The Boston University men’s ice hockey team after defeating Minnesota in the NCAA Sioux Falls Regional final. Photo by Matt Woolverton

Athletics

Seven Things to Know as BU Begins the 2024 Frozen Four

Terriers, two wins from sixth national title, face high-powered Denver in semifinal Thursday 

The 2023-2024 NCAA men’s ice hockey tournament field is down to its final four contestants—Boston College, Boston University, Denver, and Michigan. The champion will be crowned at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., where the Frozen Four will be fought out. BU goes up against Denver at 5 pm on Thursday, April 11, followed by BC against Michigan at 8:30 pm, with the championship on Saturday, April 13, at 6 pm. 

Here are seven things to know before the Frozen Four: 

Know your Terriers

The No. 2–ranked BU Terriers have battled to a 28-9-2 record in pursuit of their sixth national title. They have been dynamic all season, scoring the fourth-highest goals-per-game (GPG), 4.15, while conceding 2.44 GPG—good for the fourth-best margin in college hockey (2.72). BU beat RIT 6-3 on March 28, and then Minnesota by the same score on March 30, to win the Sioux Falls Regional. 

BU is led on offense by freshman sensation and Hobey Baker finalist Macklin Celebrini (CAS’27), whose 23 goals in 23 Hockey East games is a conference record. Skating on the blue line for the Terriers are seven NHL-drafted defensemen, including the single-season leader in blocked shots, Cade Webber (Questrom’23,’24) (118 blocks), and two-time Hobey Baker top-10 finalist and two-time Hockey East First Team All-Star Lane Hutson (CAS’26). In net for the Terriers is Mathieu Caron (CAS’25), who ranks in the top-10 nationally in saves this season. 

Who are the Pioneers?

Standing in the way of a title shot for the Terriers is the No. 3–ranked Denver Pioneers (30-9-3). Denver’s 4.71 goals-per-game leads the nation. However, their scoring defense (2.83 GPG) is 26th, setting the stage for a barn burner to open Frozen Four weekend. Jack Devine leads Denver’s offense with 56 points, and defenseman Zeev Buium is tied with BU’s Hutson for the national lead in points by a blue-liner, with 49.

Denver coleads college hockey with nine national championships, alongside Michigan. Their last title came in 2022, making them the most recent victor in this year’s Frozen Four field. On March 23, they beat Omaha-Nebraska 4-1 to win their third NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship, then bested UMass-Amherst 2-1 in double-OT and Cornell 2-1 to win the Springfield Regional. 

BC vs. Big Blue

Boston College’s 33-5-1 season makes them the favorite to win it all. Ranked No. 1 for 11 consecutive weeks and winner of 14 straight, the Eagles are in pole position to win their sixth national title. The Eagles have a Hobey Baker finalist of their own, Cutter Gauthier, who leads the nation in goals (37) and ties Celebrini for points (64). A highlight between the pipes, BC’s freshman goaltender Jacob Fowler is a Mike Richter Award finalist—awarded to the nation’s top goalie. BC disposed of Michigan Tech 6-1 and then battled to beat defending champion Quinnipiac in overtime, 5-4, to win the Providence Regional. 

BC plays the University of Michigan (23-14-3) in the other Frozen Four semifinal. The Wolverines earned their third consecutive berth by beating North Dakota 4-3 on March 29 and archrival Michigan State 5-2 to win the Maryland Heights Regional on March 31. Michigan’s 1-2 punch of sophomores Rutger McGroarty and Gavin Brindley highlights their third-best offense in the nation (4.22 goals per game). Michigan coleads college hockey with nine national titles, but has not won it all since 1998.

Star power 

Although BU, BC, Denver, and Michigan represent four of the youngest teams in college hockey—BC and Denver are the youngest, and BU is the fourth—they also represent some of the winningest programs in the sport’s history. Per @BUHockeyStats on X, their 28 combined national titles are the most in Frozen Four history. BU and BC are both looking for national title number six, while Michigan and Denver are fighting to be the first program to reach double digits—they are tied at nine titles apiece. 

The freshman phenomena 

With an average age well below 22 years and a combined record of 114-37-9, youth has bred success in college hockey this season. Highlighting all four rosters are standout underclassmen, with specific emphasis on the contributions of each squad’s freshmen. Of the top-nine national points leaders, all but one—Denver’s junior forward Devine—are underclassmen, and all but one—UND’s Jackson Blake—belong to one of the Frozen Four teams. BC alone has three freshmen in the nation’s top six points leaders, including the NCAA-leading Will Smith (69 points). BU’s Celebrini is No. 2, and Denver’s Buium is tied for 10th. 

Bench boss

BU head coach Jay Pandolfo (CAS’96) is approaching his sixth Frozen Four, second as a head coach. After an impressive debut season for BU, Pandolfo was named a finalist for the Spencer Penrose Award in 2023, given to the nation’s top coach. Again this year, he is on the shortlist for the award. The Terriers are 57-20-2 in his two seasons as head coach. The last BU coach to make the Frozen Four in his first two seasons was the legendary Jack Parker (Questrom’68, Hon.’97).

Denver hopes for déjà vu

Denver has historically gotten the best of BU. The Pioneers lead the Terriers 17-15-2 all-time and are 3-2 in national tournament play. Their last tournament matchup was a 7-1 Denver blowout back in 2016 at the same venue as Thursday’s semifinal—St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center. Can BU get some revenge? 

It all begins Thursday at 5 pm. The Student Activities Office will host a watch party beginning at 5 pm in the GSU food court and back court, featuring free food (first-come, first-served). The event is open to all BU students.

The No. 2 Boston University men’s hockey team will face No. 3 Denver at 5 pm on Thursday, April 11, at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., in the NCAA Frozen Four semifinal. The winner of that game will face the winner of the No. 1 Boston College and No. 4 Michigan matchup on Saturday, April 13, at 6 pm, also at Xcel Energy Center. All Frozen Four games will be covered live on ESPN2 and ESPN+.