Last Updated 11:37 AM, April 11, 2021
NCAA.com

UMass wins 2021 DI men's hockey championship, program's first national title

Share
Final minute & celebration from UMass' first NCAA hockey title
9:42
1:37 am, April 11, 2021

UMass beats St. Cloud State, 5-0, wins first national championship in program history

Recap: UMass handles St. Cloud State to win first-ever national championship

UMass took down St. Cloud State, 5-0, in Saturday night’s national championship. For the Mintuemen, it’s their first title win in program history. 

ROLL THE TAPE: View the game highlights here | Watch the final minute & celebration

The scoring started a little over seven minutes into the first period when Aaron Bohlinger found himself on a 2-on-0 and cashed in to make it 1-0 UMass. With 1:04 left in the first 20 minutes, Reed Lebster tapped one past David Hrenak to give UMass the 2-0 lead entering the first intermission. 

With St. Cloud State on the power play five minutes into the second frame, Phil Lagunov dangled around Nick Perbix to score a shorthanded goal that’ll be on every highlight reel for the next decade. Matt Kessel added a power play goal in the back half of the second period to make it 4-0. 

Bobby Trivigno added a snipe in the third period to make it 5-0. 

The championship comes just four seasons after UMass went 5-29-2. It’s a turnaround that is stunning in the college hockey world.

To view the completed bracket, click or tap here. 

1:11 am, April 11, 2021

UMass makes it 5-0 in the third period

UMass just can't stop scoring. 

Bobby Trivigno made it 5-0 when he sniped one past David Hrenak early in the third period. 

Here's the reaction from inside the arena: 

12:44 am, April 11, 2021

UMass leads St. Cloud State, 4-0, after two periods

UMass leads 4-0 after two periods

UMass continued its dominance from the first period into the second, scoring two more in the middle 20 minutes to make it 4-0. 

First it was Phil Lagunov scoring one of the prettiest goals of this college hockey season. It came shorthanded and made it 3-0 Minutemen. 

Then it was Matthew Kessel blasting one past David Hrenak on the power play to make it 4-0. 

UMass is just 20 minutes from its first national title. 

SCORE: 4-0 UMass

SHOTS: 15-13 St. Cloud State

12:31 am, April 11, 2021

UMass takes 4-0 lead on the power play

UMass continued its domination of St. Cloud State late in the second period when Matthew Kessel wired a slapper past David Hrenak to make it 4-0 UMass. 

Here's the reaction from inside the arena: 

12:14 am, April 11, 2021

UMass takes 3-0 lead on beautiful shorthanded goal from Phil Lagunov

What. a. goal. 

Phil Lagunov cashed in shorthanded for UMass, dangling around Nick Perbix and slipping it through David Hrenak to give UMass the 3-0 lead early in the second period. 

11:52 pm, April 10, 2021

UMass leads St. Cloud State 2-0 after first period

UMass leads 2-0 after one period

UMass came out firing in the first period of the national title game, jumping out to a 2-0 lead. 

The first goal came from freshman Aaron Bohlinger, who created a 2-on-0 and cashed in with his first collegiate goal. 

Then it was Reed Lebster who tapped in a pass from Cal Kiefiuk with 1:04 left in the period. 

St. Cloud State actually started the first period off well, but couldn’t convert on any chances. 

SCORE: 2-0 UMass 
SHOTS: 7-3 UMass 

11:46 pm, April 10, 2021

UMass takes 2-0 lead over St. Cloud State

Reed Lebster extended UMass' lead to 2-0 after tapping in a pass from Cal Kiefiuk. 

UMass leads 2-0. 

11:23 pm, April 10, 2021

UMass strikes early, takes 1-0 lead

UMass scored the first goal in the national title game when a little over seven minutes in, Aaron Bohlinger scored his first collegiate goal to make it 1-0 Minutemen. 

Not a bad time for a first career goal. 

Here's the reaction from inside the arena: 

11:17 pm, April 10, 2021

Follow live: UMass vs St. Cloud State for national championship

UMass battles St. Cloud State in the national championship.

The puck has dropped and UMass and St. Cloud State both look to win their first national titles. 

Follow the game here. 

10:17 pm, April 10, 2021

National championship preview: UMass vs. St. Cloud State

The 2021 Frozen Four national championship game, previewed

It’s here. It’s finally here. 

In less than an hour, UMass and St. Cloud State will battle for the national title. No matter which squad wins, it will be their first national championship in school history. 

Puck drop is slated for 7 p.m. ET. The game can be watched on ESPN. 

Here are the lines: 

 

UMass Minutemen 

20 Oliver Chau - 18 Jake Gaudet - 11 Carson Gicewicz 

8 Bobby Trivigno - 10 Josh Lopina - 12 Garrett Wait 

7 Cal Kiefiuk - 17 Phil Lagunov - 13 Reed Lebster 

12 Anthony Del Gaizo - 29 George Mika - 19 Ryan Sullivan 

28 Eric Faith 

 

2 Marc Del Gaizo - 26 Colin Felix 

24 Zac Jones - 4 Matthew Kessel 

25 Aaron Bohlinger - 3 Ty Farmer 

 

35 Filip Lindberg 

 

St. Cloud State Huskies 

10 Kyler Kupka - 20 Nolan Walker - 15 Micah Miller 

27 Chase Brand - 28 Kevin Fitzgerald - 19 Sam Hentges 

29 Veeti Miettinen - 13 Jami Krannila - 14 Zach Okabe 

22 Joe Molenaar - 16 Will Hammer - 21 Jared Cockrell 

 

3 Seamus Donohue - 25 Nick Perbix 

18 Brendan Bushy - 9 Spencer Meier 

6 Luke Jaycox - 5 Ondrej Trejbal 

8 Tyler Anderson 

 

34 David Hrenak 

12:55 pm, April 10, 2021

The 2021 DI men's ice hockey champion will be crowned tonight

Getty Images St. Cloud State faces UMass in the 2021 DI men's ice hockey championship match

We're finally here. The 2021 DI men's ice hockey championship concludes tonight at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, and neither contender, St. Cloud State or UMass, has ever won the title. It's going to be an exciting night. 

