2025 NCAA Men’s Hockey Tournament: Wild’s Zeev Buium, Flames’ Arsenii Sergeev help their teams advance to Frozen Four

Tyler Kuehl
Tyler Kuehl(TJKu29)
Mar 30, 2025, 22:29 EDT
2025 NCAA Men’s Hockey Tournament: Wild’s Zeev Buium, Flames’ Arsenii Sergeev help their teams advance to Frozen Four
Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

The final day of the NCAA Men’s Hockey Regionals saw things end with a bang. Two college hockey blue bloods locked horns while a couple of programs fought it out for their first-ever trip to the Frozen Four on Sunday.

Allentown

The first game of the day saw a raucous crowd in eastern Pennsylvania show up to see the host Penn State Nittany Lions take on the Connecticut Huskies, with both teams trying to advance to the final stage of the tournament for the first time.

The Huskies were able to get on the board first, as San Jose Sharks prospect Joey Muldowney scored his first of the weekend. However, Dane Dowiak’s goal for Penn State late in the first leveled the score. The two sides traded goals in the middle stanza, and after neither side found the back of the net in the third, overtime was needed to determine who would head to St. Louis.

It was an exhilarating extra frame, as both UConn and Penn State had glorious opportunities to end the game, Matt Dimarsico found a way to beat Huskies netminder Callum Tung to give the Nittany Lions a 3-2 win.

It has been an incredible run for the Nittany Lions, who went from last in the Big Ten to the Frozen Four.

Here were the stars of the game for Penn State:

Arsenii Sergeev, G, Penn State (Calgary Flames): If you go on a run like the Nittany Lions have – winning 11 of their past 13 games – you must have an incredible goaltender. Penn State has that, as Sergeev has gone on some Jordan Binnington-esque (c. 2019) stretch over the past couple of months. It has not only made the team a threat but shows that the Russian backstop is a top-end goaltender.

Sergeev, who transferred from UConn to Hockey Valley last offseason, made 42 saves on Sunday, stopping 68 of the 71 shots he faced in the regional, outdueling Mike Richter Award finalist Albin Boija of Maine in the regional semifinal.

J.J. Wiebusch, RW, Penn State: Wiebusch, Dimarsico and Charlie Cerrato were such a dynamic trio this weekend for the Nittany Lions, as has been the case for the past month. Wiebusch was one of the beneficiaries of the line’s prowess, putting six shots on goal on Sunday, scoring the game-tying goal with a slick wrister shortly after UConn took the lead in the second period.

It was Wiebusch’s second marker of the weekend, giving him 14 goals this season. His 33 points have him third on the team in scoring behind Cerrato and Hobey Baker finalist Aiden Fink.

Both Wiebusch and Sergeev were named to the All-Region Team. Teammate Dane Dowiak, who scored three times over the weekend, was named the region’s Most Outstanding Player.

Manchester

The final game of the regionals saw a rematch of last year’s national championship game, with the No. 1 Boston College Eagles trying to get revenge on the defending champion Denver Pioneers.

You could see the animosity between these two teams, even though they play on opposite ends of the country. Despite few penalties being taken, it was a very physical game, especially with the Eagles honing in on Minnesota Wild prospect Zeev Buium.

Even though BC had the betterment of the chances, DU netminder Matt Davis stood tall, allowing his team to build up a lead. After Sharks prospect Eric Pohlkamp struck first late in the opening period, the Pioneers scored twice in the second to take a commanding lead. Though the Eagles tried to stage a comeback late, Buium iced the game with an empty-netter, his second of the game, securing a 4-1 win.

It’s the sixth time in the last nine years that Denver has made it to the Frozen Four.

Here were the standouts from DU’s victory.

Zeev Buium, D, Denver (Minnesota Wild): In big games, big-time players have to step up. In Buium’s short time at DU, he has proven he has that clutch gene in him more often than not. Along with the empty-net goal, he picked up an assist on James Reeder’s in the middle stanza. He looked to have scored a goal to make it 3-0, but it was called back after an offsides review.

Buium finished the game with three points, giving the sophomore two goals and five points in the regional, and was unquestionably one of the best skaters on the terrible ice in Manchester. Another Hobey Baker favorite, Buium now leads all NCAA defensemen with 48 points, two away from back-to-back 50-point campaigns.

Matt Davis, G, Denver: Just like what happened in St. Paul last April, when the chips were down between a future NHL starter and the undrafted right-handed catcher, Matt Davis bested Jacob Fowler. While he didn’t make the astronomical save that secured DU’s championship win last year, the senior netminder held the fort down when BC’s offense started to pour on the pressure late, outshooting the Pioneers 15-2 in the final 20 minutes.

While Davis has been known to have shaky games, including a rough end to the NCHC Championship Game against Western Michigan last weekend, he’s shown, come tourney time, that he’s as clutch as they come. In two games against Boston College in the national tournament, the Calgary native has stopped 70 of the 71 shots he faced. In Manchester this weekend, he gave up just two goals on 67 shots.

Davis leads the country with 29 wins this year.

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