Michigan Stays Ahead of Minnesota Duluth, Reaches Frozen Four
Michigan Advances to Frozen Four in Thrilling Overtime Victory
The No. 1 overall seed Michigan Wolverines (31-7-1) have advanced to the Frozen Four after a nail-biting 4-3 victory over Minnesota Duluth (24-15-1) in the regional final of the NCAA men’s ice hockey tournament on Sunday in Albany, New York. The game was a back-and-forth battle that saw Michigan barely hold off a determined UMD team to secure their spot in the next round.
Michigan will now face Denver, who defeated No. 1 seed Western Michigan in their regional. The Pioneers and Wolverines previously met in the 2022 Frozen Four, where Denver emerged victorious in overtime.
Scoring Highlights from the Game
Michigan’s offensive firepower was spread out as four different players found the back of the net. Will Horcoff, Adam Valentini, Garrett Schifsky, and Jayden Perron all contributed to the win. On the other side, Minnesota Duluth saw goals from Harper Bentz, Ty Hanson, and Scout Truman. UMD forward Max Plante, one of the top players in the nation, added an assist.
Michigan’s goalie Jack Ivankovic made 30 saves out of 33 shots faced, while UMD’s Adam Gajan stopped 23 of 27 shots. Despite the strong performances from both goalies, it was Michigan’s ability to withstand the pressure in the final moments that ultimately secured the victory.
A Fast Start and Late Surge
The Wolverines started the game with a bang, taking a 3-0 lead within the first 13 minutes of the first period. That lead held until the third period when the Bulldogs finally broke through. Bentz scored just under a minute into the third period, getting Minnesota Duluth on the board shortly after a power play expired.
Michigan responded quickly, extending their lead to 4-1 with about 17 minutes remaining. However, the Bulldogs refused to go down without a fight. They applied constant pressure, scoring a goal with 10 minutes left when Hanson beat Ivankovic on the power play to make it 4-2.
The game remained tense as the Bulldogs continued to attack, eventually tying the game at 4-3 with 3:04 remaining when Truman jammed a loose puck past Ivankovic. From that point on, the Bulldogs kept up the pressure, but Michigan managed to hold on for the win.
Key Moments from the Game
The Wolverines’ early dominance was fueled by a combination of strong shooting and effective playmaking. Horcoff opened the scoring with a redirection on a shot from Ben Robertson about three minutes into the game. Minutes later, on the power play, Nick Moldenhauer delivered a perfect pass across the house to Valentini, who buried a snap shot for a 2-0 lead.
A few minutes after that, Schifsky capitalized on a lazy dump pass from the Bulldogs while forechecking, driving to the net and beating Gajan for a third goal. Perron then added a fourth goal by cleaning up a rebound on the backside for an easy goal on the rush.
Ivankovic’s key saves in the final minutes were crucial in keeping the lead intact. His performance, along with the team’s resilience, helped push Michigan back to the Frozen Four.
Upcoming Matchup
Michigan will now face Denver in the Frozen Four. The game is scheduled for April 9 at 8:30 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The winner of this matchup will advance to the national championship game, where they will face either North Dakota or Wisconsin.
Details About the Frozen Four
- What: NCAA hockey tournament Frozen Four
- When: April 9, 8:30 p.m.
- Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
- TV: ESPN2
- Records: Michigan 31-7-1, Denver 27-11-3
- At stake: Spot in national championship game against North Dakota or Wisconsin
