In a heart-stopping Frozen Four semifinal that pushed both teams to their absolute limit, the University of Michigan hockey team's championship dreams were dashed in double overtime by the Denver Pioneers, falling 4-3 in a Thursday night classic. The Wolverines, who dominated the shot count 52-26, will watch as Denver advances to face Wisconsin for the national title on Saturday.

The game was a rollercoaster of momentum from the very first period. Denver's Kyle Chyzowski opened the scoring, but Michigan roared back with two goals in under a minute from Josh Eernisse and T.J. Hughes to take a 2-1 lead into the intermission. After a second-period equalizer from Denver's Cale Ashcroft, Michigan's Jayden Perron capitalized on a power play late in the third, seemingly putting the Wolverines on the brink of victory.

However, with their goalie pulled for an extra attacker, Denver's Clarke Caswell delivered a dramatic tying goal with just 2:46 left in regulation, forcing overtime. After a scoreless first extra frame, Denver's Kent Anderson ended the marathon contest, sending the Pioneers to their 11th championship game appearance while extending Michigan's title drought. The Wolverines, making their tenth Frozen Four trip since their last championship in 1998, once again came agonizingly close to breaking through.