Wisconsin-Stevens Point vs. Salve Regina
Brian: The fourth-ranked Pointers are in the Frozen Four for the fourth time in the last five seasons. They are in the hunt for their first national title since 2016. They come in with a lot of confidence, having defeated second-ranked Adrian, 5-2, on the road last weekend. This is a team that has a ton of weapons, none bigger than Tanner Karty, the WIAC Player of the ear. He has come through with 22 goals and 26 assists for the nation’s 13th-best offense. Wis.-Stevens Point plays very well away from home, losing just once this season on the road. Salve Regina is ranked sixth in the nation and isn’t too bad itself offensively, boasting the ninth-best offense in the nation. Jack Billings leads the attack with 19 goals and 26 assists. The Seahawks have some big wins under their belt, including over Adrian, and they are 8-1 against ranked opponents. These two teams have never played each other before, but they both know what is at stake this weekend. Salve Regina 5-4
Tim: The Pointers have won the whole thing as recently as 2016 when they defeated Geneseo and St. Norbert handily. This team has a lot of returners from that squad who know what it takes to win on the Olympic-size ice surface. Sticking with the goalie trend here, and that means Max Milosek will make one more save than Blake Wojtala in a great chess match on the ice. Wisconsin–Stevens Point 2-1
St. Norbert vs. Colby
Brian: The Green Knights are the top-ranked team in the nation, and they have been on this stage before. The Mules are unranked and are in the Frozen Four for the first time. Goaltending could be the deciding factor in this showdown. The Green Knights have one of the best netminders in the nation in T.J. Black, who has won 25 games and sports a .940 save percentage. His stellar play has helped St. Norbert give up just eight goals during its 10-game win streak. The Mules have a good netminder of their own in Sean Lawrence, who owns a .941 save percentage. He has 16 wins on the season. This was a team that was 10-10 at one point and comes in on a six-game winning streak. Colby’s story has been a great one, but the Green Knights have the experience. St. Norbert 3-2
Tim: They say it helps to have been there before and that experience matters. If that is true, then it would be hard to bet against the Green Knights. who seem to be a yearly fixture wherever the Frozen Four is played. In playoff hockey, and in a one-game playoff, anything can happen, and with a hot goalie upsets are very real as we have already seen this tournament. No one is hotter than Sean Lawrence, who ends up being a few saves better than T.J. Black to keep the Cinderella run going for the Mules. Colby 2-1
