The Frozen Four in college hockey is always an exciting time of year. Everyone talks about March Madness, and there is no question that college basketball is great to watch. However, the Frozen Four should not be overlooked. For those who may not be aware, the Frozen Four is the semifinals and championship for college hockey. It began in 1948 but was not officially called the Frozen Four until the 1999 season.
Programs such as Denver, Michigan, Boston University, Wisconsin, Boston College and North Dakota have dominated the tournament throughout its history. Of course, the craziness of the Frozen Four often leads to upsets and unforeseen circumstances, so anybody can end up winning. It is not uncommon to see underdogs upset the odds and silence their critics. Without further ado, let's take a look at the most memorable moments in the storied history of the Frozen Four.
Wisconsin vs. Cornell (1973)
In March of 1973, Wisconsin and Cornell played an absolutely incredible game. It did not start out that way, though. Cornell initially jumped out to a 4-0 lead. It felt as if the game was over before it even started. Cornell also featured a star-studded roster and the odds of them blowing the lead were slim.
Then it happened. Wisconsin caught fire and began climbing back into the game. Momentum had shifted. Still, Cornell held a 5-2 lead in the third period. Wisconsin did not give up and scored to pull within one. With just five seconds remaining in the game, Wisconsin found the back of the net to tie the contest at five apiece. Wisconsin went on to carry their momentum into overtime and they emerged victorious by a final score of 6-5. They ended up winning the championship that season as well.
Boston University vs. Miami (Ohio) (2009)
The 2009 Boston University-Miami (Ohio) game is memorable, to say the least. Miami was close to pulling off an upset. They led 3-1 with one minute remaining. The chances of Boston coming back were slim to none.
In a state of desperation, Boston fired multiple shots with over a minute left. After consecutive misses, they finally scored with just under one minute remaining. Then with 17.4 seconds left in regulation, Boston scored again to tie the contest. The job was not completed yet, though. Boston had all of the momentum heading into overtime, however, and they ended up scoring the game-winning goal.
Carl Lawrence, Gil Burford (1950)
In 1950, Carl Lawrence and Gil Burford had two of the most memorable performances within the span of a few days. Lawrence, who played for Colorado College, scored five goals March 16, 1950. It set a new record for most goals in a Frozen Four game, but it did not stand alone for long. Just two days later March 18, Burford accomplished the same feat for Michigan. Both players scored five goals just a couple of days apart, setting a new record in the process.
Yale vs. UMass Lowell (2013)
In 2013, Yale and Lowell went head-to-head. The two teams found themselves tied at two apiece in what had been a hard-fought match. The game ultimately ended up in overtime as a result. With just over 13 minutes remaining in the overtime period, Yale scored the game-winning goal. The program went on to win the championship in 2013. They had been overlooked by many, but Yale silenced their critics with the victory. Everyone who followed Yale in 2013 certainly remembers the UMass Lowell victory.
Boston vs. New Hampshire (1977)
In 1977, Boston trailed New Hampshire 5-1 on their route to a championship. This game was right before the tournament but proved to be pivotal on their journey, and it remains one of the largest deficits erased to this day.
Boston ultimately climbed back into the game and stunned New Hampshire after going on a 4-0 run to tie the contest at five. Boston utilized their momentum and won in overtime. Boston then had three more games in the tournament and they defeated Providence, Wisconsin, and Boston College to become national champions.
Without their incredible come-from-behind victory over New Hampshire, though, one has to wonder if Boston would have even had a chance in 1977.
Michigan State vs. Boston College (2007)
Boston College led Michigan State 1-0 in the 2007 championship. Boston College obviously had an immense history in the Frozen Four and was on the verge of earning yet another championship. Michigan State finally found their offensive rhythm in the third period and tied the game at one with just over 10 minutes remaining.
The game was seemingly on track to head to overtime before Michigan State broke away in the final seconds of regulation and had a shot on goal. After hitting the crossbar on their initial attempt, Michigan State scored with 18.9 seconds remaining on the clock. They ended up scoring another goal via an empty net and won the game 3-1, leaving Boston College fans in shock after the wild contest.
Harvard vs. Minnesota Duluth (2017)
There are plenty of memorable Frozen Four moments. Our final choice for this list comes from a game in 2017 that featured Hardvard and Minnesota-Duluth. The teams were tied with under 30 seconds remaining in the semifinal before Minnesota-Duluth scored a goal to take a 2-1 lead. So could Harvard answer with just under 27 seconds remaining in the third period?
Harvard had multiple shots and even hit the crossbar but they were unable to tie the game. Minnesota-Duluth narrowly escaped with a 2-1 victory en route to the championship. In the championship, though, Minnesota-Duluth was unable to keep the good times rolling. They were defeated by a final score of 3-2 against a talented Denver team. Regardless, Minnesota-Duluth fans will always remember their improbable victory over Harvard in the semifinal clash.
