"We Belong in this Frozen Four. That’s For Sure.”

On Michigan's unlikely journey to a third consecutive Frozen Four and newfound identity as the most experienced team in St. Paul

On February 17th in State College, PA, the University of Michigan men’s hockey team—one week removed from being swept by Michigan State and relinquishing the Iron D Trophy for the first time since 2016—lost 4-2 to Penn State.  The loss pushed Michigan out of an NCAA Tournament position in the Pairwise.

On Thursday night at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, officially scheduled for 7:30 central, though unlikely to begin before nine Eastern because of the Boston University-Denver opener, the Wolverines will play Boston College for a place in the national championship game.

“It’s definitely crazy to look back, and one month ago we were worried about making the tournament itself, and then now, we’re in the Frozen Four,” said junior defenseman Ethan Edwards last week.  “Mindset I don’t think changes much.  I think we were confident throughout the year in what we can do.  I think just execution has been at the next level and that builds into our confidence now.  We’re a super confident group going into the Frozen Four.”

On March 23rd in East Lansing—not quite to 11 PM local time—Michigan knelt around the net in what had been its defensive zone until moments earlier, watching State celebrate its Big Ten Tournament crown 200 feet away.  Eight days ago in suburban St. Louis, the Wolverines romped through the Spartans with a four-goal third period, clinching their third successive Frozen Four appearance.  They sang Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten” (a song released the same year freshman forward Nick Moldenhauer, who starred in the team’s karaoke efforts, was born) together in the dressing room to celebrate.

“It puts a pit in your stomach,” said captain Jacob Truscott of watching the Spartans celebrate, before turning to one of the most oft repeated aphorisms of his coach Brandon Naurato, speaking to the essential role of suffering on the way to success:  

“I think it’s good to go through pain,” Truscott continued.  “I think it really helped us out.  Watching them celebrate—it’s definitely hard, but it motivates us a lot.  And we got to work that next week, and as soon as we saw them on our schedule, the guys were pumped up, but they’re just another team on our way.  It felt good beating State, but at the end of the day, it’s just another team we gotta go through.  I’m proud of the guys of how they responded and how motivated they were to beat that team.”

“100%,” it was sweeter to clinch that Frozen Four trip against Michigan State, said sophomore center Frank Nazar III, as if the question hardly needed to be asked.  “It always feels good to beat State, especially in that manner and end their season.  They’re a great team.  They had a great season, and they had a lot to be proud of.  But we wanted it really bad, especially after losing in overtime.”

Boston College enters Thursday’s national semifinal driven by three freshman (Ryan Leonard, Gabe Perreault, and Will Smith) and a sophomore (Cutter Gauthier)—all of them first round draft picks.  The Eagles, who have enjoyed a dominant season and won both the Hockey East’s regular season and tournament titles, are a team built on the fear their firepower inspires.  It all sounds a bit familiar.

“We see similarities to what we’ve gone through and experienced,” said Naurato of BC.  “You know what works and what you need to stay away from, so I think we have a good game plan.”  And in that sentiment, Naurato alludes to a new identity this year’s Frozen Four run has brought to the Wolverines—that of the experienced team.  

For three Wolverines (Edwards, Dylan Duke, and Mark Estapa), Thursday will represent their third Frozen Four game.  Jacob Truscott played against Denver in 2022 but was injured and unavailable last year in Tampa.  Steven Holtz, Philippe Lapointe, and Noah West were on the roster against Denver but did not appear.  Last season against Quinnipiac, Seamus Casey, Luca Fantilli, Gavin Brindley, T.J. Hughes, Rutger McGroarty, and Nazar all featured in the season-ending defeat.

BC has one player with Frozen Four experience: Jamie Armstrong, who arrived this year in Chestnut Hill as a graduate transfer from BU, where he lost against Minnesota in a national semifinal in Tampa a year ago.

What exactly is that Frozen Four experience worth?  According to Edwards and Truscott, it should help Michigan out to a fast start.

“That first period is huge in that first game,” said Truscott. “ I think with all the experience we have here and guys have been here and know what to expect in that first period right off the get go.”

“Very high pressure game and a lot of eyes, so I think it’s just calming the nerves and playing our game,” added Edwards.  “I think we’ll be able to maybe get to our game earlier than they will without having to shake off any of the nerves.”

