The University of Denver has once again cemented its status as the "blue blood" of college hockey. On Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena, the top-seeded Pioneers overcame a slow start to defeat the Wisconsin Badgers 2-1.
DENVER IS TAKING HOME THEIR 11TH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP! 🏆#MFrozenFour x 🎥 ESPN / @DU_Hockey pic.twitter.com/8KgRvE2bc1
— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) April 12, 2026
The victory marks Denver’s 11th national title in program history, moving them further ahead in all-time. It is also the Pioneers' third championship in the last five seasons under head coach David Carle.
While the Pioneers' offense eventually found its rhythm, the story of the night was freshman goaltender Johnny Hicks. Named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, Hicks turned aside 29 of 30 shots to finish the season with an unblemished 16-0-1 record.
Hicks was under siege early, as Wisconsin dominated play in the first 40 minutes, outshooting Denver 21-5. The Badgers took a 1-0 lead at 13:36 of the first period when Buffalo Sabres prospect Vasily Zelenov sniped a shot off the post and in. However, Hicks remained perfect from that point forward, making several sprawling saves to keep the deficit at one.
At 7:31 of the third, Minnesota Wild prospect Rieger Lorenz pounced on a rebound following a point shot from Garrett Brown (Winnipeg Jets) to level the game at 1-1. With 5:52 remaining, freshman Kyle Chyzowski redirected a shot from defenseman Boston Buckberger past Wisconsin goalie Daniel Hauser to give Denver its first lead of the night.
With this win, Denver (33-9-3) becomes the first program to hit 11 national titles, breaking its tie with Michigan. For David Carle, this is his fourth championship overall (three as head coach, one as an assistant), further establishing him as one of the premier coaches in the sport.