ST. LOUIS — A season of firsts continues for Western Michigan as they triumphed over Denver, the defending national champion, with a score of 3-2 in an intense double overtime game on Thursday. This match was the first semifinal of the 2025 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four, held at the Enterprise Center, home of the NHL’s St. Louis Blues. The victory sets up a national championship showdown against Boston University on Saturday at 6:30 p.m..
Sophomore wing Owen Michaels scored the decisive goal just 26 seconds into the second overtime, sealing the win for the Broncos. “I thought that game was as advertised, a heavyweight battle,” Broncos coach Pat Ferschweiler commented, acknowledging Denver’s impressive track record. “They weren’t going to go down easy.”
Western Michigan took charge early, with Michaels netting two goals and fifth-year senior defenseman Brian Kraemer adding another. The Broncos held a 2-0 lead going into the third period. However, Denver made a comeback with goals from junior wings Aidan Thompson and Jared Wright in the third, sending the match into overtime.
The back-and-forth nature of the game mirrored their previous encounter in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff, where Western had staged a remarkable comeback from a 3-0 hole. Despite Denver’s previous success, including two of the last three NCAA championships, they fell short this time as Western emerged victorious.
“It stings,” Denver coach David Carle stated after the loss. “No matter the success you’ve had, losing is never easy.” Meanwhile, Western Michigan looks to capture their first national championship after already securing their first Penrose Cup as NCHC regular season champions.
If they win on Saturday, it would mark the NCHC’s seventh national championship in just 11 NCAA tournaments since its inception in 2014. Only Western and Denver represented the NCHC in this year’s tournament.
In goal, Hampton Slukynsky made 20 saves for Western, while Denver’s senior goalkeeper Matt Davis stopped 44 shots. “I thought we were unreal defensively all night,” Slukynsky said, reflecting on the team’s performance.
On the other side, Boston University is excited to be back in the NCAA championship game for the first time since 2015, seeking their first title since 2009. They secured a spot in the finals by besting Penn State with a score of 4-1. Senior wing Jack Hughes and freshman wing Cole Eiserman scored in the second period, followed by an empty-net goal from sophomore Jack Harvey to clinch the game.
The championship contest between Western Michigan and Boston University promises to be an exciting matchup, and fans are buzzing with anticipation.
