The University of Denver Pioneers officially defeated the Boston University Terriers to advance to the NCAA Championship game in a rather surprising 2-1 overtime upset. That means Minnesota Wild prospect Rieger Lorenz is officially the only Wild prospect to make it to the NCAA Frozen Four and now to the championship game this season, which will be played later this evening.
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It was a tall task for Denver to take down Boston University, but they’ll have their hands even fuller when they take on the Boston College Eagles, who’ve been the number-one team in college hockey for most of the season. We’ll look at what Lorenz and his team need to do to take home that championship trophy and take down the Eagles.
Pioneers Need Davis’ Best Game
If the Pioneers want to overcome the Eagles’ high-scoring power, specifically Cutter Gauthier and Will Smith, both of whom scored in their semifinal win over the University of Michigan Wolverines, they need their goaltender Matt Davis to be at his best. He’s played strong in every game leading up to this, and they’ll need everything he has left.
The Eagles count on their offensive power, so they’ll need someone to slow it down and stop it if possible. Undoubtedly, the speedy forwards will make it behind Denver’s defense, meaning Davis must be ready. He’s likely watched tapes of these players and hopefully knows what to expect when they come barreling down because they will come.
Davis won’t be able to do it alone. However, if they can manage it, the Pioneers’ defense will need to get in the way of every shot they can. There’s a reason both of these teams have made it this far, and the Pioneers know it has a lot to do with their strong goaltending. They’ll need some of that “battle” they’ve spoken about.
After winning the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Frozen Faceoff a few weeks back, which helped them get here, Davis talked about what his team has done to get here, “It feels great; it says a lot about our group this year and how far we’ve come. They battle, they battle hard, and it’s fun to play behind.”
Pioneers Need Their Scorers
Obviously, to win a hockey game, teams must score, and while the Eagles have a lot of that, so do the Pioneers. McKade Webster, Shai and Zeev Buium, and the Wild’s prospect, Lorenz, have all provided goals and must do so if they want that trophy. They’ll need to jump quickly and try to get on the board first to put the Eagles on their heels.
Anything that throws Boston College off their game will help the Pioneers in their chances. Webster was asked how he got it done for a team that hadn’t scored a goal in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff tournament over the past few seasons until this season: “I’m not really too sure. Just getting the puck to the net, just keeping the game simple. I mean, just playoff hockey, so to try and take your game to the next level as much as you can.”
That could be the key to the scorers’ game as well: keep things simple. Focus on getting the puck to the net and shooting as much as possible. They can’t waste any chances, as they know the Eagles won’t, so they have to take it when they get the opportunity.
Pioneers Must Rely on Team Growth
The biggest takeaway from their NCHC Frozen Faceoff win was how much their team had grown and their team-first mentality throughout the locker room. Nearly every player spoke on it, and so did their coach, who talked about how it’s an entire team belief, and that’s how they’ve gotten this far. That belief will continue to be tested, and they’ll need to rely on it to get through this last game.
Connor Caponi spoke up after their Frozen Faceoff win about what it’ll take to win the NCAA Championship and how their team is team first, “I think you know we start off with like a really young group this season, but all those young guys have really come a long way, and I think they’ve really bought into this team first mentality. A lot of guys are leaving their pride at the door and playing for each other, which is what you need to win a national championship. So I think everyone’s just come together really well, and we believe in each other, so it’s been awesome to see from all these young players.”
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It’s going to be tough to get past the Eagles, but if the Pioneers continue to believe in each other and dig really deep, they can do it. Just because a team seems unbeatable doesn’t mean they are, and the Pioneers have already taken down a team they weren’t supposed to in Boston University. It’ll be interesting to see who steps up against the Eagles.
Pioneers Can Win
Again, it’s a big task, but every team in the NCAA tournament is good, and we’re now down to the two best teams in the nation. They’ve both earned the right to play for the championship, and someone has to go home in second place. As the lone NCHC representative to make it this far, hopefully, the Pioneers and the Wild’s Lorenz can step up and win one more game to take home their 10th championship.