College Hockey Update: This provides a (very late) look at the tournament games that brought us to this point, starting with the four games played on Thursday, March 28th.

DENVER PREVAILS OVER UMASS IN DOUBLE OT SCRAP

College Hockey Update: In the first game of the 2024 NCAA Hockey Tournament, in Springfield, MA., Denver out-shot UMass 10-6 in a scoreless first period. En route to getting out-shot 14-10 in the second, Freshman defenseman Boston Buckberger, of Saskatoon, SASK., netted the first goal of the game to give Denver the 1-0 lead, five minutes into the frame. UMass came back and tied it up at 1-1 eight minutes later, and what ensued seems like a purely defensive battle based on the final score, but saw both teams with plenty of shots on goal — UMass held a 28-24 advantage at the end of regulation, with the game tied at 1-1. After thirty-two scoreless OT minutes, Tristan Broz netted the game winner (assist by Boston Buckberger) for Denver. This was a tough, well-played game by both teams, and in the end it was really about two great goalies, as Jack Devine blocked 41 of 43 shots on goal for UMass, and Matt Davis blocked 48 of 49 shots on goal for Denver. Denver advanced to play the winner of the Maine vs. Cornell Game.

The outcome of this game was not an upset in our pool, as 36 entrants picked Denver to win it, vs. only five entrants who picked UMass.

BOSTON UNIVERSITY UPENDS ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

College Hockey Update: Despite its own sloppy play and being out-shot 13-6 by RIT in the first period, Boston University endured and come out with a 2-1 lead at the end of the opening frame on goals by Lane Huston (assist by Macklin Celebrini) and Ryan Greene, in the early game played in the Sioux Falls, S.D., Regional. BU turned the tables in the second, out-shooting RIT 19-10. Sam Stevens scored for BU eight minutes into the second, giving BU the 3-1 lead, but BU only led 3-2 after RIT scored a goal with five minutes left in the period. A very late goal by Macklin Celebrini (his 32nd of the season, to match his 32 assists) ended up being the game winner, giving BU the 4-2 lead going into the third. In the first two periods BU had too many passes off target while in transition, and too many flubbed passes that just trickled nine or ten feet away, that RIT could use to stop BU in its tracks. In the third BU looked like a team that came to win, with much more solid play. While shots on goal were even at eight apiece, BU had the upper hand, getting a goal by Jack Harvey a minute into the period and snagging and empty-netter by Dylan Peterson fifteen minutes later, to make it 6-2, BU. RIT played hard to the end and scored with a minute remaining to make the final 6-3, BU. Boston University advanced to play the winner of the Minnesota vs. Nebraska-Omaha game.

The outcome of this game is not an upset in our pool as all 41 entrants picked Boston University to win it.

CORNELL HANDLES MAINE TO ADVANCE IN TOURNAMENT PLAY

College Hockey Update: Despite being badly out-shot 32-18 in the late game of the Springfield, MA. Regional, and giving up the first goal to Maine only six minutes after the opening puck-drop, Cornell answered with three unanswered goals, one in each period, to take the first-round contest from Maine. Cornell’s Sullivan Mack scored the game winner in the second and the insurance goal in the third. It really came down to the outstanding play of Cornell goalie Ian Shane, who blocked 31 of Maine’s 32 shots. Cornell advanced to play Denver in the second round, which is a rematch of an opening round game the two teams played in 2023.

The outcome of this game is an upset in our pool, as 28 entrants picked Maine to win it, vs. only 13 entrants who picked Cornell.

MINNESOTA OUTLASTS OMAHA TO ADVANCE IN TOURNAMENT PLAY

College Hockey Update: In the late game of the Sioux Falls, S.D. Regional, Minnesota survived a scoreless first period in which they only managed to take four shots on goal, to nine for Omaha. Omaha scored only two minutes into the second on a power play for the 1-0 lead. Minnesota went on to take 22 shots on goal in a more wide-open second, compared to 16 for Omaha, and the Gophers tied it up at one apiece on a Jimmy Clark goal with two minutes left, which was the score at the end of the period. Omaha scored first in the third for the 2-1 lead, but a Jaxon Nelson goal five minutes later, and then another by Nelson with four minutes remaining, gave Minnesota the 3-2 win. Minnesota advanced to play Boston University in the second round, which is a rematch of a Frozen Four semifinal game the two played in 2023.

The outcome of this game is not an upset in our pool, as 30 entrants picked Minnesota to win it, vs. 11 who picked Nebraska-Omaha.

FROZEN FOUR ABOUT TO START

AS OF THE TIME OF THIS POSTING, the start of the first Frozen Four semifinal game between Boston University and Denver is only 40 minutes away, to be broadcast on ESPN2.

That’s all for now.

Stay tuned, and go Terriers!

— Tom