Denver Pioneers win 3rd NCAA men's hockey title in 5 years - ESPN

LAS VEGAS — Denver has thrived in the uncomfortable, refusing to panic even when the opponent is dominating play.

Much of that is because of the freshman in the Pioneers' net.

No goalie has been better than Johnny Hicks, and he is the main reason Denver is yet again the best team in college hockey.

Kyle Chyzowski tipped in a shot from the point with 5:52 left to back up another sensational performance from Hicks and rally Denver to a 2-1 victory over Wisconsin on Saturday for the Pioneers' third national championship in five years.

The victory also extended the Pioneers' record to 11 national titles overall and denied the Badgers their seventh championship and first since 2006.

«I'm so happy that we could get it done with this group,» said Hicks, fighting back tears. «We've gone through so much adversity, and I'm just so proud of this group.»

This was also a rare loss for a Big Ten Conference team in a championship game this academic year. That conference already is home to the current champions in football (Indiana), men's basketball (Michigan) and women's basketball (UCLA ).

But the National Collegiate Hockey Conference remains the sport's premier league by claiming eight of the past 10 national champions. It doesn't have the glamour of the Big Ten or the resources that come from being on the national stage in football, but Denver coach David Carle said the collective effort to try to achieve greatness in hockey shows what can be accomplished.

«I think we're the proof of concept that it's still possible,» Carle said. «Do we have advantages over other places? I am not sitting up here crying poor that we don't have things. But we are a small institution. We are very committed, though, to our hockey program and making it