2021 FROZEN FOUR FINALS: St. Cloud State vs. UMass live stats | Full bracket

Here's how St. Cloud State and UMass got to this point:

The Huskies were picked to finish fourth in the NCHC to begin the season. Fast forward to selection day: St. Cloud State entered the NCAA tournament as the second seed in the Northeast region. Not too shabby. The toughest blow came in the regional final against 1-seed Boston College. The Huskies found themselves down 1-0 early when senior forward Easton Brodzinski broke his leg. They came back to win and are now competing for their first national championship.

UMass carried a different storyline heading into the 2021-21 season. The Minutemen finished as 2019 championship runner-ups. They closed out the 2020-21 regular season winning the program's first-ever Hockey East tournament title. Now, after an overtime thriller in the Frozen Four semifinals against Minnesota Duluth, UMass is ready to hoist its first championship trophy in program history.

For more on the path to the DI men's ice hockey championship for St. Cloud State and UMass, click or tap here.

7:44 pm, April 9, 2021

5 observations from the Frozen Four semifinals

Here are the five observations from the Frozen Four.

Here are the five observations from an unforgettable Frozen Four semifinals: 

1. UMass turned things up to a whole new level in overtime 

2. Kyler Kupka and Nolan Walker stepped up big in Easton Brodzinski's absence 

3. Matt Murray was the reason UMass forced overtime 

4. St. Cloud State showed its resilience 

5. UMass gets added boost with Filip Lindberg and Carson Gicewicz returning 

Click here for the full story. 

4:25 am, April 9, 2021

UMass takes down Minnesota Duluth, 3-2, in OT to advance to national championship

UMass advances to the national title game.

UMass spent the majority of the first three periods getting outplayed. Then came overtime and UMass looked like a whole new team. 

That domination showed on the scoreboard when a little over 14 minutes into the fourth frame, Bobby Trivigno brought the puck from behind the net and found Garrett Wait for the tap-in to win, 3-2. 

The Minutemen forced OT midway through the third period when Anthony Del Gaizo tied the game 2-2. 

In the second period, the lone goal belonged to Cole Koepke to put the Bulldogs up 2-1 after their first goal late in the first period when Tanner Laderoute got them on the board. 

Zac Jones scored the first goal of the game on the power play. 

UMass will face St. Cloud State in the national title game Saturday night. The game is at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.

4:16 am, April 9, 2021

Garrett Wait wins it in OT, sends UMass to the national championship

UMass dominated overtime from start to finish. 

That culminated in Garrett Wait's OT-winner from Bobby Trivigno's effort behind the net. 

The Minutemen advance to their second-straight title game. 

3:37 am, April 9, 2021

Minnesota Duluth, UMass head to OT tied 2-2

UMass tied the game midway through the third.

The third period may have only had one goal, but it was easily the most exciting period of the entire night. 

Eight minutes into the final 20, Anthony Del Gaizo put home a rebound to tie the game, 2-2. 

After Minnesota Duluth came within inches to tying the game on the power play with under a minute to go, but the puck slid wide of the net. Seconds later, Kobe Roth took a cross-checking penalty, making it a 4-on-4. 

It’s time for overtime. 

SCORE: 2-2 

SHOTS: 36-15 Minnesota Duluth 

3:15 am, April 9, 2021

UMass ties Minnesota Duluth, 2-2, in third period

UMass head coach sent out forward Anthony Del Gaizo with Josh Lopina and Bobby Trivigno for a shift roughly seven minutes into the third. 

It paid dividends, as Del Gaizo slapped home a rebound to tie the game 2-2.

2:42 am, April 9, 2021

Minnesota Duluth leads UMass 2-1 after two periods

Minnesota Duluth leads UMass 2-1 after two periods

Halfway through the second period, Cole Koepke followed his own rebound in front of the UMass net and slapped one past Minutemen goalie Matt Murray to give Minnesota Duluth the 2-1 lead. 

UMass almost tied the game moments later, but Zach Stejskal made two tremendous saves — the first on Reed Lebster, the second on Cal Kiefiuk. 

Through two periods, the Bulldogs are smothering the Minutemen, as is evident in the shots.

The reason UMass is still in the game: Murray. 

SCORE: 2-1 Minnesota Duluth 

SHOTS: 26-11 Minnesota Duluth 

2:26 am, April 9, 2021

Zach Stejskal comes up with two big saves for Minnesota Duluth

Zach Stejskal was the back-up goalie for Minnesota Duluth this year. Through almost two full periods in the Frozen Four, he looks like the starter. 

First, he denied Reed Lebster of an easy goal. Then, with help from Louie Roehl, made another huge stop on Cal Kiefiuk, not giving UMass a chance to tie the game. 

2:20 am, April 9, 2021

Minnesota Duluth takes the lead, 2-1, midway through the second period

Eleven minutes into the second frame of play, Cole Koepke followed up with his own rebound and beat Matt Murray to give the Bulldogs the 2-1 lead over UMass. 

1:44 am, April 9, 2021

Minnesota Duluth ties UMass, 1-1, to wrap up the first period

After a period full of both teams showcasing solid defense, Zac Jones converted on a UMass power play to open the scoring roughly 16 minutes into the first 20. 

Then, just over two minutes later, Tanner Laderoute slapped the puck past UMass goalie Matt Murray to tie the score 1-1. 

SCORE: 1-1 

SHOTS: 10-5 Minnesota Duluth 

1:33 am, April 9, 2021

UMass scores power play goal, leads 1-0

UMass took the 1-0 lead with 4:27 remaining in the first period after UMass D-man Zac Jones put one right over the glove of Minnesota Duluth goalie Zach Stejskal on the power play. 

12:26 am, April 9, 2021

Preview: Minnesota Duluth vs. UMass

Minnesota Duluth takes on UMass in the Frozen Four

Minnesota Duluth will look to defend its national title from 2019 by taking on UMass, as the Frozen Four continues. 

