Denver's double‑OT escape

Denver looked finished with 8:58 left in regulation, down 3-2 to top-seeded Michigan in Las Vegas, and then Clarke Caswell tied it at 17:14 to force overtime in a game that ran all the way to 92:35. (espn.com, denverpioneers.com) It finally ended at 12:35 of the second overtime when Denver defenseman Kent Anderson drifted into the slot and scored his second goal of the season on one of the Pioneers’ few clean looks late. Michigan had led shots in the overtime periods 22-8, but Denver made its third shot of the fifth period count. (denverpioneers.com, mgoblue.com) The box score looked backwards for the winner. Michigan outshot Denver 52-26, while freshman goalie Johnny Hicks stopped 49 pucks, which set a personal high and turned a shot barrage into a one-goal game. (denverpioneers.com, espn.com) Michigan actually grabbed control early with two goals in 59 seconds late in the first period. Josh Eernisse tied it at 16:18, then T.J. Hughes scored at 17:17 to put the Wolverines up 2-1 after Denver had opened the scoring through Kyle Chyzowski. (espn.com, mgoblue.com) Denver kept answering in single swings. Cale Ashcroft tied it 2-2 at 2:30 of the second period, Jayden Perron restored Michigan’s lead on a power play at 11:02 of the third, and Caswell erased that lead with 2:46 left in regulation. (espn.com) That is why this one felt less like a clean upset and more like a tug-of-war where Michigan carried the puck and Denver kept landing the one punch that reset everything. The Wolverines entered the night 5-0-1 in overtime games this season and still left after their next shot against ended the year. (mgoblue.com, denverpioneers.com) For Denver, this is not a surprise program pretending to be a power for one weekend. The Pioneers won their 10th national championship in 2024, breaking a tie with Michigan for the most in Division One men’s hockey, and they have now reached the title game for the third time in five years. (denverpioneers.com, denverpioneers.com) The game also fit Denver’s recent habit of surviving marathons. The school called 92:35 the longest game in program history, seven seconds longer than its 92:28 double-overtime regional win over Massachusetts on March 28, 2024. (denverpioneers.com) Now the bracket turns into a heavyweight final instead of the matchup many expected. Wisconsin beat North Dakota in the other semifinal, and Denver will meet the Badgers for the national championship on Saturday, April 11, at 5:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPN. (ncaa.com, espn.com) If Denver wins that game, the Pioneers move from 10 titles to 11 and add a third championship in five seasons. If Wisconsin wins, the Badgers add to their own six-title history and cap a run that already knocked out a No. 2 seed to reach the final. (denverpioneers.com, ncaa.com)