Koepke, Cole

NCAA Frozen Four Semifinals – Buffalo, NY

Massachusetts Minutemen 4 vs Denver Pioneers 3 (OT)

F Cole Guttman, DEN: 2-1-3, +2, 0 PIM, 6 SOG, 9/17 FO
Season Totals: 41 GP, 14-12-26, +16, 18 PIM

Bolt prospect Cole Guttman scored two goals in the 3rd period to erase a 3-1 Denver deficit and force overtime against the Minutemen. In the opening period, Guttman helped setup a Colin Staub (undrafted) power play marker that gave the Pioneers an early 1-0, but David Carle led Denver squad got into penalty trouble and gave up three 1st period power play goals to UMass and trailed 3-1 at the end of the 1st. Marc Del Gaizo (undrafted) scored the OT game-winner for the Minutemen at 15:18 in the extra session. Denver finishes the season with a record of 24-12-5, and Guttman’s 14 goals are good for T-4 among Division I freshman in the nation.

Providence Friars 1 vs Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs 3

F Cole Koepke, UMD: 0-0-0, +2, 0 PIM, 2 SOG
Season Totals: 41 GP, 7-12-19, +13, 14 PIM

Justin Richards (undrafted), son of Lightning assistant coach Todd Richards, scored twice for the Bulldogs and Hunter Shepard (undrafted) made 28 saves as the defending national champions and pre-season top-ranked UMD squad punched their ticket back to Saturday nights NCAA Championship Game against Massachusetts. After a scoreless 1st period, Richards opened the scoring in the 2nd to give the Bulldogs their first lead. But it was short lived, as the Friars bounced back, knotting the score at 1-1 from a power-play marker from Josh Wilkins (undrafted). Billy Exell (undrafted) scored the eventual game-winner at the midpoint of the 3rd to re-establish the UMD lead at 2-1, and then the Bulldogs would seal the victory with a pair of empty netters in the last 33 seconds of the game as Providence pressed for the equalizer. Koepke finished scoreless, though he did have a goal called back due to his goaltender interference at the top of the crease.

NCAA West Regional Final – Fargo, ND
#4 American International Yellow Jackets 0 vs #2 Denver Pioneers 3 (March 30th)
Denver earns berth in the 2019 Frozen Four

F Cole Guttman, DEN: 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM, 3 SOG, 9/17 FO
Season Totals: 40 GP, 12-11-22, +15, 18 PIM

Red Wings prospect Filip Larsson (DET, 2016 6th round pick) pitched his 2nd straight tournament shutout Saturday night, blanking the upstart Yellow Jackets on all 26 shots faced to lead first year head coach David Carle, Bolt prospect Cole Guttman, and the rest of his Pioneer teammates to a berth in the 2019 Frozen Four. After a scoreless 1st period, Colin Staub (undrafted) opened the scoring in the 2nd, and Liam Finlay (undrafted) and Jarid Lukosevicius (undrafted) provided insurances markers later in the 3rd. Sixth-ranked Denver improves to 24-11-5 and will faceoff Thursday night, April 11 in Buffalo against the fourth-ranked UMass (Amherst) Minutemen.

NCAA Midwest Regional – Allentown, PA
#4 Bowling Green Falcons 1 @ #1 Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs 2 (OT) (Mar 30th) - Semifinal
#2 Quinnipiac Bobcats 1 @ #1 Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs 3 (Mar 31st) - Final
Minnesota-Duluth earns berth in the 2019 Frozen Four

F Cole Koepke, UMD: 2 GP, 0-2-2, +2, 0 PIM, 11 SOG, 1/4 FO
Season Totals: 40 GP, 7-12-19, +11, 14 PIM

On Saturday afternoon’s Midwest regional semifinal, Bolt prospect Cole Kopke earned 2nd Star honors, setting up both of Parker Mackay’s (undrafted) goals for UMD, including the OT game-winner that punched the ticket to the regional finals against Quinnipiac. After a scoreless first period, Golden Knights prospect Brandon Kruse (VGK, 2018 5th round pick) gave the Falcons the lead late in the 2nd period. But with three minutes remaining in the game, Koepke fed Mackay for the equalizer to push the game into the extra session. Koepke fired a game-high 9 shots to go with a pair of primary assists and a +2 rating. Hunter Shepard (undrafted) allowed just the one Bowling Green goal, making 30 saves for the win. Panthers prospect Ryan Bednard (FLA, 2015 7th round pick) made 40 saves in defeat for the Falcons.

On Sunday night, Shepard made 21 saves and allowed just a single Quinnipiac power-play goal as the Bulldogs punched their ticket to the 2019 Frozen Four. After another scoreless first period, Peter Krieger (undrafted) gave UMD its first regulation lead in the regionals with a goal in the 2nd, followed by a Kobe Roth (undrafted) marker in the 3rd to give the Bulldogs a two goal lead with five minutes left. A Craig Martin (undrafted) power-play goal with two minutes remaining breathed hope into the Bobcats faithful, but Mackay scored the empty netter to seal the UMD victory. The #2-ranked Bulldogs improve to 27-11-2 and will play Thursday, April 11 in Buffalo against Providence.

