LAS VEGAS – When the hockey teams from Wisconsin and Denver take the ice Saturday, April 11, it will mark a meeting between two of the most storied programs in the sport.
Wisconsin has won six naional championships. Denver holds the record with 10 titles.
One of the Pioneers’ titles came at the expense of Mike Hastings.
When the Badgers coach was running the show at Minnesota State, he led the Mavericks to the 2022 national championship game. His opponent was Denver, which scored five times in the third period to hand Minnesota State a 5-1 loss.
Since then the Pioneers won another national title in 2024 and were the runners-up last season.
Hastings, meanwhile, left Minnesota State for Wisconsin where he has led the Badgers to 63 wins, two NCAA Tournament berths and a title game in three seasons.
Is this the year he adds national champion to his resume?
Here is what you need to know about the NCAA men’s hockey championship game.
Where can I watch the NCAA hockey final?
The matchup will be shown Saturday, April 11, on ESPN. All games can also be streamed on the ESPN app. The puck drops at 4:30 p.m.
Denver hunts for third title in five seasons
Coach: David Carle (207-85-20, eighth season)
Record: 28-11-3 overall
Path to the final: 5-0 over No. 3 seed Cornell in regional semifinal; 6-2 over No. 1 seed Western Michigan in the regional final; 4-3 in double overtime over No. 1 Michigan in national semifinal.
Three Pioneers players to watch
Goaltender Johnny Hicks: An injury created the opportunity for more playing time and the freshman has run with it. He is 15-0-1 as a starter and in the tournament he has a .952 save percentage. In the national semifinal April 9, he posted a .942 save percentage against the nation’s No. 1 scoring team.
Forward Eric Pohlkamp: By the time he takes the ice Saturday, the junior could be this year’s winner of the Hobey Baker Award. He is one of three finalists. He is the nation’s top defenseman in goals (18) and points (39) and could be poised to bounce back after getting just three shots against Michigan. That was his lowest total since the end of February.
Forward Clarke Caswell: With 26 assists, the freshman has been one of the team’s top playmakers. He comes into the title game with multi-point performances in three of the last five games. His goal with 2:46 to play sent the game into overtime.
Wisconsin seeks first crown since 2006
Coach: Mike Hastings (63-45-7, third season; 362-154-2, 14th season overall.
Record: 24-12-2.
Path to final: 5-1 over No. 2 seed Dartmouth in regional semfinal; 4-3 in overtime over No. 1 seed Michigan State in the regional final; 2-1 over No. 1 seed North Dakota in national semifinal.
Three Badgers to watch
Forward Simon Tassy: The senior is the Badgers’ hottest goal scorer in the postseason with three goals. Just as important, he has been active in the offense, taking a team-high six shots in the national semifinal after getting a season-high eight shots against Dartmouth.
Freshman Daniel Hauser: The country saw what a difference-maker Hauser can be in the semifinal when he made a handful of one-on-one stops and was 52 seconds away from shutting out one of the nation’s most prolific teams. His save percentage is .921 in the tournament compared to .900 for the season. Hauser’s win April 9 was his 21st of the season, which ties him with Curtis Joseph (1988-89) and Dean Anderson (1984-85) for the freshman single-season record.
Forward Quinn Finley: The Badgers’ points leader through the first two rounds of the tournament managed just one shot against North Dakota. It was a quiet night for the Badgers No. 1 line overall, but Finley is a player with a history of jump starting the team. A player of his talents has to get more involved.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What to know about Wisconsin vs. Denver in the NCAA hockey final
Reporting by Mark Stewart, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
