Denver punched its ticket to the 2026 Frozen Four on Sunday afternoon with a 6-2 victory against Western Michigan in the NCAA West Regional Final at Blue Arena in Loveland.

The Pioneers used a fiery start by scoring four goals in the first period to down the defending NCAA champion and top-regional seed Broncos (27-11-1, 16-7-1 NCHC). The Pioneers are in the Frozen Four for the 21st time in program history and have now reached the national semifinals in four of the last five seasons.

“Congratulations to Western Michigan for their spectacular season, and we’ve been in their shoes before,” said Denver head coach David Carle. “It’s really hard with a target on your back while you’re being the defending champions. They lost two key [defensemen] early in the year and the way they developed the coaching staff – the respect we have for them, with an excellent team and excellent program.

“For our team, seven of that last 10 Frozen Fours we’ve been to, really proud of our program. I think our guys really bought into each other and played the right way. Any given night, anybody can step up, and I think it’s a true testament to the three guys here. Certainly, Kent [Anderson] in our leadership group, he brought the group along, and we’re really excited to be able to continue to keep playing in what we will know will be an excellent Frozen Four – four teams from either the old WCHA or the old, old WCHA. It will be very fun event for everybody in Vegas. We’re looking forward to getting out there.”

Kyle Chyzowski recorded a career-high three points (two goals, one assist) and the Pioneers were led by a 26-save performance in net by goaltender Johnny Hicks, who was voted Most Outstanding Player of the Loveland Regional.

Kieran Cebrian, Eric Pohlkamp and Brendan McMorrow each had a goal and assist, while Samu Salminen and Sam Harris also scored.

DU was the No. 2 seed in the region and matched a team season high for goals in a period with four with its offensive blitz in the opening frame. Harris opened the scoring just two minutes in after the puck pinballed off of him, and Chyzowski tallied 3:24 later on a breakaway. Zach Bookman got Western Michigan on the board 67 seconds later after Chyzowksi, but Salminen and McMorrow added markers for the Pios before the first intermission.

The score held at 4-1 until WMU’s Theo Wahlberg tallied through traffic midway through the third frame, but Cebrian’s goal with 6:02 remaining extended DU’s lead back to three before Pohlkamp put the exclamation point on the victory with an empty-netter in the final two minutes.

The Pioneers outshot the Broncos 32-28, with Western goalie Hampton Slukynski finishing with 26 saves.

DU went 1-for-3 on the power play, with Pohlkamp’s marker coming while the team had a man advantage from a late high-sticking penalty by WMU. The Pios took only one penalty, marking the second-straight game they only had one infraction.

Denver has now made it to the Frozen Four in seven of the last 10 held tournaments, with the squad only missing in 2018, 2021 and 2023 (was not played in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). The Pioneers have also booked its trip to the final weekend in now three straight seasons, marking the first time the program has done so since 1971-1973.

UP NEXT: The Pioneers will play No. 1 overall seed Michigan in the Frozen Four on Thursday, April 9 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. North Dakota and Wisconsin are set to face-off in the other national semifinal with the winners meeting in the NCAA championship game on Saturday, April 11.

Photo/Michael Ciaglo/Clarkson Creative Photography

— Denver Athletics Staff

(March 30, 2026)