This year's men's Frozen Four was one for the books. The first semifinal matchup that took place in the Frozen Four was between Boston University and the University of Minnesota. This game came down to a very important third period that consisted of Minnesota breaking the game open to win the game 6-2 and showed why they are the #1 seed in the NCAA tournament. For the first time since 2014, the Minnesota Gophers were returning to the National Championship game. 

Late Scoring Wins Games 

The second semifinal matchup was between the University of Michigan and Quinnipiac University. Similar to the first semifinal matchup, this game also came down to the third period where Quinnipiac scored three goals to defeat Michigan 5-2 and move on to the Championship game. Quinnipiac has never won a National Championship, but this is their third time making the final game. 

Related: Women's Frozen Four Recap

And Then There Were Two

The National Championship took place on Saturday night at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay, Florida. The University of Minnesota was looking to become a champion for the first time in twenty years, while Quinnipiac was looking for their first championship. This was a matchup of the #1 and #2 seeds of the NCAA tournament. Minnesota came out of the gate and came out to an early 2-0 lead early in the second period, but Quinnipiac did not stand down. 

Quinnipiac was able to cut the lead in half by the end of the second period. In the third period, Quinnipiac took over the momentum of the game by outshooting Minnesota and only allowing Minnesota to take two shots on net the entire period. Quinnipiac tied the game very late in the third period to force the game into overtime. It only took 10 seconds into overtime for Quinnipiac to score in overtime and earn their first National Championship title in program history. Along with the title, the Bobcats have also won the most games in college hockey the past two years.

Related: Team Building: 7 New D1 Ice Hockey Programs to Keep on Your Radar

Awards Season

Before the semifinal games, the Hobey Baker award winner, given to the best player in men's hockey, was announced and Michigan freshman Adam Fantilli took home the hardware. Fantilli ended this season with 65 points in 36 games and led the nation in points and is predicted to be drafted very early in this year's NHL draft.

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* Originally published on April 24, 2023, by Marissa Massaro