ST. LOUIS - Despite only two NCHC teams making the NCAA Tournament – a first in conference history – two National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) teams will meet in the 2025 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four National Semifinals on Thursday night. After each won their NCAA regional, No. 1 seed Western Michigan and No. 3 seed Denver will battle for a spot in the National Championship Game. Puck drop is set for 4 p.m. CT Thursday at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo. The game will be televised on ESPN2 in the U.S. and TSN2 in Canada, as well as streamed on ESPN+ in the U.S. and TSN+ in Canada.
 
The second Frozen Four semifinal features No. 2 seed Boston University of Hockey East and No. 4 seed Penn State of the Big Ten. Like the Broncos, the Nittany Lions are making their Frozen Four debut. The winner of the WMU-Denver game will face the winner of BU and PSU for the National Championship on Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. CT. The title game will also be televised on ESPN2 and TSN2 and streamed on ESPN+/TSN+.
 
The Pioneers are aiming for back-to-back NCAA National Championships and a third title in four seasons. The Broncos, meanwhile, are gunning for their first NCAA title after a season full of program firsts, including Penrose Cup, Frozen Faceoff crown and Frozen Four. The NCHC foes will be meeting for the fourth time this season. WMU leads the season series, 2-1-0, with each team winning once in overtime.
 
NCHC Frozen Four Notables

• The NCHC placed two teams in the same Frozen Four for the sixth time in 11 NCAA Tournaments since the NCHC began play (2013-14). All other conferences combined have sent 2 teams to the Frozen Four 6 times in that span (Big Ten 3 times, Hockey East 3 times).
• The NCHC has now sent 16 teams to the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four in its history (11 tournaments), the most of any conference in that span (Hockey East second with 12). The NCHC has had at least one team in the Frozen Four in 10 of 11 NCAA Tournaments since 2014 (only 2023 did not have an NCHC team).
• The NCHC is guaranteed to have a team in the National Championship game for the eighth time in the last nine NCAA Tournaments. NCHC teams have won six of the last eight National Championships, with Denver winning three (2017, 2022, 2024), Minnesota Duluth two back-to-back in 2018 and 2019, and North Dakota winning the NCHC’s first title in 2016.
• The Denver-Western Michigan National Semifinal on Thursday will be the second all-NCHC Frozen Four semifinal in conference history. The first came in 2016 with DU falling to North Dakota, 4-2, in Tampa, Fla. UND would go on to win the program’s eighth National Championship. The Pioneers did defeat Minnesota Duluth in the 2017 National Championship Game in Chicago, which is the only other all-NCHC Frozen Four match-up to date.
• NCHC teams have gone 4-0 in the 2025 NCAA Tournament with both DU and WMU going 2-0. The NCHC is the only conference yet to lose a game in the NCAA Tournament, with every other conference’s NCAA Tournament win percentage at .500 or worse in 2025. Hockey East is next best by win percentage at .500 (5-5).
• Since the NCHC began play in 2013-14, NCHC teams are now 55-33 in the NCAA Tournament, with the 62.5 win percentage tops among conferences, including this season. The Big Ten is next at 32-29 (52.5 percent), while Hockey East is 41-39 (51.3 percent) since the 2014 NCAA Tournament.

Denver vs. Western Michigan Head-to-Head

• Thursday’s Frozen Four National Semifinal marks the fourth meeting of season between the Broncos and Pioneers. Western Michigan leads the season series, 2-1-0, with each team earning one win in overtime. WMU also won in regulation in Kalamazoo on Dec. 6, with all three games being decided by one goal.
  • Dec. 6 at WMU: WMU 3, Denver 2
  • Dec. 7 at WMU: Denver 3, WMU 2 (OT)
  • Mar. 22 at Frozen Faceoff: WMU 4, Denver 3 (2OT)
• Thursday’s game is a rematch of the thrilling 2025 NCHC Frozen Faceoff championship game won by the Broncos in double overtime, 4-3, less than three weeks ago. WMU erased a 3-goal third period deficit to rally for the win and its first Frozen Faceoff title.
• Thursday marks the second all-time meeting in the NCAA Tournament between Denver and WMU. The Pioneers won the first NCAA meeting back in 2011, a 3-2 victory over the Broncos in the Midwest Regional semifinals (first round) in Green Bay, Wis.
• Thursday’s Frozen Four semifinal is a match-up of the top two scoring teams in the nation. Denver is first averaging right at 4.00 goals per game, while WMU is second at 3.95 goals per game.
• Denver leads the all-time series with Western Michigan, 27-15-2, but the teams are 5-5-0 in their last 10 meetings. DU is 4-1-1 against the Broncos all-time on neutral ice.