UMass enters with a record of 18-5-4 (13-5-4 Hockey East). The Minutemen will be without starting goalie Filip Lindberg, leading goal-scorer Carson Gicewicz, Jerry Harding and Henry Graham due to COVID-19 contact tracing protocols. 

Minnesota Duluth enters with a record of 15-10-2 (13-9-2 NCHC). The Bulldogs will also be without their starting goalie, as Ryan Fanti is out due to COVID-19 protocols. 

The winner will take on St. Cloud State in the national championship Saturday night. 

Here are the lines:

Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs 

17 Cole Koepke - 21 Noah Cates - 23 Nick Swaney 

10 Kobe Roth - 20 Jackson Cates - 11 Koby Bender 

15 Quinn Olson - 18 Jesse Jacques - 13 Tanner Laderoute 

24 Luke Mylmok - 16 Luke Loheit - 7 Blake Biondi 

 

5 Wyatt Kaiser - 6 Louie Roehl 

3 Matt Anderson - 25 Connor Kelley 

22 Matt Cairns - 8 Hunter Lellig 

2 Darian Gotz 

 

35 Zach Stejskal 

 

UMass Minutemen 

 

20 Oliver Chau - 18 Jake Gaudet - 27 Anthony Del Gaizo 

8 Bobby Trivigno - 10 Josh Lopina - 12 Garrett Wait 

13 Reed Lebster - 17 Phil Lagunov - 19 Ryan Sullivan 

28 Eric Faith - 29 George Mika - 7 Cal Kiefiuk 

 

2 Marc Del Gaizo - 26 Colin Felix 

24 Zac Jones - 2 Matthew Kessel 

25 Aaron Bohlinger - 3 Ty Farmer 

23 Gianfranco Cassaro 

 

31 Matt Murray 

11:39 pm, April 8, 2021

St. Cloud State beats Minnesota State, 5-4, in thriller, advances to title game

St. Cloud State defeats Minnesota State in Frozen Four semis

St. Cloud State took down Minnesota State, 5-4, when Nolan Walker tipped the eventual game-winner past Dryden McKay with 53.2 seconds remaining in the game.

The Huskies had previously watched their 3-1 lead disappear in the second period when the Mavericks put up two goals. The first came from Walker Duehr and the second came from Nathan Smith. Early in the third, Minnesota State took its first lead of the game when Dallas Gerads poked one past David Hrenak to make it 4-3. 

St. Cloud State's Joe Molenaar made up for that lost lead midway through the third period when he shoveled a rebound past McKay to tie the game 4-4. 

As for the first period, St. Cloud State dominated, scoring a little over three minutes into the contest and then after Minnesota State tied it, re-taking the lead just 10 seconds after. 

The Huskies advance to their first-ever title game in school history. They'll play the winner of UMass and Minnesota Duluth. Click here to follow that game. 

11:10 pm, April 8, 2021

Minnesota State takes its first lead of the game early in the third period

Minnesota State came back from down 3-1 against Quinnipiac in the first game of regionals. The Mavericks did it again in this Frozen Four duel with St. Cloud State. 

Dallas Gerads finished off a 2-on-1 for Minnesota State, giving the Mavericks the 4-3 lead roughly five minutes into the final frame. 

10:45 pm, April 8, 2021

Minnesota State, St. Cloud State tied 3-3 after two periods

Minnesota State came back from down 3-1 in the second period

Even though the Huskies opened the second period with a goal from Will Hammer to make it 3-1, the Mavericks came back hard, first cutting the lead to 3-2 when Walker Duehr pushed one past David Hrenak at the 7:53 mark. 

Then, with 5:37 left and on the power play, Nathan Smith tied the game for the Mavericks with a missile past Hrenak. 

It's setting up to be an intense third period. 

SCORE: 3-3 

SHOTS: 21-15 Minnesota State 

10:34 pm, April 8, 2021

Minnesota State comes back from 3-1, ties score late in second period

Minnesota State entered the Frozen Four as a really good second period team. The Mavericks have put that on display thus far in this second period against St. Cloud State. 

First it was a Walker Duehr goal to cut the Huskies' lead to 3-2. Then, with 5:37 left in the middle 20 minutes, Nathan Smith ripped a power play goal past David Hrenak to tie the score 3-3. 

9:47 pm, April 8, 2021

2-1 St. Cloud State after one period

St. Cloud State leads 2-1 after one period

St. Cloud State opened the game by scoring less than three minutes in. The Huskies never took their foot off the gas pedal, preventing Minnesota State from getting its first shot until midway through the first 20 minutes. 

The Mavericks did counter, though, late in the period when Nathan Smith struck on the power play. Ten seconds later, it was Kyler Kupka and the Huskies taking back the lead. 

SCORE: 2-1 St. Cloud State 

SHOTS: 8-6 St. Cloud State 

9:36 pm, April 8, 2021

Two goals in 10 seconds late in the first period

First it was Minnesota State's Nathan Smith converting on the power play to tie the game 1-1. 

But then 10 seconds later, St. Cloud State re-took the lead after a brilliant effort from Nolan Walker to get Kyler Kupka the goal. 

St. Cloud State currently leads 2-1. 

9:24 pm, April 8, 2021

St. Cloud State strikes early, takes 1-0 lead

Just a little over two minutes into the game, Minnesota State's Brendan Furry went to the box for a hook. 

St. Cloud State cashed in on the ensuing power play, as Spencer Meier put home a rebound past Dryden McKay to make it 1-0 Huskies. 

8:35 pm, April 8, 2021

Preview: St. Cloud State vs. Minnesota State

The Frozen Four kicks off with St. Cloud State taking on Minnesota State at 5 p.m. The game can be watched on ESPN2. 

St. Cloud State enters with a record of 19-10-0 (15-9-0 NCHC). Minnesota State carries a record of 22-4-1 (13-1-0 WCHA). 

