Denver wins Frozen Four
Denver beat Wisconsin 2-1 to win the 2026 NCAA Frozen Four title, rallying with two third-period goals in the championship game. ( ). The victory gave Denver its 11th program championship and its third NCAA men’s hockey title in five years. ( )
Denver erased a one-goal deficit in the third period Saturday night and beat Wisconsin 2-1 to win the National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s hockey championship in Las Vegas. (ncaa.com) Wisconsin led 1-0 after Vasily Zelenov scored at 13:36 of the first period, and Denver did not answer until Rieger Lorenz tied it at 7:31 of the third. Kyle Chyzowski then scored the winner at 14:08 of the third period. (espn.com) Denver won despite getting outshot 30-15, with freshman goaltender Johnny Hicks stopping 29 shots in the title game. Hicks was later named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after making 78 saves across Denver’s two Frozen Four games. (espn.com, nhl.com) The result pushed Denver to 11 national championships, the most in Division I men’s hockey, and gave coach David Carle’s program its third title in five seasons. Denver also finished the year on a 13-game winning streak and a 17-game unbeaten run. (ncaa.com, espn.com) Wisconsin was chasing its first national championship since 2006 and its seventh overall. The Badgers reached the final at 24-13-2, but their lead held for less than half of the third period before Denver flipped the game. (espn.com, espn.com) Denver’s path through the Frozen Four also ran through Michigan, which it beat 4-3 in double overtime in the semifinal on April 10. Wisconsin reached the championship game by beating Penn State 3-1 in the other semifinal. (espn.com) The championship game was played at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on April 11, 2026, closing a tournament that again ended with Denver holding the trophy. After trailing for nearly 34 minutes of game time, the Pioneers scored twice in 6:37 and left with another title. (ncaa.com, espn.com)