NCAA East Regional – Providence, RI
#2 Northeastern Huskies 1 vs #3 Cornell Big Red 5 (March 30th) – Semifinal
#4 Providence Friars 4 vs #3 Cornell Big Red 0 (March 31st) - Final
Providence earns a berth in the 2019 Frozen Four

D Alex Green, COR: 2 GP, 0-0-0, -2, 0 PIM, 0 SOG
Season Totals: 20 GP, 1-3-4, -6, 8 PIM
’17-’18 Totals: 29 GP, 2-8-10, +9, 23 PIM

On Saturday afternoon in the regional semifinals, the Big Red ran roughshod over the Howlin’ Huskies behind a 20-save performance by backup goalie Austin McGrath (undrafted), five different Cornell goal scorers, and a three-assist game from blueliner Alec McCrea (undrafted). Sunday afternoon’s finals matchup against the host team was a decidedly different story. Oilers prospect Hayden Hawkey (MTL, 2014 6th round pick) rang up a 19-save shutout of the Big Red and Wild prospect Brandon Duhaime (MIN, 2016 4th round pick), Scott Conway (undrafted), and Josh Wilkins (undrafted) each scored a goal and set up another. For Cornell, it’s the end of the road on their 2018-19 season, finishing with a record of 21-11-4. For Lighting prospect Alex Green, a difficult injury-marred sophomore season comes to a close, with a hopeful look ahead to a bounce-back junior year next season.

The bracket is set for 2019 Men's NCAA Division I Ice Hockey Championship and four Lightning collegiate prospects will be participating.

Freshman Nick Perbix, D, and the top-ranked St. Cloud State Huskies (30-5-3) will play #19 American International (22-16-1) on Friday, March 29 at 7:30 pm ET on ESPN3. The Huskies enter the tournament as the #1 seed in the West Regional to be played at Scheels Arena in Fargo, ND. Freshman Cole Guttman, C, and the #5 ranked Denver Pioneers (22-11-5) will join St. Cloud State in the West Regionals, and will be the #2 seed. The Pioneers will play at 4 pm ET on Friday March 29 against #8 Ohio State (20-10-5) televised on ESPNU.

Sophmore Alex Green, D, and the #10 Cornell Big Red (20-10-4) enter the tournament as the #3 seed in the East Regional and will square off against #6 Northeastern (27-10-1) at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, RI at 4:30 pm ET on Saturday March 30 and televised on ESPNews.

Freshman Cole Koepke, F, and the #4 Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs (25-11-2) will be the Midwest Regional #1 seed and take on #13 Bowling Green (25-10-5) at 4 pm ET on Saturday March 30 at the PPL Center in Allentown, PA and televised on ESPNU.

Regional Final matches (quarterfinals) will be played March 30-31 (ESPNU and ESPN2) with the Frozen Four schedule for April 11 and 13 (ESPN2) at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY.

NCHC Tournament Semifinals – March 22nd @ Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul
Colorado College Tigers 2 vs #1 St. Cloud State Huskies 5
#5 Denver Pioneers 0 vs #4 Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs 3
St. Cloud State and Minnesota-Duluth advance to tournament finals

NCHC Tournament Finals – March 23rd @ Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul
Colorado College Tigers 1 vs #5 Denver Pioneers 6 (consolation)
#4 Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs 3 vs #1 St. Cloud State Huskies 2 (2OT) (championship)
Minnesota-Duluth are the 2019 NCHC Conference Champions

D Nick Perbix, STC: 2 GP, 0-0-0, +2, 4 PIM, 3 SOG
Season Totals: 38 GP, 5-15-20, +25, 16 PIM

F Cole Koepke, UMD: 2 GP, 2-0-2, +2, 0 PIM, 9 SOG
Season Totals: 38 GP, 7-10-17, +9, 14 PIM

F Cole Guttman, DEN: 2 GP, 0-0-0, -1, 0 PIM, 4 SOG, 17/33 FO
Season Totals: 38 GP, 12-11-22, +14, 18 PIM

The 2019 NCHC Frozen Faceoff featured Lightning prospects on three of the four represented teams, all ranked in the Top-5 by the USCHO.

On Friday night, the top-ranked Huskies cruised to a berth in Saturday’s finals handily dispensing with the Tigers after St. Cloud reeled off four-straight goals. Kings prospect David Hrenak (LAK, 2018 5th round pick) made 31-saves, allowing just a pair of power plays, and Patrick Newell (undrafted) leading the way for the Huskies with a goal and an assist.

In the other semifinal match, UMD goalie Hunter Shepard (undrafted) pitched a 25-save shutout to blank Denver while Bolt prospect Cole Koepke scored twice for the Bulldogs to lead Minnesota-Duluth in the finals berth against St. Cloud State. The two teams played a scoreless first 40 minutes before Koepke wristed the first goal of the game just 42 seconds into 3rd period. Koepke and Louie Roehl (undrafted) both scored empty netters in the last two minutes of the game to put the UMD victory on ice. Koepke also led the game with five shots on goal. Denver netminder and Red Wings prospect Filip Larsson (DET, 2016 6th round pick) allowed just one goal on 31 shots in defeat, but it was one goal too many.

The Pioneers rediscovered their offense Saturday night in the consolation game against cross-state rival Colorado College. Blackhawks prospect Ian Mitchell (CHI, 2017 2nd round pick) and Liam Finlay (undrafted) both scored twice and Devin Cooley (undrafted) allowed just one goal on 22 shots as Denver claimed 3rd place in the conference tourney.

In the finals Saturday night, UMD bested the #1 St. Cloud squad in a dramatic double OT thriller when Wild prospect Nick Swaney (MIN, 2017 7th round pick) fired home the game-winner for the Bulldogs. Both teams scored even-strength in the first, and the both teams added special teams markers in the 3rd – a power play goal by the Huskies and shortie by the Bulldogs – to force the extra sessions. Shepard made 37 saves to give UMD its second conference championship in three years, while Hrenak made 27 saves in defeat.

All three of the teams will certainly earn a berth in the NCAA tournament when the tournament selections will be televised on ESPNU Sunday night, March 24.

*USCHO poll used for rankings