Frozen Oven 2019: Minnesota Duluth, UMass will compete for a national title. Recap Thursday's hockey action.

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After two intense clashes, the Frozen Four will continue with defending champion Minnesota Duluth facing the Massachusetts newcomer in the national title game. Grant ESPN2 on Saturday, April 13 at 8 pm Eastern Time.

FROZEN FOUR 2019: Timetable, championship info

For a summary of all semi-finals, read on.

Minnesota Duluth vs Providence.

Next is Minnesota Duluth, the contender for the three peat bogs competing for the title of champion. The Bulldogs won a 4-1 semifinal win over the Providence Brothers Thursday at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY to qualify for the Frozen Four Championship game.

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In a slow start to the Frozen Four festivities, fans experienced a first period during which two potential goals were canceled. One for the goalkeeper's interference and the other because the game was already over before the puck crossed the goal line.

The Bulldogs crossed the puck first, well beyond the second period, with a Justin Richards laser in the right-throw circle. Providence reacted soon after, capitalizing on the man's advantage as Josh Wilkins scored his 20th goal of the season.

It is however the only result of the fight of the Brothers, in spite of the numerous attempts of shooting during the third. UMD's Billy Exell scored the goal of the end of the game to drop the goal to score a rebound. From there, Providence's efforts to gain momentum by shooting his goalkeeper to the additional striker turned against him, while the UMD added two more scores to the empty net.

UMass vs. Denver

In what ended up being the flagship event, Massachusetts continued its impressive season with a 4-3 overtime victory over Denver.

The second game of the evening had a wild start, calmed down for about a half period, and later we had a memorable ending. Denver jumped quickly and got the first score on a 5-on-4 power play after Niko Hildenbrand of UMass was hit on the ground for head contact and a match foul. Advantage, pioneers. Not for long, though. UMass was quickly found on the power play with consecutive minor penalties imposed on Denver. In less than 30 seconds, the Minutemen scored goals from Bobby Trivigno and Mitchell Chaffee on the power play, both scoring 5 to 3. Then, eighteen seconds later and still on a record score, John Leonard hit another with an instant 5-on-4 goal.

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The second frame, in comparison, was a tame affair. The goals were 9-7 in Denver's favor, and the Pioneers also won 10 face-offs, as opposed to five for UMass. Despite this, Denver has not been able to find the back of the net and narrow the score gap. Striker Mitchell Chaffee, major of the UMass, played for five minutes for a touch with the head. A game foul ended the frame and allowed Denver to take advantage of a one-minute numerical advantage to start the third.

The third period started with Massachusetts leading, 3-1. The Minutemen had a good grip on the puck and certainly had the end of the game within their reach. Enter, Denver – a team with its season on the line. The Pioneers saw two power play opportunities, but it was only when UMass regained all its power that Cole Guttman scored Denver's first goal in almost 40 minutes on a shot that slipped on Lindberg's right shoulder. Less than four minutes later – and less than four minutes into the match – it was again Guttman sneaking through Lindberg's lap. Draw. With a rebound of fire, Denver controlled the puck in the final minutes, outshooting UMass 15-4 and almost scoring on an enveloping pass with seconds to go. The time has expired though, and the game has led to overtime.

FOLLOW ALONG: Schedule, results, live blog for the tournament

The overtime period was one of the best-matched hockey games, with the Minutemen and Pioneers exchanging their possessions and shots worthy of inspiration. In the end, it's Marc Del Gaizo with a shot hit that misses the Larsson glove.

Massachusetts qualify for their first-ever title game and face defending champion Minnesota Duluth in the championship game Saturday at 8 pm EST.

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