Denver continues reign over college hockey, shuts out Boston College for Frozen Four title

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Before David Carle entered a raucous dressing room Saturday night, the party had already started.

There was a group circle and a popular University of Denver chant. There was some singing and dancing. Players alternated between yelling, “Party!” and Matty!“ after goalie Matt Davis, the unmistakeable MVP who had had the game of his life in shutting out top-seed Boston College. They raised the national championship trophy, which was theirs again for the second time in three years, and college hockey’s most with 10 overall.

Then Carle delivered the mic drop.

The 34-year-old has been on a heater, with two national titles and a recent world junior gold. And Carle’s group had just beaten blue blood programs Boston University and Boston College during this Frozen Four to give them one more title than Michigan (nine).

“You’ll walk together forever,” Carle told the team. “One last thing: it’s indisputable. We’ve got the (f—ing) belt now. Nobody can (f—ing) argue. We’re the best program in college hockey.”

It’s hard to argue.

David Carle tells his team they’ve got the “belt” now. “We’re the best program in college hockey.” Hard to argue. Ten titles. pic.twitter.com/eKnpVPWVsU

— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) April 14, 2024

The Pioneers have been to five of the last nine Frozen Fours, with three titles in the last seven. And to get this one, they handed a high-powered Eagles team a 2-0 loss, their first in 16 games and first shutout of the season. The nation’s most dangerous line of Gabe Perreault-Will Smith-Ryan Leonard was held off the scoresheet for the first time this year, and even split up midway through the third. They had outscored their last five NCAA Tournament opponents 29-8.

Carle said a key was controlling the middle of the ice, “making them play through us.” It started with the offensive zone, slowing how the Eagles broke the puck out and transitioned out of their end. By the third, the Eagles had adjusted in chipping and dumping the puck in, but it was too late. And Davis shut the door.

“They’re a team that keeps you on your heels,” Carle said. “If you play on your heels, you’re playing with fire. You have to find a way to skate forward and angles and stay on your toes and disrupt them and make them uncomfortable. I thought we did that well the first two periods. And the third period was Matt Davis’ show.

The frustration of the Eagles could be seen during the game and heard…