Western Michigan Broncos
Record: 32-7-1
2025 NCAA Tournament Results: W, 2-1 (OT), vs. Minnesota State; W, 2-1, vs. UMass
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 10
Frozen Four Appearances: First
NCAA Championships: 0
Schedule
Stats
Roster
 
WMU Notes

• Western Michigan tripled its NCAA Tournament win total by winning the Fargo Regional at the end of March. WMU had just one NCAA Tournament win in program history entering this season (2022), but picked up a pair of 2-1 wins to earn its first Frozen Four berth.
• Western Michigan heads into the Frozen Four on an eight-game winning streak. The Broncos’ 32 wins this season are the most in the country and tied for the most in school history.
• WMU won both its first-ever Penrose Cup as NCHC regular-season champions and first NCHC Frozen Faceoff championship this season. The Broncos became only the second team to win both NCHC titles in the same season (North Dakota, 2021).
• Western Michigan heads into the Frozen Four ranked No. 1 in the country in the USA Hockey/The Rink Live Poll, which is the highest ranking in program history. The Broncos sit at No. 3 in the latest USCHO.com Poll.

Denver Pioneers
Record: 31-11-1
2025 NCAA Tournament Results: W, 5-1, vs. Providence; W, 3-1, vs. Boston College
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 34
Frozen Four Appearances: 20
NCAA Championships: 10
Schedule
Stats
Roster

Denver Notes

• Denver is making its second straight appearance in the Frozen Four, as well as third time in four years and sixth time in nine tournaments (since 2016). The Pioneers are looking to become the first team to win back-to-back National Championships since fellow NCHC foe Minnesota Duluth did so in 2018 and 2019.
• Denver has won 10 NCAA national titles in program history, the most of any men’s college hockey program. DU broke a tie with Michigan, who has nine, with the 2024 championship last season.
• The Pioneers’ 31 wins this season are the second-most in the country behind only WMU’s 32. DU has now reached the 30-win plateau in four straight seasons. No other team in the country has 30 wins this year besides Denver and Western Michigan.
• Denver senior goaltender Matt Davis has been stellar in the NCAA Tournament in his career. In six NCAA games so far, including two this year, he carries a .976 save percentage, a 0.74 goals-against average, one shutout and a 6-0 record. Davis has allowed one goal or less in all six of his career NCAA Tournament games.

Award Winners on Display

• Western Michigan head coach Pat Ferschweiler won the 2025 Spencer Penrose Award as AHCA Division I men’s National Coach of the Year after also winning NCHC Herb Brooks Coach of the Year in March. Ferschweiler becomes the third NCHC coach to win the Penrose Award, joining Brad Berry of North Dakota (2020) and Jim Montgomery of Denver (2017). Current Denver head coach David Carle was also a finalist for the Penrose Award this year as the two coaches square off again on Thursday.
• Thursday’s all-NCHC Frozen Four tilt features half of the 2024-25 All-NCHC First Team in WMU sophomore forward Alex Bump, Denver senior forward Jack Devine and DU sophomore defenseman Zeev Buium. Buium was also named NCHC Player of the Year and repeated as NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year, while Bump was tabbed NCHC Forward of the Year this season.
• Along with the trio of All-NCHC First-Teamers, Denver junior forward Aidan Thompson and Western Michigan freshman goalie Hampton Slukynsky garnered Second-Team All-NCHC honors. Five of the six players on the inaugural All-NCHC Third Team come from DU or WMU as well:
  • F: Sam Harris, Denver, So. 
    F: Carter King, Denver, Sr. 
    D: Joona Väisänen, Western Michigan, Fr. 
    D: Eric Pohlkamp, Denver, So. 
    G: Cameron Rowe, Western Michigan, Gr. 
• WMU’s Väisänen and Slukynsky were also tabbed to the NCHC All-Rookie Team this season.
• Buium is in the Hobey Hat Trick as one of three finalists for the 2025 Hobey Baker Award and the lone defenseman up for the honor (Michigan State’s Isaac Howard and Boston College’s Ryan Leonard complete the Hobey Hat Trick). The winner will be announced Friday evening live at the Stifel Theater in St. Louis. Devine was also one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award this year, the second straight year he’s been named a top-10 finalist. Buium and Devine were the NCHC’s lone two representatives among the Hobey top-10 finalists in 2025.
• Bump was named Most Outstanding Player of the 2025 NCHC Frozen Faceoff after a three-goal weekend. He scored two goals in the championship game win over Denver on March 22, including the double overtime game-winner.
• Buium was selected Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Manchester Regional after a two-goal, five-point weekend against Providence and Boston College. WMU junior forward Liam Valente snagged Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Fargo Regional with a pair of power play goals – one in each game in wins over Minnesota State and Massachusetts.