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Apr. 4—GRAND FORKS — For the first time in NCAA Frozen Four history, all four starting goaltenders are freshmen.
UND freshman Jan Špunar, Wisconsin freshman Daniel Hauser, Denver freshman Johnny Hicks and Michigan freshman Jack Ivankovich are all expected to start in the NCAA Frozen Four semifinals on Thursday in T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
UND plays Wisconsin at 4 p.m. Central (2 p.m. in Las Vegas). Denver plays Michigan at 7:30 p.m. Central (5:30 p.m. in Las Vegas).
They've all had different paths to becoming their team's starter.
UND landed Gibson Homer out of the NCAA transfer portal, and he played the first couple weeks of the season.
After UND lost 5-2 to Clarkson on Oct. 30, the Fighting Hawks gave Špunar a start in the series finale. He posted a 17-save shutout, launching a streak of 10 straight wins to start his career. He's the only goalie in UND hockey history to do that.
"We had him kind of penciled in as our second goalie," UND coach Dane Jackson said.
Špunar, 21, enters the Frozen Four 20-4-1 with a 1.90 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage. He was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Sioux Falls Regional, posting back-to-back shutouts against Merrimack and Quinnipiac.
"He's taken a big step in how he's prepared and practiced," Jackson said. "I don't think he had the best practice habits at the start. Now, I think he's practicing much better. He's taken a huge step."
Wisconsin will counter with Hauser, who has been the Badgers' starter from the beginning of the season.
Hauser, 22, arrived in Madison after a long career in the Western Hockey League. He played in Winnipeg, Wenatchee and Calgary.
"A lot of these young men have been put in spots that mirror the college game," Wisconsin coach Mike Hastings said. "For me, I can only use Daniel Hauser as an example. He's been in some pretty tough environments. He was brought into Calgary to try to make a run last year in the Western Hockey League. Ended up getting injured. One reason I think they liked him as much as we did is that he's somebody that has performed well at the most important time."
Hauser is 20-7-2 with a 2.56 goals-against average and an .899 save percentage.
Hicks is the biggest surprise of all.
Denver entered the evening of Jan. 24 with a 1-6-1 record in the last eight games, on the verge of sliding onto the NCAA tournament bubble. On that night, starting goaltender Quentin Miller suffered a longterm injury.
Hicks, who hadn't started a game yet, came in.
Denver hasn't lost since.
Hicks, 20, is 14-0-1 with a 1.12 goals-against average and a .958 save percentage.
"It was a precarious situation he came into," Carle said. "Obviously, we have all the confidence in the world in him. But to come in at the moment he did, to be unfazed, to be the calmest person in the room, I think just speaks to his preparation and focus and his attention to detail. Certainly, he's been excellent for us in the stretch run."
Hicks spent the end of last season with Victoria in the WHL.
The most highly touted of the Frozen Four freshman goalies is Michigan's Jack Ivankovic.
Ivankovic, 18, is a second-round draft pick of the Nashville Predators.
He helped Canada win gold at the IIHF Under-18 World Championship last spring and has already played for the Canadian World Junior Team twice.
Ivankovic is 25-7-1 with a 2.13 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage.
He played for Brampton in the Ontario Hockey League last season.
Barring something unforeseen, this year will mark the second year in a row where the national title-winning goaltender is a freshman.
Last season, Western Michigan won the national title with rookie Hampton Slukynsky of Warroad, Minn., between the pipes.
Slukynsky was the first rookie to win a national title game since Kieran Millan in 2009 with Boston University.
Continue reading...
UND freshman Jan Špunar, Wisconsin freshman Daniel Hauser, Denver freshman Johnny Hicks and Michigan freshman Jack Ivankovich are all expected to start in the NCAA Frozen Four semifinals on Thursday in T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
UND plays Wisconsin at 4 p.m. Central (2 p.m. in Las Vegas). Denver plays Michigan at 7:30 p.m. Central (5:30 p.m. in Las Vegas).
They've all had different paths to becoming their team's starter.
UND landed Gibson Homer out of the NCAA transfer portal, and he played the first couple weeks of the season.
After UND lost 5-2 to Clarkson on Oct. 30, the Fighting Hawks gave Špunar a start in the series finale. He posted a 17-save shutout, launching a streak of 10 straight wins to start his career. He's the only goalie in UND hockey history to do that.
"We had him kind of penciled in as our second goalie," UND coach Dane Jackson said.
Špunar, 21, enters the Frozen Four 20-4-1 with a 1.90 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage. He was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Sioux Falls Regional, posting back-to-back shutouts against Merrimack and Quinnipiac.
"He's taken a big step in how he's prepared and practiced," Jackson said. "I don't think he had the best practice habits at the start. Now, I think he's practicing much better. He's taken a huge step."
Wisconsin will counter with Hauser, who has been the Badgers' starter from the beginning of the season.
Hauser, 22, arrived in Madison after a long career in the Western Hockey League. He played in Winnipeg, Wenatchee and Calgary.
"A lot of these young men have been put in spots that mirror the college game," Wisconsin coach Mike Hastings said. "For me, I can only use Daniel Hauser as an example. He's been in some pretty tough environments. He was brought into Calgary to try to make a run last year in the Western Hockey League. Ended up getting injured. One reason I think they liked him as much as we did is that he's somebody that has performed well at the most important time."
Hauser is 20-7-2 with a 2.56 goals-against average and an .899 save percentage.
Hicks is the biggest surprise of all.
Denver entered the evening of Jan. 24 with a 1-6-1 record in the last eight games, on the verge of sliding onto the NCAA tournament bubble. On that night, starting goaltender Quentin Miller suffered a longterm injury.
Hicks, who hadn't started a game yet, came in.
Denver hasn't lost since.
Hicks, 20, is 14-0-1 with a 1.12 goals-against average and a .958 save percentage.
"It was a precarious situation he came into," Carle said. "Obviously, we have all the confidence in the world in him. But to come in at the moment he did, to be unfazed, to be the calmest person in the room, I think just speaks to his preparation and focus and his attention to detail. Certainly, he's been excellent for us in the stretch run."
Hicks spent the end of last season with Victoria in the WHL.
The most highly touted of the Frozen Four freshman goalies is Michigan's Jack Ivankovic.
Ivankovic, 18, is a second-round draft pick of the Nashville Predators.
He helped Canada win gold at the IIHF Under-18 World Championship last spring and has already played for the Canadian World Junior Team twice.
Ivankovic is 25-7-1 with a 2.13 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage.
He played for Brampton in the Ontario Hockey League last season.
Barring something unforeseen, this year will mark the second year in a row where the national title-winning goaltender is a freshman.
Last season, Western Michigan won the national title with rookie Hampton Slukynsky of Warroad, Minn., between the pipes.
Slukynsky was the first rookie to win a national title game since Kieran Millan in 2009 with Boston University.
Continue reading...
