By Sebastian Zucchet
After a thrilling opening two rounds to the NCAA tournament, the Frozen Four finalists are set to go for glory in St. Louis. The four teams who will be competing for the title are the Boston University Terriers, Penn State Nittany Lions, Denver University Pioneers and the Western Michigan Broncos. The first semifinal sees Denver take on Western Michigan, with the latter game being BU against Penn State.
Here’s a look at the 2025 Frozen Four teams:
Boston University Terriers
The Terriers are playing in their 25th Frozen Four, the third-most in the history of the tournament. BU is a big team that plays a fast and relentless style, making it incredibly tough for opponents to break them down. One of the secrets to their success are the Hutson brothers. With Lane tearing it up for the Montreal Canadiens, the Terriers are left with Cole and Quinn. Cole is a Washington Capitals draft pick, who had his coming-out party for Team USA at the 2025 World Junior Championship, whereas Quinn is undrafted. The brothers lead the team in scoring, even though Cole, like Lane, is a defenseman. The brothers have combined for four goals in the first two games of the tournament.
The other Cole on the team, Cole Eiserman, is a New York Islanders pick, and he's doing what he does best – score goals. Eiserman is one of the best goal-scorers in college hockey, and it was surprising when he fell to the 20th overall selection in the draft last June, but nevertheless his game and talent continues to grow. He scored twice against Ohio State in the opening game of the Frozen Four tournament.
Tom Willander also brings a great two-way game as a defenseman. The Vancouver Canucks draft pick can put up points as well as offer valuable defensive play in all three zones.
The Terriers defeated Ohio State 8-3 in the opener and narrowly edged Cornell in the quarters, 3-2 in overtime.
Penn State Nittany Lions
After just over a decade of Div. I status in NCAA men’s hockey, Penn State is making its first Frozen Four appearance. Less enriched with NHL draft picks than BU, the Nittany Lions are still a team that can beat you down. They rely on depth scoring and have a great two-way game.
The star of the team is Aiden Fink, a Nashville Predators seventh-rounder in 2023 who has 23 goals and 53 points this season, but is goalless in the tournament. This helps prove the point of depth scoring, as forwards Matthew DiMarsico and Dane Dowiak have both stepped up with three goals in two games in the tournament. Plaudits also have to be given to Russian goaltender Arsenii Sergeev. Sergeev is a Calgary Flames draft pick who transferred over from UConn and has made 68 saves over the course of two Frozen Four games, only conceding three goals, with 42 of those saves against his former team in the quarterfinal.
Penn State has a tough game ahead of them, but anything can happen. They smashed Hockey East champions Maine 5-1 in the first round, and then defeated UConn 3-2 in overtime in the quarterfinal.
Denver Pioneers
The defending national champions are back in the Frozen Four for the 20th time in school history after winning the rematch of last year's title game against Boston College. Coach David Carle is looking for his third NCAA title in four seasons, and with a star-studded roster, the Pioneers have the manpower to get the job done.
There are 13 NHL draft picks on this team, including top defense prospect Zeev Buium, who will be in a Minnesota Wild jersey quite soon. Jack Devine and Aidan Thompson lead the way on offense, both with over 50 points this season. The Pioneers are a fast, puck-possession-driven and hardworking team. That’s the style that Carle wants to play, and it’s a huge reason for their success. Goaltender Matt Davis has only conceded two goals on 69 shots in the first two games of the tournament.
Denver beat Providence in Round 1 and then knocked out the country’s top-ranked team, Boston College, in the second round.
Western Michigan Broncos
Most people don’t think of Western Michigan as a top college hockey team, but these underdogs had something to prove, and now they’re getting noticed. This is the Broncos’ first appearance in the Frozen Four and they have their work cut out for them against Denver.
The Broncos have seven NHL draft picks, most notably Alex Bump, a Philadelphia Flyers selection. Bump is the team's leading scorer with 23 goals and 47 points in 40 games. In the NCAA tournament, their scoring success has come from Liam Valente, a Swedish native who has two goals in two games. Grant Slukynsky and Tim Washe also are players who can provide key offense in big games, as they each scored a game-winner in the first two tournament games. Slukynsky scored the winner in double overtime against Minnesota State in the first round, and in the second round Washe scored the winner in the third period against UMass, sending Western Michigan to the Frozen Four.