Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Men’s Notes: Storylines to Watch in St. Louis

Enterprise Center Hosts NCAA Frozen Four

Thursday, April 10
4 pm CT: Denver vs. Western Michigan
Watch: ESPN2, ESPN+, TSN+
Listen: Westwood One

7:30 pm CT: Boston University vs. Penn State
Watch: ESPN2, ESPN+, TSN+
Listen: Westwood One

Saturday, April 12
7 pm CT: Championship Game
Watch: ESPN2, ESPN+, TSN+
Listen: Westwood One

It’s down to four teams in the chase for the 2025 NCAA Frozen Four championship at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. The first of two semifinals is a rematch of last month’s NCHC Frozen Faceoff championship game with Western Michigan taking on Denver. The nightcap features the first-ever meeting between Boston University and Penn State. This year’s Frozen Four also includes:

Fifteen combined NCAA titles between Denver (10) and Boston University (five), while Penn State and Western Michigan are both making their first NCAA Frozen Four appearance
A No. 1 seed (Western Michigan), a No. 2 seed (Boston University), a No. 3 seed (Denver) and a No. 4 seed (Penn State)
Four of the nation’s top seven scoring offenses
Three of the nation’s top four individual scoring leaders
Two finalists for the 2025 Hobey Baker Memorial Award
Thirty-eight NHL Draft picks

The Roads Traveled:

Here’s how each of the four semifinalists advanced to St. Louis:

Boston University (23-13-2): The Terriers qualified for their third Frozen Four in as many years under head coach Jay Pandolfo (BU ’96) by defeating Ohio State (8-3) and Cornell (3-2 ot) at the Toledo Regional … Junior F Quinn Hutson (Chicago, Ill.) scored the overtime winner in the regional final against Cornell, his 23rd goal of the season … Freshman D Cole Hutson (Chicago, Ill.) was named the regional’s most outstanding player after racking up two goals and four assists in the two games … The Hutson brothers rank 1-2 on BU in scoring with 50 and 46 points, respectively … Freshman G Mikhail Yegorov (St. Petersburg, Russia), who joined the team prior to the second semester, stopped 70 of 75 shots (.933) in the regional … The Terriers are seeking their sixth NCAA championship and first since 2008-09.
Denver (31-11-1): The defending NCAA champions defeated Boston College (3-1) in a rematch of last year’s national title game to advance out of the Manchester Regional … The Pioneers had opened the tournament with a 5-1 win over Providence … Sophomore D Zeev Buium (San Diego, Calif.), the NCAA’s top-scoring defenseman, was named the regional’s most outstanding player with two goals and three assists … Senior G Matt Davis (Calgary, Alberta) turned aside 65 of 67 shots (.970) in two regional games. He was the most outstanding player of last year’s NCAA Tournament … DU is chasing its second straight national championship and third in the last four years … The Pioneers are making their fourth Frozen Four appearance in seven seasons under head coach David Carle (DU ’12).
Penn State (22-13-4): Penn State advanced to its first-ever Frozen Four by defeating Maine (5-1) and UConn (3-2 ot) at the Allentown Regional … F Matt DiMarsico (So., Wexford, Pa.) scored the overtime winner against UConn, his third goal of the weekend, and earned most outstanding player honors. He also scored the game-winning goal in the opening round against Maine … Sophomore F Dane Dowiak (Wexford, Pa.) also enjoyed a three-goal weekend … G Arsenii Sergeev (Yaroslavl, Russia) stopped 68 of 71 shots (.958) in the two regional wins.
Western Michigan (32-7-1): The only team in this year’s Frozen Four to have won either their league’s regular-season or playoff championships (they won both), the Broncos downed Minnesota State (2-1 ot) and UMass (2-1) to capture the Fargo Regional … That gave WMU a nation’s-best 32 wins this season, tying the school record … Senior F Liam Valente (Märsta, Sweden) was the regional’s most outstanding player with a goal in each game, including the game-winner against UMass in the final … Freshman G Hampton Slukynsky (Warroad, Minn.) stopped 56 of 58 shots (.966) on the weekend … The Broncos, who have won eight straight games, are making their first Frozen Four appearance.