Here are the lines for each squad going into tonight’s tilt. 

St. Cloud St. Huskies 

 

10 Kyler Kupka - 20 Nolan Walker - 15 Micah Miller 

27 Chase Brand - 28 Kevin Fitzgerald - 19 Sam Hentges 

29 Veeti Miettinen - 13 Jami Krannila - 14 Zach Okabe 

22 Joe Molenaar - 16 Will Hammer - 21 Jared Cockrell 

 

3 Seamus Donohue - 25 Nick Perbix 

18 Brendan Bushy - 9 Spencer Meier 

6 Luke Jaycox - 5 Ondrej Trejbal 

8 Tyler Anderson

 

34 David Hrenak 

 

Minnesota St. Mavericks 

 

16 Reggie Lutz - 5 Jake Jaremko - 24 Todd Burgess 

6 Sam Morton - 13 Brendan Furry - 14 Ryan Sandelin 

15 Julian Napravnik - 8 Nathan Smith - 28 Cade Borchardt 

22 Dallas Gerads - 10 Shane McMahon - 17 Walker Duehr 

11 Jared Spooner 

 

25 Riese Zmolek - 23 Jake Livingstone 

2 Akito Hirose - 3 Jack McNeely 

7 Wyatt Aamodt - 4 Andy Carroll 

 

29 Dryden McKay 

12:36 pm, April 8, 2021

The 2021 Frozen Four is here

The 2021 Frozen Four takes place tonight at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. The National Championship game will follow on April 10 at 7 p.m.

Click here for the bracket of the 2021 college hockey championship. 

UMass will be without four of its players for the team's match-up against Minnesota Duluth due to Covid-19 contact tracing. 

Here are five of the biggest storylines to check out ahead of the Frozen Four.

2021 Frozen Four schedule:

2:29 pm, April 7, 2021

UMass loses four players for Frozen Four game due to COVID-19 contact tracing protocols

Filip Lindberg and three other Minutemen will have to sit out the Frozen Four game due to COVID-19 protocol.

UMass announced Tuesday morning that it would be without Carson Gicewicz, Henry Graham, Jerry Harding and Filip Lindberg for Thursday's Frozen Four game vs. Minnesota Duluth due to COVID-19 contact tracing protocols and University of Massachusetts policies. 

"I feel for these players who have sacrificed so much over the last year and committed themselves to getting our team to this point," UMass head coach Greg Carvel said in a statement. "They have earned the right to compete for a national championship, and to have this unfortunate situation occur right now is hard to comprehend. But nevertheless it's a result that we have to accept, and we will move forward together and utilize the depth of our roster for Thursday's game in Pittsburgh." 

2:12 pm, April 7, 2021

5 hottest players to watch in the Frozen Four

Dryden McKay is a Hobey Baker finalist.

The 2021 Frozen Four is sure to be a good one. From three out of four teams being from Minnesota, to a 2019 national championship rematch, to COVID potentially impacting the games, there's a lot to follow. 

Here are the five most exciting players to watch. 

 

2:54 am, March 29, 2021

Frozen Four matchups finalized

Minnesota-Duluth took down North Dakota Saturday night in 5OT

After a crazy weekend of regionals, the Frozen Four matchups are finally set. All top seeds were eliminated. Both semifinal games will be played on Thursday, April 8 in Pittsburgh at PPG Paints Arena. 

The National Championship is slated for April 10 at 7 p.m. ET. 

Click here for the bracket of the 2021 college hockey championship. 

2:36 am, March 29, 2021

Minnesota State edges out Minnesota, advances to Frozen Four

Minnesota State eliminated Minnesota Sunday night

No. 2 Minnesota State took down No. 1 Minnesota, the final top seed left, 4-0, Sunday night. The win sends Minnesota State to the Frozen Four. 

From the start, the Mavericks took it to the Golden Gophers, limiting them to just 22 shots. 

The scoring began when Minnesota State forward Sam Morton put one past Minnesota goalie Jack LaFontaine to make it 1-0. Less than two minutes later, Ryan Sandelin tipped a shot from Jack McNeely past LaFontaine to extend the Mavericks’ lead to 2-0. 

Minnesota State added some insurance when forward Nathan Smith one-timed a shot right past LaFontaine and into the back of the net to make it 3-0. Dallas Gerads put any chance of a Minnesota comeback to bed when he potted an empty-netter late in the third period. 

Both goaltenders are Hobey Baker finalists, but it was Mavericks goalie Dryden McKay who emerged victorious Sunday night, stopping all 22 shots he faced. LaFontaine stopped 23 of the 26 shots he faced. 

Minnesota State will play St. Cloud State in the Frozen Four on April 8. 

12:25 am, March 29, 2021

No. 2 St. Cloud State takes down No. 1 Boston College, advances to Frozen Four

St Cloud State eliminated BC

No. 2 St. Cloud State beat No. 1 Boston College, 4-1 on Sunday night. The win propels St. Cloud State to the Frozen Four. 

While Eagles forward Matt Boldy potted the only goal of the first period to give BC the 1-0 lead after the first 20 minutes, St. Cloud State took over from there despite veteran Huskies forward Easton Brodzinski leaving with an injury. 

First it was Luke Jaycox slapping one past Eagles goalie Spencer Knight to make it 1-1. Roughly five minutes later, after a mad scramble in front of the BC net, Will Hammer deposited what ended up being the game-winning goal. 

With under a minute to play in the second period, Huskies forward Nolan Walker drove the BC net and was initially called for goalie interference. The puck, however, did slide into the net, but was called “no goal”. After a lengthy review, the penalty stood but the goal counted, giving St. Cloud State the 3-1 lead. 

Micah Miller added on an empty-netter to give St. Cloud State the 4-1 win. 

Huskies goalie David Hrenak made 26 stops on 27 shots. Knight stopped 32 of 35 shots faced. 

St. Cloud State moves onto the Frozen Four to play the winner of Minnesota vs. Minnesota State. Click here to follow that game. 

