Two unlikely teams finalized the 2015 Frozen Four field on Sunday, as Providence and Nebraska-Omaha both won in their respective regional finals.
2015 NCAA hockey tournament scores and bracket: Omaha, Providence join Frozen Four
The 2015 Frozen Four field is set.
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The Friars took down the Denver Pioneers with a lot of help from its special teams. Providence scored two power play goals and killed off three Denver power plays, effectively limiting the Pioneers’ chances throughout. Goaltender Jon Gillies was solid under minimal pressure, stopping 22 shots by Denver.
The turning point in the game came when Denver’s Joey LaLeggia was assessed a major penalty with the score tied at 1-1. The ensuing five-minute power play gave the lead and momentum back to Providence for good.
It’s the first time Providence has reached the Frozen Four in 30 years.
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Nebraska-Omaha’s unexpected trip to the Frozen Four comes off the back of a 4-0 shutout of Rochester Institute in the regional finals. The final score doesn’t really reflect what was mostly a tight-knitted game until the third period.
Just a minute into the final frame, Omaha’s Jake Randolph took a pass from Luc Snuggerud and slotted it home to give his team their first lead of the night. RIT managed to hold them at bay for another ten minutes until the floodgates opened. Austin Ortega and Justin Parizek scored within a minute of each other with five minutes to go, and an empty-netter by David Pope sealed Omaha’s Frozen Four berth for good.
With the Frozen Four field set, here’s the bracket, per NCAA.com:
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