Frozen Four Media Kit (.pdf) | Tournament Bracket | TV Schedule

Visit College Hockey Inc.’s 2025 NCAA Frozen Four Media Kit (above) for more tournament information, including statistics, history and key storylines.

Daily Scoreboard | Weekly Schedule | Stat Leaders | Goaltending Leaders

Must Read:

Big Rapids Pioneer: Ferris State’s new hockey coach ‘excited to get going’

College Hockey News: Riley takes the reins at Ferris State, ready for the challenge

College Hockey News: Penn State heads to first Frozen Four after OT heroics

College Hockey News: Matt Davis proves again he’s at his best in the biggest moments

College Hockey News: Slukynsky backstops WMU to Fargo Regional title

College Hockey News: Denver uses guile and adaptability to shut down BC again

Denver Post: DU, Davis stun Boston College to return to Frozen Four for third time in four years

Detroit News: ‘It’s our time’: Frozen Four newbie Western Michigan ready for title-rich Denver

MLive: Hockey history! WMU’s magical season lives on with first-ever Frozen Four berth

The Daily Collegian (PSU): ‘Figured it might look pretty cool’ | DiMarsico sends PSU to first Frozen Four

USCHO: A first look at the 2025 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four

WOODTV Grand Rapids: Brett Riley embraces role as Ferris State head hockey coach

Must Hear:

CHN Insiders: Featuring Grand Forks Herald reporter Brad Schlossman

College Hockey Today: Frozen Four preview

Oilers NOW with Bob Stauffer: Featuring Penn State head coach Guy Gadowsky

USCHO Weekend Review: Recapping the NCAA men’s DI hockey regionals

Gateway to a Championship:

The city of St. Louis is playing host to the NCAA Division I Men’s Frozen Four for the third time in history and for the second time at Enterprise Center (formerly Scottrade Center).

In 1975, Michigan Tech defeated Minnesota at the old St. Louis Arena to capture the program’s third NCAA title. Boston University also competed in that Frozen Four, losing to Michigan Tech in the semifinals before defeating Harvard 10-5 in the third-place game.

In 2007, Michigan State defeated Boston College (3-1) at Scottrade Center, now known as Enterprise Center. Maine and North Dakota were the other qualifiers.

Opposites Attract:

This year’s Frozen Four features two pairs of teams at the opposite end of the historical spectrum.

Defending NCAA champion Denver has won 10 national titles, more than any school in the country, and will face a Western Michigan team making its first-ever Frozen Four appearance.

In the other semifinal, a Boston University program that boasts five NCAA championships – tied for fifth-most all-time – will meet another Frozen Four first-timer in Penn State.

If WMU and PSU advance to the championship game, it will mark the first time since 2013 (Yale def. Quinnipiac) that two teams making their first Frozen Four appearance will meet in the final.

Three-Ring Circus?:

Defending NCAA champion Denver is pursuing its third national title in three years. The last team to achieve that feat was also DU, which won national titles in 1958, 1960 and 1961. Michigan also pulled it off as part of a span of five NCAA titles in six years from 1951-56.

The Pioneers have won five of their 10 NCAA titles in the 2000s, more than anyone else during that time.

Feeling a Draft:

The 2025 Frozen Four features 38 NHL Draft picks combined between the four rosters:

NHL Draft picks by team
Boston University – 14
Denver – 13
Western Michigan – 8
Penn State – 3

Additionally, six freshmen in the Frozen Four are draft-eligible: BU’s Sascha Boumedienne (Stockholm, Sweden), Penn State’s Charlie Cerrato (Fallston, Md.), Nick Fascia (Blackwood, N.J.), and Andrew Kuzma (New York, N.Y.), and Western Michigan’s Connor Brown (Estero, Fla.) and Zack Sharp (Naperville, Ill).

