LAS VEGAS – Johnny Hicks had been beaten and battered in the NCAA Frozen Four semifinal on Thursday. But he wasn't going to lose.
The undrafted goalie overcame a rough stretch in the first period and a collision in his crease in the third to lead the University of Denver to an epic 4-3 double-overtime win against the University of Michigan a T-Mobile Arena on Thursday.
The winning goal came from Kent Anderson at 12:35 of the second overtime when he drove to the slot and buried a wrist shot through Wolverine goalie Jack Ivankovic's five-hole.
None of it would've happened without Hicks, who made a career-high 49 saves -- including 42 of 43 over the final 67:25 -- to lead Denver, which will face the University of Wisconsin for the national championship here on Saturday (Saturday (5:30 p.m. ESPN2/ESPN+). Wisconsin reached the final with a 2-1 win over North Dakota.
That game turned out to be the undercard with Denver and Michigan staging the main event and Hicks taking an early jab.
He allowed two goals over a 59-second stretch in the first period, leading him to allow three goals for just the second time in his NCAA career.
"I know it's happened many times before, and it's not going to affect me or the team," Hicks said. "We know our job, and we're going to move on from that as fast as we can and get going for the rest of the game."
There was another moment in the third period that showed just how tough and resilient Hicks is. At the 3:53 mark and the game tied 2-2, Michigan forward Malcolm Spence drove hard to the net and crashed into Hicks, who stayed down on the ice for a few moments, but stayed in the game.
"Johnny is tough, a real competitor, obviously wasn't fazed by it," Denver coach David Carle said. "Real proud of him and our team not being fazed by it on the bench."
Another moment that didn't rattle the Pioneers was Michigan's go-ahead goal at 11:02 of the third.
Wolverines forward Jayden Perron, selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the third round (No. 94) of the 2022 NHL Draft, gave Michigan the lead with a shot from outside the right face-off circle.
Clark Caswell responded to tie the game 3-3, roofing a redirection of a Garret Brown centering pass at 17:14.
"Belief never dropped," Caswell said. "We knew we would have to score two or three goals to win the game. We knew from that point he'd save everything and come through."
Hicks did save everything, making 26 saves after the tying goal, which included a season-saving kick save on Garrett Schifsky at 15:37 of overtime.
"I got lucky and stuck my leg out," Hicks said.
Another moment that made Anderson's winner possible.
"I just had a lot of trust," Hicks said. "(Senior defenseman Boston Buckerberer) came up to me a few minutes before and said, 'We got you.' I had no doubt that the group was gonna get one. It was amazing to see Kent Anderson score that goal."
And now the Pioneers are one win away from securing a record 11th NCAA Championship, and if he and the Pioneers are win on Saturday, he would finish the year undefeated (16-0-1).
“He's had an unbelievable run,” Carle said. “Very unfazed by the moment.”
