The odds and critics were against the Pioneers this hockey season. The 6th ranked Pioneers under the leadership of rookie coach and Spencer Penrose Award Finalist David Carle, have pushed their way into the NCAA Frozen Four. The Pioneers have the fourth youngest team in Division 1 Hockey as the team is only graduating three seniors: Jarid Lukosevicius (Squamish, B.C.), Les Lancaster (Ypsilanti, Mich.), and Colin Staub (Colorado Springs, Colo.). The Pioneers, since the beginning of the NCHC postseason, have won five of their six games while outscoring their opponents 17-6 with three shutouts.
In the West Region, the Pioneers revenged their early exit last season against Ohio State University with a 2-0 win. After a shocking defeat for NCHC rival St. Cloud State, American International University looked like a formidable foe in their first ever season in the NCAA Tournament. However, the Pioneers were ready for the challenge as they went on to win the West Region by a score of 3-0. Freshman Filip Larsson (Stockholm, Sweden) went perfect on all 50 shots faced during regionals.
The first opponent that the Pioneers will face is the University of Massachusetts-Amherst Minutemen. UMass swept their region as they won both of their games 4-0 against Harvard and Notre Dame. The Pioneers are 3-0-0 all-time against the Minutemen, where they have outscored UMass 15-4. The rosters between the Pioneers and Minutemen are the equal as they have three seniors and 19 underclassmen. The outcome of this meeting will advance to the 2019 National Championship and face the winner of Providence/Minnesota Duluth.
This is the 16th Frozen Four appearance for the Pioneers as they begin their campaign towards their ninth national championship. This season, no matter the result, has been one of positivity. The Pioneers has shown strength and major promise towards the coming seasons with their young roster and as a Pioneer Hockey fan, something to look forward to.
The Apr. 11 semifinal matchup between Denver and UMass will be available to watch on ESPN2 at 6:30 p.m. MT. If the Pioneers progress, the National Championship game will be available to watch on ESPN2 on Apr. 13 at 6 p.m. MT.
