Familiar foes: Conference rivals to play in final

CHICAGO >> Way back in December, Minnesota Duluth traveled to Denver for a big weekend in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. They split two entertaining games, and then turned their attention to the rest of the season.

A couple months later, they are together again for the national championship.

The Bulldogs and Pioneers play Saturday night in the Frozen Four final, a matchup of familiar foes who have circled each other for much of the season as two of the top teams in the country.

“It’s always physical against those guys, but obviously we really respect each other,” said Emil Romig, a senior forward for Denver. “... But we’re all here to, you know, come out on top. So in that respect, in that perspective, I guess not that much respect.”

The last time the schools played, Minnesota Duluth (28-6-7) snapped Denver’s 15-game unbeaten streak with a 3-1 victory on Dec. 10. It was just a one-goal game before an empty-netter for Joey Anderson sealed the win with a minute left.

It was a solid response by the Bulldogs after they lost 4-3 in the series opener the previous night.

“The games we played in Denver were two very good games, 4-3, 3-1, I think that’s going to be the type of game it’s going to be,” Bulldogs defenseman Willie Raskob said Friday. “We’re a good skating team, they’re a good skating team. I think it will be a fun game.”

The top-seeded Pioneers (32-7-4) have won four in a row by a combined score of 20-7.

Denver’s Butcher wins Hobey Baker

CHICAGO >> Denver senior Will Butcher has won the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in college hockey.

Butcher is the first defenseman to win the honor since Matt Gilroy in 2009 and seventh overall.

Forwards Zach AstonReese of Northeastern and the Flyers’ Mike Vecchione of Union were the other finalists for the honor.