Denver claims ninth NCAA hockey crown
Pioneers score 5 goals in the third period to rally past Mavericks
Ryan Barrow and Mike Benning scored less than three minutes apart to give Denver the lead and the Pioneers awakened with five goals in the third period to rally past Minnesota State 5-1 on Saturday night for their record-tying ninth college hockey title.
Two nights after eliminating Michigan in the Frozen Four semifinal, Denver joined the Wolverines as the only schools with nine championships. Magnus Chrona stopped 27 shots for the Pioneers (31-9-1), who won it all for the first time since 2017.
Minnesota State (38-6) took a 1-0 lead on Sam Morton’s firstperiod goal and dominated — outshooting Denver 18-8 in the first 40 minutes — before Barrow slid a rebound of Benning ’s shot through the legs of Hobey Baker Award winner Dryden McKay five minutes into the third.
Forty seconds later, Morton was sent off for tripping; he had just returned to the ice and crossed into the defensive zone when Benning one-timed it into the net to give the Pioneers the lead. Massimo Rizzo added another goal with 6:26 to play, and Brett Stapley and Cameron Wright added empty-netters 30 seconds apart in the final 21⁄2 minutes.
McKay made 15 saves for Minnesota State, which led the nation in wins.
The Mavericks began their journey to the Frozen Four in the Albany Regional, defeating Harvard 4-3 in the opening game at MVP Arena.
A taut 1-0 victory over Notre Dame in the second game in Albany advanced Minnesota State to the Frozen Four.
The Mavericks defeated Minnesota 5-1 in the national semifinals to set up the championship game against Denver.
In the win against Harvard on March 24, the Mavericks had to hold on for the last 3:31 after Harvard’s Casey Dornbach had scored to pull the Crimson within one.
In the victory over Notre Dame two days later, McKay made 23 saves to keep the Fighting Irish off the scoreboard.