Just after the NCAA Semi-Final game between the Pioneers and the UMass-Amherst Minutemen moved passed midnight in Buffalo, the Minutemen were able to score the game-winning goal of a slapshot 15:18 into overtime.
The second semi-final game was riddled with penalties, seeing three Minutemen and one Pioneers receiving five-minute majors and game misconduct fouls, seeing them ejected for the remainder of the game.
The Pioneers struck first, when the puck trickled in off the stick of junior Colin Staub through a massive pile in front of the goal. The Minutemen were able too tally three goals in the first period and making the game seem over. However, the Pioneers had 40 minutes of hockey left. During the third period, freshman Cole Guttman (Los Angeles, Calif.) tallied two goals to bring back the Pioneers and force overtime. Overtime was back and forth between the Pioneers and Minutemen until the Minutemen to advance to their first ever National Championship game.
This season by the Pioneers is one to remember as the youngest Head Coach in the NCAA and a rebuilding year team made it to the Frozen Four. The Pioneers will be a team to reckon with come next season.
The Minutemen (31-9) rebounded after squandering a 3-1 third-period lead to advance to the championship game for the first time in school history and after qualifying for the NCAA Tournament for just the second time.
The Pioneers (24-12-5) were denied an opportunity to make their 11th championship game appearance and a shot to win their ninth title, and second since 2017.
Guttman scored twice in less than six minutes in the third period to force overtime. Senior Colin Staub (Colorado Springs, Colo.) also scored for Denver. Freshman goaltender Filip Larsson (Stockholm, Sweeden), who was also coming off consecutive shutouts, finished with 23 saves.
UMass’s Del Gaizo sealed the win when teammate Oliver Chau dug out a loose puck behind the UMass net and fed a pass into the left circle. Gaizo one-timed the shot that beat Larsson inside the far post.
The game was marred by questionable checks, which resulted in Umass’s Chaffee, as well as captain Niko Hildenbrand, and Denver’s Ryan Barrow being ejected for illegal hits to the head.
The Minutemen were running out of gas in missing two top forwards as the game progressed. They were being outshot 11-3 in the third period when Guttman tied it, and 35-21 through three periods.
Guttman cut UMass’ lead to 3-2 by snapping a shot through a crowd and into the top left corner with 9:28 left. He then tied the game with 3:46 left, when he was alone in front to tap in junior Tyson McLellan‘s (San Jose, Calif.) pass from the right corner.
The head-contact penalties, which resulted in 5-minute majors, played a key role in the outcome.
Denver opened the scoring a little over two minutes after UMass’s Hildenbrand was ejected 6:24 into the game, when he went high in checking Denver’s McLellan. Staub scored during a wild scramble in front, during which he was lying face down near the crease, where he swept his stick and chipped a loose puck just above the goaltender’s glove.
The Minutemen responded by scoring three power-play goals over a span of 2:31.
UMass tied the game at the 11:41 mark.
Then it was Barrow’s turn to be ejected for hitting Del Gaizo in the head during a mid-ice collision with 7:28 left in the first period. Chaffee scored 32 seconds later when a pretty passing play left him wide open in the slot.
The Minutemen went up 3-1 when defenseman Cale Makar stopped a clearing attempt at the left point. He then fed teammate Leonard, who stopped the pass with his skate and snapped a shot from the slot into the top right corner.
Chaffee was ejected with 3:48 left in the second period. Denver’s sophomore Ian Mitchell (Calahoo, Alberta) was cutting through the neutral zone when he was struck in the side of the head by Chaffee’s right shoulder.
NOTES: UMass was 0-3 against Denver, including a 5-3 loss in its last meeting, Dec. 17, 2013. … Makar’s assist upped his season total to 49 points, one short of the nation’s leaders, Penn State’s Alex Limoges and Michigan State’s Taro Hirose. No defenseman has ever led the NCAA in points. … The Pioneers had six players left from their 2017 championship team.
