Minnesota Duluth benefited from some home cooking, playing in the Frozen Four at Xcel Energy Center in nearby St. Paul, and beat Notre Dame 2-1 on Saturday to win the 2018 NCAA hockey tournament.
Frozen Four 2018: Minnesota Duluth wins NCAA hockey tournament championship
2-1 victory over Notre Dame in the title contest
Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images
This was the second championship in school history for Minnesota Duluth, who also won in 2011, coincidentally the last time the Frozen Four was played in St. Paul.
Minnesota Duluth struck first with a pair of goals in the first period by Jared Thomas and Karson Kuhlman.
Notre Dame answered with a second-period goal by Andrew Oglevie in the second period, and Irish goaltender Cale Morris made 33 saves in defeat.
Hunter Shepard saved 19 of 20 shots in the win for Minnesota Duluth.
It was a white-knuckle ride for Notre Dame, who won their previous five postseason games — two in the Big Ten Tournament and their first three in the NCAA tourney — by one goal, with the winner coming in either the final minute of regulation or in overtime.
This was the fourth Frozen Four appearance for Notre Dame.
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