10:44 pm, March 28, 2021

St. Cloud State's Easton Brodzinski helped off ice after hit from BC's Trevor Kuntar

Just a few moments into the second period of Boston College and St. Cloud State's regional final game, Eagles forward Trevor Kuntar came across the middle and hit Huskies forward Easton Brodzinski from the side. 

Brodzinski went down immediately and looked to be in serious pain. He had to be helped off the ice by teammates, as he favored his right leg. He has yet to return. 

Brodzinski potted two goals in Saturday's 6-2 win over Boston University. 

2:23 pm, March 28, 2021

What to watch for on Day 3 of the 2021 DI men's ice hockey championship

Minnesota Athletics Minnesota hockey celebrates its opening round win.

The final two Frozen Four bids are up for grabs on Day 3 of the 2021 DI men's ice hockey championship.

Massachusetts blanked Bemidji State 4-0 in the Bridgeport Regional final while Minnesota Duluth stunned North Dakota 3-2 in five overtimes to win the the Fargo Regional.

MORE: The 21 longest college hockey games in NCAA tournament history

With one half of the Frozen Four set, here's what you need to watch for today:

All times in ET

Albany Regional 

No. 1 Boston College vs. No. 2 St. Cloud State | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN2

This will be BC's first game of the tournament after its opener against Notre Dame was ruled a no-contest due to COVID-19 protocols. The Eagles are no stranger to the postseason. They can up lock up the program's 26th Frozen Four appearance with a win. St. Cloud State rolled Boston University 6-2 in the regional semifinal, shaking off a 1-0 deficit to score three goals apiece in the each of the final two periods. The Huskies are seeking their first Frozen Four berth since 2013 and second in program history.

Loveland Regional

No. 1 Minnesota vs. No. 2 Minnesota State | 8 p.m. | ESPN2

The final Frozen Four spot will come down to an in-state matchup. Minnesota looked like a regional No. 1 seed in its opener, racing out to a three-goal lead before cruising 7-2 past Omaha. The Golden Gophers are going for their 22nd Frozen Four bid. As for Minnesota State, the Mavericks earned their first-ever win in the NCAA DI men's ice hockey tournament. MSU erased a 3-1 deficit in the third period before netting the game-winner in OT. Another win for the Mavs and they will punch their first-ever Frozen Four ticket. 

In case you missed yesterday's action, here are the regional final scores from Saturday:

Bridgeport Regional

No. 2 Massachusetts 4, No. 4 Bemidji State 0 | UMass advances to Frozen Four

Fargo Regional

No. 3 Minnesota Duluth 3, No. 1 North Dakota 2 (5OT) | UMD advances to Frozen Four

5:29 am, March 28, 2021

UMD beats No. 1 North Dakota in record 5OT game

The longest NCAA men's hockey tournament game in history ended with Minnesota Duluth back in the Frozen Four.

Freshman Luke Mylymok's goal at 2:13 into the fifth overtime knocked out No. 1 North Dakota, 3-2, and marked UMD's return to the Frozen Four. The Bulldogs have won the last two titles.

Though first puck dropped at 7:32 p.m. ET, UMD didn't secure the win until six hours later.

Here's what the longest men's games list looked like before Saturday's North Dakota-UMD game stretched into five overtimes — and into Sunday. The 2000 St. Lawrence-Boston U game was previously the longest in tournament history. A 2015 UMass-Notre Dame game holds the overall longest record (not an NCAA tournament game).

Longest men's hockey games

For a while, it looked like North Dakota wouldn't force even one overtime. The Fighting Hawks trailed 2-0 but Collin Adams scored at 18:19 and then Jordan Kawaguchi tallied in the final minute to force OT. UMD had been in front thanks to goals from Jackson Cates and Cole Koepke.

The game then remained stuck at 2-2 before Mylymok's winner.

5:18 am, March 28, 2021

Minnesota routs Omaha to advance

Minnesota scored the game's first three goals to ignite a 7-2 win against Omaha in the first round.

Thirteen difference skaters posted a point, led by five assists from Brock Faber. Mason Nevers scored the first two goals of his career in the win.

The win moves the Gophers to a meeting with Minnesota State for a spot in the Frozen Four. The game is on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday.

12:34 am, March 28, 2021

No. 2 Minnesota State completes comeback against No. 3 Quinnipiac, advances to next round

No. 2 Minnesota State took down No. 3 Quinnipiac, 4-3, in overtime Saturday night to advance to the regional final. 

Midway through the third period with Quinnipiac up 2-1, CJ McGee fired one past Mavericks goalie Dryden McKay to make it 3-1. It looked to be a backbreaker for Minnesota State. 

Then came the comeback. 

First it was Minnesota State’s Nathan Smith potting a goal with roughly 6 minutes to play in the final period. That cut the Bobcats’ lead to 3-2. Then it was Cade Borchardt to tie the game, 3-3, with just over a minute remaining. 

After a wild, back-and-forth overtime, there was a mad scramble in front of the Quinnipiac net. Mavericks forward Brendan Furry brought the puck around the net and tried stuffing it in short side on Bobcats goalie Keith Petruzzelli. The puck was stopped, but Petruzzelli failed to locate it. 

That was when Ryan Sandelin stuffed the winner in, giving Minnesota State its first NCAA tournament victory. 

The Mavericks will play the winner of Minnesota vs. Omaha. Click here to follow that game. 

11:34 pm, March 27, 2021

No. 2 UMass beats No. 4 Bemidji State to advance to Frozen Four

UMass takes down Bemidji State

No. 2 UMass took down No. 4 Bemidji State, 4-0, to advance to the school’s second-straight Frozen Four. 

Entering the matchup to head to the Frozen Four, Minutemen forward Carson Gicewicz had yet to register a collegiate hat trick. 

That all changed Saturday afternoon in Bridgeport. 

