ST. PAUL, Minn. – The No. 6-ranked University of Denver hockey team lost 4-3 in double-overtime to the No. 3 Western Michigan Broncos in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship Game on Saturday night at Xcel Energy Center.
 
NCHC Forward of the Year Alex Bump scored the OT-winner unassisted just 22 seconds into the second extra stanza to complete WMU's comeback. The Broncos tallied three times in the third period to erase a three-goal deficit.
 
Minnesota natives Jake Fisher and Eric Pohlkamp and NCHC Player of the Year Zeev Buium netted goals for the Pioneers (29-11-1, 15-8-1 NCHC), while Garrett Brown, Rieger Lorenz, Samu Salminen and Jared Wright contributed assists. DU goaltender Matt Davis made 46 saves and stopped 16 shots in the first overtime period.
 
No. 3-seed Denver scored its three goals in a matter of 4:41 from 5:46 to 10:27 of the second period following a scoreless opening frame. Fisher began the run on a tally off a rebound before defensemen Pohlkamp and Buium found the back of the net on wristers from the slot.
 
Zack Sharp got top-seeded Western Michigan (30-7-1, 19-4-1 NCHC) on the board 3:21 into the third period, and Bump netted his first of two goals with 6:41 remaining. Tim Washe scored the game-tying goal with 3:40 left in regulation.
 
The Broncos outshot the Pioneers 50-29, with freshman goaltender Hampton Slukynsky making 26 stops.
 
Both teams went 0-for-2 on the power play.
 
The victory for Western Michigan was its first NCHC tournament championship and came after winning the Penrose Cup for winning the conference's regular season.
 
UP NEXT: The Pioneers will begin the 2025 NCAA Tournament on either Thursday or Friday at a neutral site. The opponent and location will be announced during the NCAA Selection Show on ESPNU on Sunday a 1 p.m. MT.
 

POSTGAME NOTES

• Denver lost its first NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship Game (3-1) and is now 6-1-1 all-time in Saturday games at the conference tournament, as the NCHC used to play a Third Place Game.
• The Pioneers have a 31-11-1 overall record in the league playoffs.
• DU played its sixth double-overtime game in program history and second in the NCHC postseason.
• Denver finished the season 1-2-0 against Western Michigan, with the previous matchups coming in Kalamazoo in early December.
• The Pioneers three-game winning streak ended and its five-game winning streak at Xcel Energy Center dating back to last year's Frozen Faceoff and NCAA Frozen Four also came to an end.
• Alex Bump scored twice for Western Michigan, the third opposing payer to tally multiple times against the Pioneers this season and first since Nov. 23 (Artem Shlaine, ASU)
• Carter King tied a career high in the 2OT contest with 20 faceoff wins (Also Oct. 19 vs. Northeastern).
• DU's 54 faceoff wins and 25 blocked shots were each season highs.
• Zeev Buium and Matt Davis were each named to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff All-Tournament Team.

GOAL SUMMARY
1st Period
No Scoring
 
2nd Period
5:46 DU (1-0) – Jake Fisher threw the puck into the net after Garrett Brown's shot and Samu Salminen's tip rebounded to the freshman on the left side.
9:05 DU (2-0) – Eric Pohlkamp hit twine with a wrist shot from the high slot after taking a pass from Rieger Lorenz.
10:27 DU (3-0) – Zeev Buium kept the puck into offensive zone after a failed clear by WMU, skated around a Broncos forward and buried a wrister from the mid-slot.
 
3rd Period
3:21 WMU (3-1) – Zach Sharp sniped a shot from the top of the left circle off a pass by Liam Valente.
13:19 WMU (3-2) – Alex Bump scored on a far shot following a faceoff victory.
16:20 WMU (3-3) – Tim Washe's shot went off the DU goaltender's glove and into the net.
 
Overtime
No Scoring
 
Second Overtime
0:22 WMU (3-4) – Alex Bump tallied from the left side soon after the opening draw of the period.