Denver’s consecutive titles mark the eighth repeat in college hockey history, a feat the Pioneers had previously accomplished in 1960-61 and 1968-69. With the wins, Denver also closed the season on a nine-game winning streak.

Denver took the 1-0 lead in the first, when a Kevin Ulanski shot toward the net deflected off a skate, then Jeff Drummond’s stick, on the way into the net. North Dakota tied it up less than four minutes later, when New Jersey Devils draft pick Travis Zajac deflected a puck under his legs past Mannino on the power play.

Then Stastny took over. He was fighting for position in front of the net on the power play, when an Ulanski shot hit Stastny in the rear end and went in. “If that thing hadn’t been tipped, it probably would have been 10 feet wide,” Ulanski told USCHO. “Thank God Stastny’s got a big butt.”

He made a nice move in the third period to give the Pioneers the 3-1 lead, and Gabe Gauthier sealed the game with an empty-netter. Stastny was credited with an assist on the final goal.

Despite Stastny’s offensive performance, the story of the game was Mannino. He made many spectacular saves through traffic, on deflections, and in outnumbered situations. On one play, he made a glove save on the goal line, which was indeed ruled a save after a lengthy video review.

Denver blew out Colorado College in their semifinal 6-2. They kept Hobey Baker Award winner Marty Sertich and finalist Brett Sterling off the score sheet and got another 40-plus save performance from Mannino. Gauthier and Luke Fulghum each had a pair of goals for the Pioneers, and defenseman Luke Skinner had four assists.