Gicewicz’s first lamplighter came just six minutes into the game on the penalty kill when he and Oliver Chau cashed in on a shorthanded 2-on-1. Later that period, Gicewicz tipped a Matthew Kessel slapshot past Beavers goalie Zach Driscoll to make it 2-0 UMass. 

The hat trick came when Jake Gaudet brought the puck all the way around Bemidji State’s zone and found Gicewicz in front to poke it past Driscoll for the 3-0 UMass lead. 

From the start, UMass controlled play. The Minutemen spent the majority of the first period applying pressure on the Beavers, hindering Beaver State defenders from breaking out of their own zone and preventing scoring chances. That continued for the final two periods. 

UMass goalie Filip Lindberg stopped all 18 shots thrown at him. Driscoll finished with 24 saves on 27 shots faced. 

UMass is the first team in this year’s tournament to advance to the Frozen Four. The Minutemen will play the winner of North Dakota and Minnesota Duluth. Click here to follow that game. 

8:02 pm, March 27, 2021

No. 2 St. Cloud State beats No. 3 BU, advances to regional final

No. 2 St. Cloud State eliminated No. 3 BU Saturday with a 6-2 win. 

After BU’s Wilmer Skoog opened the scoring eight seconds into the middle 20 minutes, St. Cloud State’s Micah Miller scored the wildest goal of the tournament when the puck flew from behind the Terriers net to on his stick in the slot. Out of all 10 skaters on the ice, Miller was the only one with any knowledge of where the puck was, as he ripped a shot past a confused Drew Commesso to tie it 1-1. 

That kicked off the crazy 3:14 stretch of time that ended up deciding the game. 

St. Cloud State’s Nick Perbix followed up Miller’s goal with one 61 seconds later to make it 2-1, but then BU’s Jake Wise dangled through the opposition’s zone and fired one past David Hrenak to tie it, 2-2. Just moments later, Easton Brodzinski put St. Cloud State back on top, 3-2. 

The Huskies never looked back. 

Early in the third, BU found itself on a five-minute power play. But any momentum the Terriers got from the man-advantage was quickly crushed when St. Cloud State’s Jami Krannila was tripped on a shorthanded breakaway, earned a penalty shot and cashed in to make it 4-2 Huskies. 

Brodzinski and Veeti Miettinen added two more later in the period to make it 6-2 St. Cloud State. 

Hrenak emerged victorious, stopping 32 of 34 shots. Commesso finished with 32 saves on 38 shots. 

St. Cloud State will play No. 1 Boston College Sunday at 5:30 p.m. with a chance to head to the Frozen Four.

3:45 am, March 28, 2021

Scores from Day 2 of the 2021 DI men's ice hockey championship

Minnesota State hockey. Minnesota State will try for its first-ever DI NCAA tournament win today.

The puck dropped on this year's tournament with three regional semifinal games on Friday, headlined by a Bemidji State upset of its regional No. 1 seed, Wisconsin. Saturday's slate featured five more contests as the Loveland Regional and Albany Regional got underway while we saw Frozen Four tickets punched in the Bridgeport and Fargo Regionals. UMass became the first team to move on to the Frozen Four, following by Minnesota Duluth after the Bulldogs beat No. 1 North Dakota in 5OT — the longest game in NCAA men's hockey tournament history.

Note: There will only be one game in the Albany Regional today. No. 1 seed Boston College advanced to the regional final after it's matchup with Notre Dame was ruled a no-contest due to COVID-19 protocols.

Here is the schedule for today's games:

All times in ET

Albany Regional 

No. 2 St. Cloud State 6, No. 3 Boston University 2

Loveland Regional

No. 2 Minnesota State 4, No. 3 Quinnipiac 3 (OT)
No. 1 Minnesota 7, No. 4 Omaha 2

Bridgeport Regional

No. 2 Massachusetts 4, No. 4 Bemidji State 0 | UMass advances to Frozen Four

Fargo Regional

No. 3 Minnesota Duluth 3, No. 1 North Dakota 2 (5OT) | UMD advances to Frozen Four

2:41 am, March 27, 2021

No. 1 North Dakota takes early lead, cruises to victory

North Dakota eliminated AIC

Top-seeded North Dakota looks every bit the part through the first game of the NCAA tournament. The Fighting Hawks defeated American International 5-1 in the first round of regional play.

UND came out strong, scoring four of their five goals in the opening period. Roughly midway through the first, junior forward Jasper Weatherby opened the scoring with assists credited to Jacob Bernard-Docker and Jake Sanderson. 

Once the flood gates opened, it appeared there wasn't anything American could do to stop it. Less than three minutes later Weatherby netted another. Seniors Grant Mismash and Collin Adams joined Weatherby on the scoreline to put the game away for the No. 1 seed.

Things remained quiet in the scoring department until the last two minutes. North Dakota couldn't hang on to the shut out as American's Tobias Fladeby netted a power play goal. The Fighting Hawks weren't done though. Collin Adams grabbed his second of the night just 30 seconds later.

Junior goalie Adam Scheel finished with 24 saves on 25 shots for UND. 

North Dakota will play Minnesota-Duluth, who advanced because of a no contest with Michigan due to COVID-19 protocols. Puck will drop on that one Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET.

1:07 am, March 27, 2021

No. 2 UMass takes down No. 3 Lake Superior State, advances to regional final

UMass advances to regional final

UMass controlled play from start to finish Friday night, beating Lake Superior State, 5-1, in the first round of regional play. 

The Minutemen got the scoring started when Jake Gaudet tipped one home midway through the first period to make it 1-0. The Lakers countered seven minutes later when Ashton Calder flipped a rebound past UMass goalie Filip Lindberg to tie it, 1-1. 

From then on, it was all UMass. 

Josh Lopina potted one past Lakers goalie Mareks Mitens midway through the second period to make it 2-1 UMass. Then, Carson Gicewicz finished off a 4-on-2 to make it 3-1. 

In the third period, Gaudet scored his second of the night to add some insurance and then Anthony Del Gaizo scored a breakaway empty-netter to crush Lake Superior State’s chance of a comeback. 

