Denver Wins The National Title in College Hockey by Blanking BC

In the NCAA men’s hockey championship game played on Saturday night in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Denver defeated Boston College 2-0 thanks to goaltender Matt Davis, who stopped all 35 shots he faced, including 23 in the third period.

For third-seeded Denver (32-9-3), who won the championship for the second time in three seasons and an NCAA record tenth time, Jared Wright and Rieger Lorenz both scored one goal. The Pioneers and Michigan shared the previous record of nine titles between them.

“We will walk together forever as champions,” Denver coach David Carle told his players following the game. “We have the … belt. No one can argue anymore. We are the best program in college hockey.”

As the top overall seed in the tournament, Boston College (34-6-1) had eight shots on goal from Ryan Leonard. For the first time in 16 games, the Eagles lost despite Will Smith’s seven more shots. They were unable to overcome Davis.

“They just used their experience to their advantage. It took us too long to get going. They suppressed us for the first two-thirds of the game,” Eagles forward Jack Malone said. “I think they have a great team there and put together a good game.”

Before Denver broke the deadlock, the game was tied for almost thirty minutes.

In the second quarter, with 10:18 remaining, the Pioneers took a 1-0 lead. With the puck handled in the left circle, Wright shot that struck the post, deflected off Eagles goalie Jacob Fowler’s back, and slid into the net.

Wright, a sophomore forward from Burnsville, Minnesota, scored his 15th goal of the season to cap off the sequence. Wright’s goal was the largest of his college career in his home state.

Four minutes remained in the second quarter as Denver extended its advantage to 2-0. For his 16th goal, Lorenz received a ball from Zeev Buium and ripped a wrist shot from the left circle.

Late in the third period, Boston College played at a breakneck speed, but they were unable to find the back of the net. With 7:54 remaining, Jack Devine of Denver was sent to the penalty area for tripping; this gave the Eagles a two-minute power play. However, Davis saved several shots to preserve the shutout.