Folkloric runs, a never-say-die attitude, levelheadedness and serious momentum are part of what brought Denver and Wisconsin to the NCAA men's hockey championship final in Las Vegas.
LAS VEGAS – There will be no No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Frozen Four championship.
What there will be, however, are two programs with great coaches and a winning pedigree.
Wisconsin shocked North Dakota in the first semifinal while Denver outlasted Michigan in double-overtime to book a final between the Badgers and the Pioneers on Saturday. And it should be a hot one.
Denver comes in with a chance to win its third national title in five seasons, all under coach David Carle. The Pioneers played a never-say-die style against Michigan, and though the Wolverines heavily outshot Denver, the Pios had a lot of good chances of their own on the night.
In the end, the difference was freshman goalie Johnny Hicks, who is having a folkloric run in his first year with the team. The former WHL netminder was originally a Tennessee State commit – and the Tigers didn't even end up playing this year, delaying their NCAA debut until next season.
"It's weird how things worked out," Hicks said. "A year ago today I was playing for the Victoria Royals watching Denver on TV, and I hadn't even talked to them at that point. It's been a rollercoaster ride for sure, but it's been amazing."
Johnny Hicks stopped 49 shots in Thursday's double-overtime win. (Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)Hicks wasn't even the starter to begin the year, but he took over the crease midway through the campaign and has yet to lose in regulation, posting an incredible 15-0-1 record along the way.
"He's worked his butt off all year and took advantage of his opportunity," said right winger Brendan McMorrow (LA). "He's been our best player the past 20-odd games, and he's a rock. I love having him back there. He's so dialled. He doesn't talk to a single person on game day, he's so locked in. We're so lucky to have him. Without him, no doubt we would not be here."
They also wouldn't be in the final without captain Kent Anderson, the stay-at-home defenseman who got open in double-OT and beat Michigan's Jack Ivankovic (NSH) with a wrister to end the night. It was just Anderson's second goal of the entire season, but it came at the right time.
"It's only fitting," McMorrow said. "He's our captain for a reason. He's had some of the biggest moments in our locker room and on the ice. I love the guy."
Wisconsin Stay After It
Not to be outdone, Wisconsin – which barely squeaked into the tournament field – has been on quite the run.
The Badgers shut down a potent North Dakota lineup and got all the offense they needed in the span of 27 seconds when they put two past Jan Spunar in the first period.
Simon Tassy opened the scoring in Wisconsin's win over North Dakota on Thursday. (Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)Wisconsin created a lot of turnovers during the game, with the Badgers using their speed and smarts to disrupt the Fighting Hawks.
"I thought the guys did a really good job at least over the first 20 minutes at trying to make them make decisions before they wanted to," said Wisconsin coach Mike Hastings. "I can tell you from sitting on the bench just listening to our guys' message to each other was, 'Let's get after them, stay after it.' We're not a very good team when we back up. I thought the guys were rewarded for their efforts in the first period at playing on their toes."
And Wisconsin's penalty kill, which had been a weakness this season, was a major plus, going clean for the game and even surviving a 5-on-3.
Defenseman and captain Ben Dexheimer led the way with five blocked shots on the night, including a painful one during the 5-on-3. Even with North Dakota scoring late, the Badgers weren't rattled, and now they have the chance to win the school's first national title since 2006.
"We've been stressing all year that all through the peaks and valleys of a season, of a game, of a period even, we stay levelheaded," said goalie Daniel Hauser. "I thought the guys did a great job of not getting rattled, going back to our game, finishing it out."
So, who takes it, Denver or Wisconsin? Based on their semifinal performances, it may simply come down to which team blinks first. These two programs have culture, coaching and some serious momentum right now.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.