Lindberg finished with 30 saves on 31 shots. Mitens ended the night with 32 stops on 36 shots. 

No. 2 UMass will play No. 4 Bemedji State Saturday at 5 p.m. in the regional final. 

7:40 pm, March 26, 2021

No. 4 Bemidji State upsets No. 1 Wisconsin, advances to next round

Bemidji State upsets Wisconsin

The NCAA DI men’s ice hockey tournament started off with a massive upset Friday afternoon. 

Despite Wisconsin’s late push, Bemidji State took down the Badgers, the No. 1 seed in Bridgeport, 6-3. 

The Beavers’ upset was evident from the start. An early goal by Ross Armour and a very late goal by Elias Rosen gave Bemidji State the 2-0 lead after the first 20 minutes. 

Wisconsin went on a 5-on-3 early in the second period and cashed in when Linus Weissbach cut the Beavers lead to 2-1. But then Bemidji State posted two goals in the back-half of the period — one a shorthanded goal after Wisconsin goalie Robbie Beydoun’s misplay with the puck. That gave the Beavers a 4-1 lead heading into the third. 

Ethan Somoza posted an early goal in the third period for Bemidji State to give his squad a 5-1 lead. 

Cole Caufield added two goals for Wisconsin later in the period to get Wisconsin closer, but it wasn’t enough, as Bemidji State held on for the upset. 

Beavers goalie Zach Driscoll finished with 30 saves on 33 shots. 

Bemidji State will play the winner of No. 2 UMass vs. No. 3 Lake Superior State. 

5:14 pm, March 26, 2021

Michigan will not play in tournament due to COVID-19 protocols; Minnesota Duluth advances to next round

Michigan will not participate in the men's ice hockey tournament.

Michigan men's ice hockey will not participate in the NCAA tournament because of COVID-19 protocols. It was announced less than an hour before the first game of the tournament took place. 

You can read the NCAA's official statement below. 

"The NCAA and the Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee regret that, because of COVID-19 protocols, Michigan’s student-athletes and coaching staff will not be able to compete in a tournament in which they earned the right to participate. The Michigan-Minnesota Duluth game scheduled for this afternoon at Scheels Arena in Fargo, North Dakota, will now be considered a no-contest, and therefore, Minnesota Duluth will advance to the next round of the tournament. This decision was made in consultation with Fargo Cass Public Health. Because of privacy issues, we cannot provide further details."

As a result, Minnesota Duluth advances to the next round. 

No. 1 North Dakota vs. No. 4 American International has been moved up to 8:30 p.m.

3:59 pm, March 26, 2021

2021 DI men's ice hockey championship gets underway

Welcome to the 2021 DI men's ice hockey championship. It is Friday, March 26 and this is the first day of competition with regional semifinal action taking place in the Fargo Regional and Bridgeport Regional. Regional top seeds North Dakota and Wisconsin will also take the ice today.

No. 2 Michigan and No. 3 Minnesota Duluth were slated to play today, but Michigan was forced to leave the tournament due to COVID-19 protocols. 

Here is the schedule for today's games:

All times in ET

Bridgeport Regional

No. 1 Wisconsin vs. No. 4 Bemidji State | 1 p.m. | ESPN2
No. 2 UMass vs. No. 3 Lake Superior State | 6:30 p.m. | ESPNU

Fargo Regional

No. 1 North Dakota vs. No. 4 American International | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN3

5:04 pm, March 25, 2021

Notre Dame will not play in tournament due to COVID-19 protocols; game vs. Boston College deemed a no-contest

Notre Dame men's ice hockey will not participate in the NCAA tournament because of COVID-19 protocols. You can read the NCAA's official statement below.

“The NCAA and the Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee regret that, because of COVID-19 protocols, Notre Dame’s student-athletes and coaching staff will not be able to play in a tournament in which they earned the right to participate. The Notre Dame-Boston College game scheduled for Saturday afternoon at the Times Union Center in Albany, New York, will now be considered a no-contest, and therefore, Boston College will advance to the next round of the tournament. This decision was made in consultation with the Albany County Public Health Department and the NCAA Medical Advisory Group. Because of privacy issues, we cannot provide further details.”

As a result of the Notre Dame-Boston College cancellation, the St. Cloud State-Boston University game time has been moved up to 1:00 p.m. ET.

11:01 pm, March 21, 2021

2021 DI men's ice hockey selections announced

The 2021 NCAA college hockey bracket.

The 2021 DI men's ice hockey selections were announced and here's what you need to know.

Click or tap here to view all the selections | Click or tap here to open the bracket as a .PDF

The four top seeds in each region:

  • North Dakota (Fargo)
  • Boston College (Albany)
  • Minnesota (Loveland)
  • Wisconsin (Bridgeport)

While all of the seeded teams are certainly familiar with DI men's hockey tournament, none of the four teams made the tournament in 2019. North Dakota last won a national championship in 2016. Minnesota has made the NCAA tournament 38 times, the most of the No. 1 seeds and tied for the most all time (Michigan).

Of the 16 teams selected, six of them are conference champions. Here are the six conference champions in 2020-21: 

  • UMass (Hockey East) 
  • North Dakota (NCHC) 
  • Minnesota (Big Ten) 
  • St. Lawrence (ECAC)*
  • Lake Superior State (WCHA) 
  • AIC (Atlantic) 

*Due to COVID-19 protocol, St. Lawrence has been replaced by Quinnipiac.

Notable at-large bids:

  • Michigan
  • Minnesota Duluth
  • Boston U
  • Notre Dame

Click here to view the bracket. 

Important dates: 

  • March 26-28: Regionals
  • April 8: Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA 
  • April 10: National Championship at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA 
11:36 am, March 21, 2021

2021 DI men's ice hockey selections announced today

DI men's ice hockey selections take place tonight

The 2021 DI men's ice hockey selections will be announced today, Sunday, March 21 at 7 p.m. on ESPNU. 

Click here to watch the selections. 

