No. 5 seed Omaha looks to complete a strong run through the National Collegiate Hockey Conference tournament when it takes on second-seeded Denver in Saturday’s championship game
No. 12 Omaha (23-11-4) came into the National Collegiate Hockey Conference’s Frozen Faceoff as the fifth seed but will compete for the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA college hockey tournament when it takes on No. 3 Denver, the No. 2 seed, on Saturday night. The Mavericks advanced to the championship game at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, by knocking off top-seeded North Dakota on Friday night while the Pioneers needed overtime to advance past St. Cloud State, the No. 3 seed. Omaha hasn’t gone to the NCAA tourney since 2021 and made its lone Frozen Four appearance in 2015. Denver is looking to secure its third straight tourney bid and won its ninth national title in 2022.
How to Watch NCHC Tournament, Championship, Omaha vs. Denver, in College Hockey Today:
Game Date: March 23, 2024
Game Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
TV: CBSSN
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Zeev Buium’s second goal of the game lifted the Pioneers to a 5-4 semifinal victory on Friday night, coming 6:21 into overtime. It was the only lead of the game for Denver as the teams traded goals throughout the contest. Miko Matikka also potted two goals in the win and Buium added an assist.
Zach Urdahl completed his hat trick with an empty-net goal with 4:44 remaining in the Mavericks’ 6-3 thumping of North Dakota on Friday. Urdahl tied the game with a power-play goal at 18:30 of the first and gave Omaha a two-goal edge when he found the twine at 10:58 of the third period. Urdahl added an assist on a four-point night.
Jack Devine leads the Pioneers with 27 goals and 54 points while Matikka has 18 markers. Matt Davis is 18-5-3 with two shutouts in net, posting a .905 save percentage and 2.71 goals-against average. Urdahl shares the team lead for the Mavericks with Jack Randl, each scoring 13 goals, while Tanner Ludtke has 28 points. Simon Latkoczy is 19-10-3 with two shutouts, a .919 save percentage and a 2.37 GAA.
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