Marshall Warren, who joined the Wolverines as a graduate transfer from BC, has no Frozen Four experience, like the Eagle teammates he left behind.  He also has every reason to be focused on the emotion of the stage awaiting him Thursday, but, at least according to Truscott, he too has narrowed his vision onto starting strong.

“I’m roommates with him on the road, so we talked about it after we won, and I think he’s pretty pumped up,” Truscott said of Warren.  “He knows a lot of those guys, but at the end of the day, that’s the enemy.  He’s excited to play ‘em, and I’m happy he gets a chance to play against his old team and beat them…He hasn’t really said a ton.  I think he’s just set on that first period.”

Michigan trailed after the first period against both Denver and Quinnipiac.  To overcome its national semifinal roadblock, a strong start against the Eagles would go a long way.  The Wolverines’ belief that they will get that start comports with a confidence that neither the February loss in Happy Valley nor four consecutive losses to MSU could shake.

“We’ve always been a good team,” said Naurato.  “The record wouldn’t indicate that with the injuries and then not getting things done in the third period whether you’re up or down a goal.  It’s just the belief in there and how close they are.  They believe they can do it, and now they feel like there’s no way it doesn’t happen, so when they go out, they’re just making it work.  It’s the confidence within the group and the leadership.”

“I’ve had no doubt all year that we’re a top team,” added Truscott.  “Just because we’re the ten-seed doesn’t mean we’re not one of the best teams…We’ve already beat four and five, and I’ve known all year that we’re a top seed.  There’s no doubt in my mind that we were gonna get here, and I think just from the get go, we can compete with all those teams.”

“We love it,” offered Edwards, asked about being the one non-one seed heading to St. Paul.  “Michigan vs. Everyone.  That’s a key thing in our locker room.  We’ve been here before, so we don’t really feel like the underdog.  We feel like we’ve earned it all season, maybe a little bit more ups and downs than previous years, but we belong in this Frozen Four.  That’s for sure.”

That confidence doesn’t mean U-M fails to respect the anomaly that is three straight Frozen Fours and the luck inherent in such an achievement.  “We’re extremely fortunate,” said Naurato.  “It’s really, really hard to do.  I’ve been blessed since I’ve been here to do it three out of three years, and it’s not always about having the best team.  It’s getting some bounces, a little luck, and then earning your opportunity.  We appreciate what we’ve done, but I don’t know if it’s truly hit us.”

On Thursday night against BC, both the Wolverines’ confidence and their good fortune will be tested.  If it’s true that it takes experience to win a title, Michigan will enter the night with the upper hand.

Odds & Ends:

Two quick notes before wrapping for today with more to follow before puck drop Thursday night:

-The biggest revelation to come from Naurato’s pre-Frozen Four press availability last week was the news that Seamus Casey, who was unable to finish the Wolverines’ first round game against North Dakota and missed their second round game against MSU, will be available Thursday.

When asked the likelihood of him dressing, Naurato replied “100%.”  To be clear, that response is not the same as saying Casey feels 100%, but his presence alone will be a massive lift to the Wolverines.  “Super proud of the D corps, everyone in general, just for stepping up with him out,” added Naurato.  “Obviously, he’s a huge part of our team.  To get him back is exciting.”

Edwards referred to Casey as a “big piece,” while saying that in his absence, “Ice time goes up, so responsibility goes up as well.  I think from top to bottom we did a really good job at managing that ice time and playing a hard, simple game.”

The one area where Casey’s absence was most conspicuous against MSU was the power play.  Michigan went 1-5 without Casey available as quarterback, hardly a poor effort but beneath the 34.5% standard the Wolverines established over the season.  

There are many things that work well about the Michigan PP, but near the top of that list is the Wolverines’ collective ability to move the puck around the offensive zone while seeking out and creating vulnerabilities in the opposing PK.  Casey—with his poise, vision, and puck-handling—is instrumental to that process, factoring in on 23 of the Wolverines’ 50 power play goals this season.

Even setting aside the power play, Casey has a strong claim to being the Wolverines’ best skater this season, and his presence should provide an enormous boost against BC.

-The Friday before last, we covered the news from a U-M regents meeting of Denise Ilitch initiating a formal process toward upgrading the Michigan women’s team from club to varsity status.

At his press availability last Wednesday, Naurato expressed his formal support for that process, saying “I think it’s awesome.  They have to do a feasibility study to see if they can do it.  I think it’d be great.  I think Jenna’s done a really good job of trying to promote them.  I know the uphill battle that she probably has.  I think it would be great for women and youth hockey in Michigan.”

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