Frozen Four: Denver, Wisconsin learned to lose before winning

LAS VEGAS — It has been said you have to experience losing before learning how to win.


For Denver and Wisconsin, the 2025-26 hockey season has been a lesson learned.

Both the Pioneers and the Badgers went through some early-season struggles before finding their way. Whether it was injuries or running into a hot opponent, they had to figure some things out.

But figure it out they have and it’s probably why we’re seeing Denver and Wisconsin in the championship game Saturday in the Frozen Four. The Pioneers are undefeated in 15 straight after surviving Thursday’s double-overtime semifinal over Michigan 4-3. Yet it took losing six in a row and seven out of eight before David Carle’s team got it right, thanks in a big part to freshman goaltender Johnny Hicks.

Wisconsin also went through a six-game losing streak during the Big Ten season. But Mike Hastings’ guys leaned on their freshman goalie, Daniel Hauser, got their act together at the right time and advanced to the title game with a 2-1 win over North Dakota on Thursday.

So it’ll be a battle of the young goaltenders as well as history playing a part when Denver and Wisconsin square off at a sold-out T-Mobile Arena at 2:30 p.m. Saturday with a national television audience tuning in to ESPN to watch.

“To me, they’re playing obviously excellent hockey right now,” Carle said of the Badgers (23-12-2). “They’ve knocked off three excellent hockey teams in Dartmouth, Michigan State, then North Dakota. We know our hands are going to be full tomorrow afternoon.”

Hicks, who stopped 50 of there 53 shots he faced in helping defeat Michigan, has been a big part of the Denver success story. Inserted into the starting lineup in late January, it has been his net ever since. Even getting steamrolled ion the third period by Michigan’s Malcom Spence couldn’t get him off the ice.

“Yeah, he was phenomenal last night,” said DU defenseman Cale Ashcroft of Hicks. “He has been since he entered the net. So, yeah, we have a lot of confidence playing in front of him. It’s easy when you have someone back there who is doing what he’s doing.

“Yeah, we couldn’t be more happy for him. He’s an amazing guy. He’s earned it. He puts the work in every day. Yeah, it’s awesome. He’s playing phenomenal.”

Denver will be going for its 11th national championship. The Pioneers have won twice this decade — in 2022 and again in 2024. But it’s about this group adding to the legacy.

“I think as players we see the whole program, what’s been built, all the alumni before us,” said junior forward Kieran Cebrian. “I know all of us take a lot of pride in defending that. We’re happy that we won (Thursday), but as we’ve said, we need to win tomorrow.”

Ashcroft said: “These are the games you want to play in. You come to Denver to play in these games. It’s going to be awesome.”

The Badgers, who are seeking their seventh title and first since 2006, are looking to make a little repeat history. The Wisconsin women won their Frozen Four last month and it was in ’06 that the Badgers won both the men’s and women’s Frozen Four.

“It would make a lot of alumni happy, I can tell you that,” Hastings said with a smile.

“You know what, I’ll say this, the two opportunities I’ve had to be hired as a college coach, you know what you don’t want to do, you don’t want to disappoint the people that hired you because they put themselves on the line to hire you, right? You want to go out and do that first and foremost for them on the idea of just trying to get the program to where they envision where we should be.”

As for turning things around, it has been a lesson learned according to forward Gavin Morrisey.

“Yeah, like Coach said, there’s a lot of teachable moments along the way,” he said. “I think as we’ve gone along, we’ve learned how to handle success better, failures as well. As far as what it means, it’s always nice to have some more time to spend with your teammates. We’re enjoying every moment we have together.”

Both teams had short skates on the T-Mobile ice Friday, then headed back to their respective hotels for some rest, a team dinner and prepare mentally for the final game of the season. Neither team wants to be accused of not leaving everything out on the ice Saturday so look for a high-energy contest and both Denver and Wisconsin doing the things it took to get to this point.

“I mean, actually at this time you’re going along for the ride,” Hastings said of the players being front and center. “They’re the ones driving the bus.

“This group’s been special. Now, I’m not going to say we haven’t had our headaches together and some of those valleys. That’s what makes this so special, you know?”