Denver Wins Third NCAA Hockey Title in Five Years, Tops Wisconsin 2-1
Kyle Chyzowski tipped in the game winner with 5:52 left on the clock, and Denver's goalie Johnny Hicks was absolutely unreal between the pipes Saturday night in Las Vegas. The Pioneers beat Wisconsin 2-1 to claim their third national championship in five years, and let's just say the celebration was warranted. This wasn't just any win, either. Denver now has 11 national titles total, and they just denied Wisconsin their first championship since 2006.
Hicks Was Ridiculous
Johnny Hicks stopped 29 shots in this game, but here's the wild part: he made 49 saves two days earlier against Michigan. The guy hasn't lost a game in regulation since becoming the starter, sitting at 16-0-1. Coming into this championship, Hicks was leading the entire nation with a 1.20 goals-against average and a .957 save percentage. After the win, he was named Most Outstanding Player for Denver's championship run, also winning that honor in the conference and regional tournaments. Fighting back tears after the game, Hicks said he was just "playing off instinct." That's elite.
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👉 Claim Your Free $10 at KalshiHow Denver Sealed It
Wisconsin jumped ahead early when Vasily Zelenov ripped one from the left circle off the rush at 6:24 of the first period, making it 1-0. That lead stuck around until 7:31 of the third, when Kristian Epperson passed to defenseman Garrett Brown at the left point. Brown's shot created a rebound that Rieger Lorenz buried easily past Wisconsin's Daniel Hauser. Then Chyzowski finished the job with that clutch tip-in from the point late in regulation. It was vintage Denver: solid goaltending, timely goals, and getting it done when it mattered.
This victory also extends the National Collegiate Hockey Conference's dominance at the top level. The league just claimed eight of the past 10 national champions. Wisconsin's Hauser stopped 13 shots, but it wasn't enough against a Denver team that refused to break.
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