2025 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four: Top standouts as Western Michigan, Boston University advance to final

Tyler Kuehl
Tyler Kuehl(TJKu29)
Apr 11, 2025, 00:57 EDT
2025 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four: Top standouts as Western Michigan, Boston University advance to final
Credit: © Connor Hamilton-Imagn Images

The madness is nearing its end in college hockey, but that doesn’t mean we weren’t in for a wild weekend of action in St. Louis.

The first night of the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four had exactly what you’d expect – exciting action, high drama, and young stars putting their names among tournament legends.

The first semifinal was another classic between Denver and Western Michigan. Just a few weeks removed from their double-overtime clash in the NCHC Championship Game, the Pioneers and the Broncos gave fans plenty of free hockey on Thursday. WMU was all over the reigning national champions early, outshooting DU 12-3 after 20 minutes and 32-8 after two periods.

It looked like the Broncos were on their way to the championship game with a 2-0 lead heading into the third, but the experience of the Pios helped get them back into the game, as Chicago Blackhawks prospect Aidan Thompson and Los Angeles Kings draft pick Carter King scored to tie the game, sending it to overtime.

Western Michigan picked its legs back up in the extra frame, and though they couldn’t score in the first overtime, Owen Michaels’ second goal of the game less than a minute into the second gave the Broncos a 3-2 win, sending the team to the title game.

The second game might not have had the elongated drama as the first, but Boston University and Penn State went right down to the wire. After a feeling-out process, the Terriers snagged a 2-0 lead in the middle stanza. The Nittany Lions were desperate to get back in the game, and though they cut the lead to one, they were unable to complete a comeback of their own, as BU punched its ticket to the national championship game for the first time 10 years.

It ended what was a great second half for Penn State, who also made its first Frozen Four appearance in St. Louis. On a sour note, PSU leading scorer and Nashville Predators prospect Aiden Fink was held off the scoresheet on Thursday, only registering one assist in the tournament.

Here were the big-time players on Thursday night:

Western Michigan

Owen Michaels, RW: On the listed “first line,” along with Buffalo Sabres draft pick and Matteo Constantini and Philadelphia Flyers Alex Bump, Michaels has managed to step up in big moments all season. No more so than the biggest game in the program’s history. The trio combined for 17 of the team’s 47 shots, with Michaels finding ways to get after the puck, and take advantage of his opportunities. That was noticeable as his two snipes on DU goaltender Matt Davis ended up being the difference.

In his freshman season, Michaels scored just twice. Now, the sophomore is tied for second on the Broncos with 16 tallies on the season.

Brian Kramer, D: While Michaels has been one of the top goal scorers for Western Michigan this season, Kramer hasn’t. Yet, the fifth-year blueliner has been an underlying offensive contributor for the Broncos, seeing extensive time on the power play. It was on the man advantage where Kramer was able to break the ice minutes into the game, as the AIC transfer ripped home just his second of the season.

Kramer has been a reliable player at both ends of the rink all season for the WMU. That was noticeable on Thursday, as he wasn’t on the ice for any goal against, finishing as a +3.

Denver

Eric Pohlkamp, D (San Jose Sharks): While everyone might be staring at how Minnesota Wild prospect Zeev Buium played and how he most ended the game a couple of times, I have to point to how Pohlkamp performed. When the Broncos were pressing for the winner in overtime, the sophomore blueliner made a couple of game-saving plays. I swear he and Buium played all but five minutes in the first overtime (the NCAA doesn’t track ice time). Pohlkamp also earned an assist on Wright’s tying goal late in the third.

Matt Davis, G: It almost goes without saying that the Pioneers wouldn’t have made it to this point without their goaltender. The senior was a huge reason DU won it all last year, and played some big minutes all season, especially against Boston College in the Manchester Regional Final. Davis almost stole another game on Thursday night, making so many clutch saves that kept WMU from blowing the game wide-open, and ending things early in overtime. He ended up with 44 saves in the loss.

Boston University

Jack Hughes, RW (Los Angeles Kings): No, not that one. This Jack Hughes actually played college hockey, and has been a key contributor in the tournament so far. After notching a goal and two assists in the Toledo Regional Semifinal against Ohio State, the senior was very involved in the offense on Thursday. He took advantage of a misplayed puck by PSU netminder Arsenii Sergeev to open the scoring in the second period.

Hughes then assisted on Jack Harvey’s empty-net goal that put the game away, being the only player on either team with a multi-point night. The former Northeastern forward found ways to cause havoc all around the ice against the Nittany Lions, leading to five shots on goal for the Kings prospect.

Mikhail Yegorov, G (New Jersey Devils): The story of Yegorov has been told time and again, but the way the Russian netminder has managed to stay composed in big moments, despite only playing a half-season with the Terriers, has been impressive. His ability to keep the game simple was on display against Penn State, especially late in the game when the Terriers were nursing a one-goal lead. Yegorov made key saves in clutch moments, and was very good at not allowing too many second or third opportunties.

With 32 saves on 33 shots on Thursday, the Devils prospect has allowed just six goals on 103 shots so far in the tournament.

Penn State

Nicholas DeGraves, LW: While Fink just couldn’t get off the schneid, and the powerful line of Matthew DiMarsico, Charlie Cerrato and JJ Wiebusch being limited for long stretches, it was difficult for the Nittany Lions to get on the board. However, the freshman DeGraves gave PSU some life early in the third period by jamming home his fourth goal of the season.

DeGraves ended up being involved in a few scoring chances in the game on his line Ben Schoen and Dylan Lurgis, leading to DeGraves putting four shots on goal in the losing effort.

Tale of the Championship Tape

The Terriers are no stranger to the national championship scene, though it’s been awhile. Saturday will mark the team’s 12th appearance in the final, as BU will be seeking its sixth NCAA title, and first since 2009. They are coached by a man who knows a thing or two about winning. Two-time Stanley Cup champion Jay Pandolfo was on the Terrier team that won it all in 1995.

With this being their first-ever appearance in the Frozen Four, Saturday night will see Western Michigan vie for its first national championship. In fact, if the Broncos win it all, it would be just the third NCAA Championship in the school’s history, let alone in hockey.

These two teams actually met when Pandolfo was a player during the 1994-95 season, with BU winning during the regular season. Pandolfo also got the better of Broncos head coach Pat Ferschweiler when the two teams met in the Manchester Regional Semifinals in 2023.

Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2 and TSN2, streaming live on ESPN+ and TSN+.

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