Denver beats Wisconsin 2-1 for 11th national title, 3rd in 5 years

Freshman goalie Johnny Hicks leads Pioneers to victory with another stellar performance.

Apr. 12, 2026 at 3:22pm

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A dynamic, geometric painting in shades of blue, green, and white, with fragmented shapes and planes representing the fast-paced action of a college hockey championship match.A fractured, cubist-inspired illustration captures the raw energy and competitive spirit of the college hockey national championship game.Denver Today

The Denver Pioneers defeated the Wisconsin Badgers 2-1 to win their 11th national championship in college hockey, their third title in the last five years. Freshman goaltender Johnny Hicks made 29 saves to lead the Pioneers to victory, continuing his dominant postseason run. Kyle Chyzowski scored the game-winning goal for Denver in the third period.

Why it matters

This victory extends Denver's record for most national titles in college hockey history and denies Wisconsin its seventh championship. The win also continues the dominance of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, which has now claimed 8 of the last 10 national titles.

The details

Denver trailed 1-0 after Wisconsin's Vasily Zelenov scored in the first period, but the Pioneers rallied in the third. Rieger Lorenz tied the game early in the period, and then Chyzowski tipped in the game-winner with 5:52 left. Hicks was stellar in net, continuing his undefeated streak since taking over as the starter. Denver blocked 31 shots on the night to support their freshman goaltender.

  • Denver won the national championship on April 12, 2026.
  • This was Denver's 11th national title overall and their 3rd in the last 5 years.

The players

Johnny Hicks

The freshman goaltender for the Denver Pioneers, who was named the Most Outstanding Player after making 29 saves in the championship game. Hicks has been dominant in the postseason, going 16-0-1 since taking over as the starter.

Kyle Chyzowski

The Denver forward who scored the game-winning goal in the third period to lead the Pioneers to the national championship.

David Carle

The head coach of the Denver Pioneers, who praised his team's commitment and investment in the hockey program, saying Denver proves that a smaller school can still achieve greatness in the sport.

Kent Anderson

The Denver Pioneers captain, who credited goaltender Johnny Hicks as the key reason they were able to win the national title.

Mike Hastings

The head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers, who was disappointed that his team couldn't get a second goal to extend their lead after taking an early 1-0 advantage.

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What they’re saying

“I'm so happy that we could get it done with this group. We've gone through so much adversity, and I'm just so proud of this group.”

— Johnny Hicks, Denver Pioneers Goaltender

“Johnny Hicks is unbelievable. He's undefeated. We couldn't have done any of this without him. Tonight our group stuck with it, they believed in each other. Hickey was there for us every step of the way. He kept us in it. Just waited for us to score. Eventually we did.”

— Kent Anderson, Denver Pioneers Captain

“We needed, in my opinion, to get it to two. We just couldn't do that.”

— Mike Hastings, Wisconsin Badgers Head Coach

What’s next

The Denver Pioneers will look to defend their national championship next season as they aim for their 12th title in program history.

The takeaway

Denver's victory over Wisconsin demonstrates the continued excellence of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, which has now produced 8 of the last 10 national champions. The Pioneers' success is a testament to their commitment to their hockey program and the ability of smaller schools to compete at the highest level in college sports.