Western Michigan wins 1st Frozen Four hockey title, beating Boston University 6-2
Iiro Hakkarainen and Wyatt Schingoethe had a goal and assist each, with Ty Henricks and Cole Crusberg-Roseen also scoring to cap the Broncos' first Frozen Four appearance in the program's 52-year history. Hampton Slukynsky stopped 24 shots and top-seeded Western Michigan (34-7-1) closed its winningest season with 10 straight victories.
The Broncos reached the final with Michaels scoring his second goal 26 seconds into double-overtime in 3-2 victory over defending champion Denver in the semifinals Thursday night.
In defeating the five-time champion Terriers, the Broncos become the fourth program to win the title in its championship game debut, joining Denver in 1958, Cornell (1967) and Lake Superior State (1988). Western Michigan also made it three-for-three for Michigan-based teams winning the tournament when played in St. Louis, after Michigan State won in 2007 and Michigan Tech in 1975.
The win didn't come easily. The Terriers appeared to cut the lead to 4-3 with 8:04 remaining when Matt Copponi jammed in a rebound through Slukynsky's legs. Though replays clearly showed the puck going over the line, the goal was disallowed because the whistle had blown.
Cole Eiserman and Shane Lachance scored for Boston University (24-14-2). Mikhail Yegorov stopped 22 shots in a matchup up freshman goalies.
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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports
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