The Battle on Ice: Previewing the 2023 NCAA Men's Frozen Four Hockey Championship
One of the nation's most eagerly awaited college sporting events is the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship. The 2023 Men's Frozen Four will take place in Tampa, Florida, from April 6th to April 8th and will feature four teams this year: Minnesota, Boston University, Quinnipiac, and Michigan. The games should be exciting as each side will bring its own unique skills and playing styles to the ice.
Minnesota, the number one overall ranked team, will face Boston University. These two teams haven't faced each other in the NCAA Tournament since 2012. Minnesota boasts a star-studded roster with a solid top line consisting of Logan Cooley, Matthew Knies, and Jimmy Snuggerud. The team's scoring ability was demonstrated during the regional playoffs when the team advanced to the Frozen Four with wins over Canisius and rival St. Cloud State. In addition to its top-flight offense, Minnesota has one of the best defensive units in the country, led by seniors Jackson LaCombe and Ryan Johnson and junior Brock Faber. Goaltender Justen Close was also a standout for the team down the stretch.
Meanwhile, Quinnipiac, the tightest team in the country, will face Michigan, one of the most aggressive teams in the country. Quinnipiac has allowed just 1.5 goals per game this season, and he has allowed just 21.7 shots per game, making them one of the most dominant defensive teams in the country. Goaltender Yaniv Perets was a standout player with an NCAA-best ten shutouts, a 1.46 goals against average, and a .932 save percentage. The Bobcats also have a strong offense led by Collin Graf, who is No. 3 in the NCAA with 56 points. On the other hand, Michigan had a comfortable 11–2 victory over Colgate in its first game in the NCAA Tournament. Still, the match against Penn State was a much tougher challenge, requiring a late tying goal in the third and an early overtime winner to secure the win.
This year`s Michigan squad, led by first-year head coach Brandon Naurato, has a young and inexperienced roster after losing several players to graduation and NHL contracts last season. Nevertheless, they have grown into one of the most capable teams in the country. Freshman Adam Fantilli, one of the top projected picks for the 2023 NHL Draft, is the NCAA’s scoring leader with an impressive 64 points. He scored the late-tying goal against Penn State, his 29th of the season, and is a strong contender for the Hobey Baker award. Sophomore Luke Hughes, younger brother of Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes, was also impressive, scoring 42 points from the blue line.
Having won regular season and tournament titles in the Hockey East, Boston University is one of the NCAA's most-watched teams and is heading into the Frozen Four with nine consecutive wins. The Terriers' junior netkeeper Drew Commesso contributed significantly to the team in the postseason. But the team's biggest star this season was freshman defenseman Lane Hutson, who led the Terriers in scoring and had 48 points in 38 games. BU also has a wealth of experienced leadership, with players such as Matt Brown and Wilmer Skoog driving much of the team's production.
Each team has its strengths, but they all share a common goal: winning the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship. For many players, this year's Frozen Four will be their last chance to win a national championship before moving to the NHL. So these four teams will be battling hard to come out on top in Tampa and bring home the championship trophy.