Kent Anderson’s 2-OT winner lifts Denver past Michigan 4-3 in Frozen Four thriller
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Kent Anderson scored from the slot at 7:25 of the second overtime to back up Johnny Hicks' 49 saves and lift Denver to a 4-3 victory over Michigan on Thursday night in a Frozen Four semifinal and keep alive the Pioneers' hoping of winning their third national title in five years. The Pioneers (28-11-3), a No. 2 regional seed, play Wisconsin (24-12-2) in Saturday’s championship.
They will try to extend their record to 11 titles. “I don't score many goals, so this is ranking up top so far,” Anderson said. “That means everything to play in this national championship game.
” Michigan (31-8-1) had hoped to make its first championship appearance since 2011 and win its first championship since 1998. The Wolverines — who outshot the Pioneers 52-26 — also were trying to tie Denver for most overall championships. They had hoped to take the next step this weekend, having reached the Frozen Four for the fourth time in five years.
“It's hard to have it be over,” Michigan coach Brandon Naurato said. “What these seniors have done for this program, it's really special. You can tell a little bit from the outside, but if you're in that room and all the conversations we had with these guys, they changed the program.
” Denver’s Clarke Caswell sent the game into overtime with a goal and also had an assist. Kyle Chyzowski and Cale Ashcroft also scored, and Hicks — a freshman — set a personal high in saves. Hicks, who entered this game leading the nation with a 1.