Of the 16 teams selected, six of those will be conference champions. Here are the six conference champions in 2020-21: 

  • UMass (Hockey East) 
  • North Dakota (NCHC) 
  • Minnesota (Big Ten) 
  • St. Lawrence (ECAC) 
  • Lake Superior State (WCHA) 
  • AIC (Atlantic) 

Click here to view the bracket. 

Important dates: 

  • March 26-28: Regionals
  • April 8: Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA 
  • April 10: National Championship at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA 
6:34 pm, March 2, 2021

How to watch the 2021 DI men's ice hockey selections

When: The 2021 NCAA men's ice hockey selection show will be at 7 pm. ET on Sunday, March 21.

How to watch: ESPNU

Here's how it works:

Selection Process
The 2021 Division I Men’s Hockey Championship provides for a field of 16 teams to compete in a single elimination tournament. Of the 16 teams, 6 conference champions will receive automatic qualification with the remaining best 10 teams being selected on an at-large basis by the Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee. A total of 4 teams will be seeded with each of the seeded teams being placed at 1 regional site.

Regionals | Dates TBA
At each site, four teams will compete in single-elimination regional semifinal competition. The two winning teams will then compete against each other in single-elimination regional final competition at the same site. The winning team from each of the four regionals will advance to the Frozen Four in Pittsburgh. 

The 2021 Frozen Four is April 8 and 10 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. The matchups will air on ESPN. 

6:24 pm, March 2, 2021
How Minnesota Duluth win back-to-back titles
1:50
10:23 pm, February 27, 2021

DI men's ice hockey championship history

Minnesota Duluth won the most recent national championship in DI men's ice hockey, when it beat UMass, 3-0, in April 2019. 

Below is the list of all championship winners for DI men's ice hockey since 1980. 

Year Champion Coach Score Runner-Up Host or Site
2019 Minnesota Duluth (29-11-2) Scott Sandelin 3-0 Massachusetts Buffalo, N.Y.
2018 Minnesota Duluth (25-16-3)  Scott Sandelin 2-1 Notre Dame  St. Paul, Minn.
2017 Denver (33-7-4) Jim Montgomery 3-2 Minnesota Duluth Chicago
2016 North Dakota (34-6-4) Brad Berry 5-1 Quinnipiac Tampa
2015 Providence (26-13-2) Nate Leaman 4-3 Boston University Boston
2014 Union (N.Y.) (32-6-4) Rick Bennett 7-4 Minnesota Philadelphia
2013 Yale (22-12-3) Keith Allain 4-0 Quinnipiac Pittsburgh
2012 Boston College (33-10-1) Jerry York 4-1 Ferris State Tampa, Fla.
2011 Minnesota Duluth (26-10-6) Scott Sandelin 3-2 (ot) Michigan St. Paul, Minn.
2010 Boston College (29-10-3) Jerry York 5-0 Wisconsin Detroit
2009 Boston University (35-6-4) Jack Parker 4-3 (ot) Miami (Ohio) Washington D.C.
2008 Boston College (25-11-8) Jerry York 4-1 Notre Dame Denver
2007 Michigan State (26-13-3) Rick Comley 3-1 Boston College St. Louis
2006 Wisconsin (30-10-3) Mike Eaves 2-1 Boston College Milwaukee
2005 Denver (32-9-2) George Gwozdecky 4-1 North Dakota Columbus, Ohio
2004 Denver (27-12-5) George Gwozdecky 1-0 Maine Boston
2003 Minnesota (30-8-9) Don Lucia 5-1 New Hampshire Buffalo, N.Y.
2002 Minnesota (32-8-4) Don Lucia 4-3 (ot) Maine St. Paul, Minn.
2001 Boston College (33-8-2) Jerry York 3-2 (ot) North Dakota Albany, N.Y.
2000 North Dakota (31-8-5) Dean Blais 4-2 Boston College Providence, R.I.
1999 Maine (31-6-4) Shawn Walsh 3-2 (ot) New Hampshire Anaheim, Calif.
1998 Michigan (32-11-1) Gordon "Red" Berenson 3-2 (ot) Boston College Boston
1997 North Dakota (31-10-2) Dean Blais 6-4 Boston University Milwaukee
1996 Michigan (33-7-2) Gordon "Red" Berenson 3-2 (ot) Colorado College Cincinnati
1995 Boston University (31-6-3) Jack Parker 6-2 Maine Providence, R.I.
1994 Lake Superior State (31-10-4) Jeff Jackson 9-1 Boston University St. Paul, Minn.
1993 Maine (42-1-2) Shawn Walsh 5-4 Lake Superior State Milwaukee
1992 Lake Superior State (30-9-4) Jeff Jackson 5-3 #Wisconsin Albany, N.Y.
1991 Northern Michigan (38-5-4) Rick Comley 8-7 (3ot) Boston University St. Paul, Minn.
1990 Wisconsin (36-9-1) Jeff Sauer 7-3 Colgate Detroit
1989 Harvard (31-3) Bill Cleary 4-3 (ot) Minnesota St. Paul, Minn.
1988 Lake Superior State (33-7-6) Frank Anzalone 4-3 (ot) St. Lawrence Lake Placid, N.Y.
1987 North Dakota (40-8) John "Gino" Gasparini 5-3 Michigan State Detroit
1986 Michigan State (34-9-2) Ron Mason 6-5 Harvard Providence, R.I.
1985 Rensselaer (35-2-1) Mike Addesa 2-1 Providence Detroit
1984 Bowling Green (34-8-2) Jerry York 5-4 (4ot) Minnesota Duluth Lake Placid, N.Y.
1983 Wisconsin (33-10-4) Jeff Sauer 6-2 Harvard Grand Forks, N.D.
1982 North Dakota (35-12) John "Gino" Gasparini 5-2 Wisconsin Providence, R.I.
1981 Wisconsin (27-14-1) Bob Johnson 6-3 Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota
1980 North Dakota (31-8-1) John "Gino" Gasparini 5-2 Northern Michigan Providence, R.I.