LAS VEGAS — Throughout T-Mobile Arena, blue banners decorate the rafters displaying each team that’s ever captured a national championship. Of those names, two in particular stand out, mostly due to the sheer number of dates that dominate the spread. And on Thursday, the two face off in the Frozen Four, fighting for the chance to add to their impressive collections.
The No. 1 seed Michigan hockey team has yet to share the ice with No. 2 seed Denver this season. But that doesn’t mean they’re far off the same path. From Hobey Baker Hat Trick finalists to top-performing goaltenders, it’s very difficult for either team to find an edge.
Working up from the back, credit must be given to each team’s freshmen goaltenders. The Wolverines’ Jack Ivankovic and the Pioneers’ Johnny Hicks made a great impact right away in the league, finding themselves No. 4 and No. 1 in NCAA goalie winning percentages, respectively.
Ivankovic has amassed a 77.3% in 33 games played — 18 more than Hicks — backing Michigan’s league-leading 2.21 scoring margin. But what Hicks lacks in experience, he makes up for in his ability to win. In his 15 games played, Hicks earned a 96.7%, only dropping a tie to Colorado College where he went on to win the shootout.
“(Hicks is) fast, he makes good reads,” Ivankovic said. “Obviously, he’s a good goalie already… But I’m just excited to showcase what I could bring and play my best as well.”
While a goaltending duel is bound to become a factor, many eyes will be lasered in on Denver defenseman Eric Pohlkamp and senior forward T.J. Hughes — two of the three Hobey Baker Hat Trick finalists. While manning opposite ends of the ice, the two have been staple figures to their squads throughout the journey to the Frozen Four.
In points, Hughes scored the second most in the NCAA this season, leading the Wolverines in the category with 56 points in 39 games played. Pohlkamp’s position doesn’t put him on the scoresheet as much as Hughes, but he still leads all defensemen in goals, scoring 18 in 41 games played. In their own right, the two are strong competitors fighting to lead their teams to victory. And they’re looking to anchor their respective units to keep that dream alive.
Both sides possess depth, scattering it across all ends of the ice to build strong teams and make this matchup a difficult hurdle in the way of a national title. In spite of their little familiarity with one another, one thing is clear — a cut-throat battle will take place Thursday night.
“We don’t know too much about Denver, just not playing them, they’re a heavy NCHC team,” junior forward Garrett Schifsky said. “… So we’ve got to be ready for any type of game to get off the rush. You got some skilled guys that can score goals. So we’ve just got to be ready for any game that gets thrown at us. And it’ll be exciting to see all of us stick to our game plan and get into it.”
The two teams have walked parallel paths this year, both set on the same vision: winning a national championship. But their greatest problem is that they need to face each other to get there, and only one will leave the rink with their title hopes intact.
When the Wolverines and Pioneers look up from the ice into the rafters and see those blue banners, reminders of the history behind their programs ring throughout that display. While each is plastered with dates leaving barely an inch of room to spare, Michigan and Denver will do their best to move around the pieces and make a little room for one more.