Hobey Hopefuls:

A pair of Denver teammates are vying for the 2025 Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top player in NCAA Division I men’s hockey.

DU sophomore D Zeev Buium (San Diego, Calif.) and senior F Jack Devine (Glencoe, Ill.) were among the 10 finalists named for the award earlier this year. Buium is the nation’s top-scoring defenseman with 48 points in 40 games, while Devine leads all skaters with 57 points in 43 contests.

The 10 finalists will be narrowed down to three “Hobey Hat Trick” finalists on Thursday, April 3.

On the Offensive:

All four Frozen Four semifinalists rank among the top seven nationally in goals per game, including Denver’s top-ranked scoring offense:

NCAA Rk	Team	Goals/Gm
1st	Denver	4.00
2nd	Western Michigan	3.95
4th	Boston University	3.82
t-7th	Penn State	3.54

During the NCAA Regionals, BU scored a tournament-best 11 goals in two games, followed by Denver (eight), Penn State (eight), and Western Michigan (four).

It’s How You Finish:

During the last two NCAA Tournaments, teams scoring the game’s first goal have gone on to win just 11 of 27 games (.407).

During last weekend’s regional round, teams scoring first went 5-7 (.417). In the 2024 NCAA Tournament, teams went 6-9 (.400) when scoring the first goal.

Those numbers are in stark contrast to the 2023 NCAA Tournament, when teams scoring first finished 11-4 (.733).

This year’s Frozen Four field owns a combined .784 winning percentage in 2024-25 when scoring first.

Not Too Cool for School:

NCAA Division I men’s hockey players typically fare well academically in comparison to their student-athlete peers.

According to data released by the NCAA, hockey boasted a four-year Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 93 percent in the latest reporting period, tied for the fifth-best rate among all Division I men’s sports.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

Boston University: Third-year head coach Jay Pandolfo (BU ’96) is making his seventh Frozen Four appearance as a Terrier: three as a coach and four as a player … BU’s freshman class has 134 points this season, tops among this year’s Frozen Four rookie classes … Freshman D Cole Hutson (Chicago, Ill.) led all players during the NCAA Regionals with six points … The Terriers are the nation’s most penalized team, averaging 13.5 PIM per game … No duo in the Frozen Four has more goals than the 46 supplied by Cole Eiserman (Fr., Newburyport, Mass.) and Quinn Hutson (Jr., Chicago, Ill.), who have 23 each.

Denver: Jack Devine’s (Sr., Glencoe, Ill.) 163 career points lead all active NCAA Division I men’s players and are 47 more than anyone else in the NCAA Tournament (teammate Aidan Thompson has 116) … Sophomore D Zeev Buium (San Diego, Calif.) needs two more points to reach 100 for his career … Buium has seven career points in NCAA Tournament games, more than any other player in the Frozen Four … G Matt Davis (Calgary, Alberta) has never lost an NCAA Tournament game, going 6-0 over the last two seasons.

Penn State: The Nittany Lions have lost just once (19-1-1) when leading after two periods … Forwards Charlie Cerrato (Fr., Fallston, Md.) and JJ Wiebusch (Fr., River Falls, Wis.) are both riding eight-game point streaks. Cerrato has 17 points (3 goals, 14 assists) during that stretch, while Wiebusch has 14 points (9 goals, 5 assists) … PSU’s roster features players from nine different U.S. states, tops among Frozen Four teams … PSU has eight short-handed goals this season, a total topped nationally only by UConn and St. Thomas (nine each) … Aiden Fink’s (So., Calgary, Alberta) 53 points and 30 assists are single-season school records.

Western Michigan: The Broncos’ 32 wins this season are more than any other team in the country and tied for the most in school history … WMU has gotten 158 points from seniors and graduate students this season, most among Frozen Four teams … Brian Kramer’s (Gr., Wexford, Pa.) 166 career NCAA games played are more than any other defenseman in the Frozen Four … Sixteen different Broncos have double-digit points this season, more than any other Frozen Four team … WMU averages just 5.8 PIM per game, the fewest in the country.

