NEWSLETTER
Raise your hand if you were on Team No Sleep with me last night!
In the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four tournament, Blackhawks prospect Wyatt Kaiser and Minnesota-Duluth topped the top-ranked team in the nation, North Dakota, 3-2 in a game that took 142:13 minutes and went into five overtimes. The game set the record for the longest in Men’s Frozen Four tournament history and is the third-longest game in Men’s D-I history.
At 123:54 this is now the longest game in NCAA Championship history and the 5th-longest D-I game ever. https://t.co/yQLrVSJONb
— Eric Hornick (@ehornick) March 28, 2021
It wasn’t without drama as all four of the goals that caused the game to go into overtime in the first place were scored in the third period. Minnesota-Duluth took a 2-0 lead into the final two minutes of the game, but North Dakota was able to score twice with the goalie pulled to send the game into overtime.
This game was inches away from not even coming close to seeing the records it did. In the first overtime, we thought Minnesota-Duluth had won it on a goal from Kobe Roth, but not so fast…
The upset is going on hold!@UMDMensHockey thinks they've beat @UNDmhockey with a Kobe Roth goal in overtime…
But! The review shows that Koby Bender put himself off-side. No goal. We play on. pic.twitter.com/1T5rolzjp0
— Eliteprospects (@eliteprospects) March 28, 2021
Roth was deemed offside on the play and the goal would not count. Hours later, we would find the unlike game-winner.
UMD wins in the 5th OT, the eighth period pic.twitter.com/61z9bcRpvB
— CJ Fogler #BlackLivesMatter (@cjzero) March 28, 2021
With the game-winner from Luke Mylymok, Minnesota-Duluth upset the top-ranked North Dakota squad on their home ice to continue their mission to defend their 2019 National Championship.
It is remarkable how often Minnesota Duluth finds a way. Best postseason team in men's college hockey over the last five years. Fourth-straight Men's Frozen Four for the Bulldogs. Drive for a third straight national title alive (with a 2020 gap year).
— Chris Peters (@chrismpeters) March 28, 2021
Blackhawks 2020 third-round pick Wyatt Kaiser was a defensive regular for the Bulldogs in the overtime periods and looked poised in what might be the most mentally and physically taxing game he’ll ever play.
#Blackhawks prospect Wyatt Kaiser laying the lumber #FrozenFour #CawlidgeHawkey pic.twitter.com/6Avp1yQPzn
— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) March 28, 2021
Minnesota-Duluth will take on UMass on April 8th in the National Semi-Finals taking place at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. Later today, Minnesota takes on Minnesota State and Boston College faces off against St. Cloud State with the other two spots in the Frozen Four on the line.
