insurance tally early in the third period, and Fowler slammed the door the rest of the way for his third shutout of the year.

“If you told me as a kid, this would be kind of crazy,” said Smith. “I remember the days I was watching [former BC star] Johnny Gaudreau in the same Frozen Four. So, it’s a dream come true. It would be unbelievable to get that trophy just like he did.”

Fries at the Bottom of the Bag:

Denver captain Massimo Rizzo (Jr., Burnaby, British Columbia) returned to the lineup for the first time since Feb. 3. He had been leading the NCAA in scoring before suffering a lower-body injury that kept him out of DU’s next 14 games.
DU will attempt to become the first program in NCAA Division I men’s hockey to win a 10th national championship.
Davis has stopped 103 of 106 shots through three NCAA Tournament games, good for a .972 save percentage.
BC’s Smith is the fifth player in the last 20 years to score 70-plus points, joining Michigan’s Kyle Connor (2015-16), Boston University’s Jack Eichel (2014-15), Boston College’s Johnny Gaudreau (2013-14), and Miami’s Andy Miele (2010-11).
Gauthier tied BC’s single-season goals record shared by David Emma (1989-90) and Scott Harlow (1985-86).
Attendance for the semifinals was 18,598.

Must Read:

BC Heights: No. 1 Boston College shuts out Michigan 4-0, advances to national championship game
Boston Globe: High-powered Boston College beats Michigan to earn shot at NCAA men’s hockey title
Boston Herald: BC blanks Michigan, advances to college hockey national title game
Boston Hockey Blog: Terriers fall 2-1 in overtime of Frozen Four semifinal to Denver
College Hockey News: Behrens and group get physical to get going
College Hockey News: BC personifies season-long mantra in Frozen Four win
College Hockey News: Denver shows off on-ice communication as Lemyre, Broz shine at Frozen Four
College Hockey News: BC keeps proving it can defend too
Daily Gazette: Remembering the 10-year anniversary of Union’s NCAA hockey title
Denver Post: Tristan Broz, DU advance to NCAA title game after beating BU in overtime thriller
ESPN: Denver, Boston College to meet for national title
Grand Forks Herald: Denver finds its goaltending at the right time, advances to title game
Minneapolis Star Tribune:Former Gopher scores OT game-winner to get Denver to finals
The Rink Live: Tristan Broz scores on a rush in overtime to send Denver to championship game
USCHO: Broz scores in overtime to send Denver past Boston University in Men’s Frozen Four
USCHO: Denver finds a way into Men’s Frozen Four championship game after poor start
USCHO: Stars deliver for Boston College, which blanks Michigan for spot in national title game
USCHO: Michigan proud of effort but ‘couldn’t buy one’ against Boston College
USCHO: Boston University laments not adding on after scoring opening goal in Frozen Four loss

Notebook Quotebook:

“I thought he played unbelievable. Probably be on SportsCenter a couple times tomorrow morning.”

— Boston University D Case McCarthy (Gr., Clarence Center, N.Y.) on the play of Caron.

Longest Active Point Streaks Among Frozen Four Participants:

7 games, F Will Smith (Boston College)
- 8-9—17, began March 9 at Merrimack
6 games, F Ryan Leonard (Boston College)
- 6-6—12, began March 16 vs. UConn

College Hockey Inc. Resources:

Did you know? 93% of NCAA Division I men’s hockey players earn their degree!