Notebook Quotebook:

“When you see the entire stadium packed again, like it was on Friday, with alums and students, it’s just unbelievable to see the effort and support that the whole Penn State community shows us. It’s such a tight-knit community and people are so close, so to win a game like this to send them to the Frozen Four, it means everything.”

— Penn State sophomore F Matt DiMarsico (Wexford, Pa.), after scoring the overtime goal against UConn in the Allentown Regional final (source: The Daily Collegian).

NHL Note of the Week:

Twenty-two different NHL teams have at least one draft pick in the 2025 NCAA Frozen Four, led by Los Angeles (four), New Jersey (three), and San Jose (three). They are among the 12 NHL teams who have multiple draft picks still playing.

Three of the draft picks in this year’s Frozen Four were first-round selections: Denver D Zeev Buium (So., San Diego, Calif.) was taken 12th overall by Minnesota in the 2024 NHL Draft, Boston University F Cole Eiserman (Fr., Newburyport, Mass.) went 20th overall to the New York Islanders in the same draft, and BU D Tom Willander (So., Stockholm, Sweden) was selected 11th overall by Vancouver in 2023.

NHL Note of the Week II:

Boston College sophomore F Ryan Leonard (Amherst, Mass.) and Minnesota junior F Jimmy Snuggerud (Chaska, Minn.) – two of this year’s Hobey Baker Award top 10 finalists – made their NHL debuts Tuesday with Washington and St. Louis, respectively.

They became the 20th and 21st players from last year’s NCAA Tournament to have already reached the NHL. Ten of those players competed in last year’s Frozen Four.

Fries at the Bottom of the Bag:

Ferris State named Brett Riley (Hobart College ’14) as its new head coach last Friday. Riley had been head coach at LIU since 2020 and was named NCAA Independent Coach of the Year this season … The following day, North Dakota announced Dane Jackson (UND ’92) as its new head coach. Jackson had spent the previous 19 seasons on the UND staff and had served as associate head coach since 2015-16.

Longest Active Team Winning Streaks:

8 games, Western Michigan (began March 7 at Miami)
2 games, Boston University (began March 27 vs. Ohio State, NCAA first round)
2 games, Denver (began March 28 vs. Providence, NCAA first round)
2 games, Penn State (began March 28 vs. Maine, NCAA first round)

Longest Active Point Streaks (Frozen Four participants):

8 games, F Charlie Cerrato (Penn State)
- 3-14—17, began Feb. 22 at Michigan State
8 games, F Liam Valente (Western Michigan)
- 2-7—9, began March 7 at Miami
8 games, F JJ Wiebusch (Penn State)
- 9-5—14, began Feb. 22 at Michigan State

Longest Active Goal Streaks (Frozen Four participants):

5 games, F JJ Wiebusch (Penn State)
- 6-2—8, began March 7 at Michigan (Big Ten quarterfinal)
3 games, D Zeev Buium (Denver)
- 3-3—6, began March 22 vs. Western Michigan (NCHC championship)
3 games, F Matt DiMarsico (Penn State)
- 4-1—5, began March 15 at Ohio State (Big Ten semifinal)
3 games, F Quinn Hutson (Boston University)
- 3-1—4, began March 20 vs. UConn (Hockey East semifinal)

Longest Active Goalie Winning Streaks (Frozen Four participants):

8 games, Hampton Slukynsky (Western Michigan)
- Began March 7 at Miami
2 games, Matt Davis (Denver)
- Began March 28 vs. Providence (NCAA first round)
2 games, Arsenii Sergeev (Penn State)
- Began March 28 vs. Maine (NCAA first round)
2 games, Mikhail Yegorov (Boston University)
- Began March 27 vs. Ohio State (NCAA first round)

College Hockey Inc. Resources:

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