Twitter/@GopherHockey Minnesota Golden Gophers goalie Jack LaFontaine.
The top-seeded Minnesota Golden Gophers will meet the fourth-seeded Omaha Mavericks in the West Regional semifinals of the NCAA Division I men’s hockey tournament on Saturday at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, CO.
The game starts at 9 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPNU. But if you don’t have cable, here are several different ways you can watch a live stream of Minnesota vs Omaha online for free.
With all the following options you’ll also be able to watch the Regional Championship games (ESPN2 or ESPNU), the Frozen Four games (ESPN2) and the national championship (ESPN or ESPN2):
Note: Heavy may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up via a link on this page
FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews and 130-plus other TV channels on FuboTV. ESPN and ESPN2 are included in the main channel package, while ESPNU and ESPNews are in the “Sports Plus” add-on. Both can be included in your free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch Minnesota vs Omaha live on the FuboTV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the FuboTV website.
You can also watch the game live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a TV provider to watch this way, but you can use your Fubo credentials to do that.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV also comes with 250 hours of cloud DVR space.
AT&T TV
AT&T TV has four different channel packages: “Entertainment”, “Choice”, “Ultimate” and “Premier.” ESPN and ESPN2 are all included in every package, while ESPNU and ESPNews are in the “Choice” and above bundles, but you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free 14-day trial.
Note that the free trial isn’t advertised as such, but your “due today” amount will be $0 when signing up. If you watch on your computer, phone or tablet, you won’t be charged for 14 days. If you watch on a streaming device on your TV (Roku, Fire Stick, Apple TV, etc.), you will be charged for the first month, but you can get still get a full refund if you cancel before 14 days:
Once signed up for AT&T TV, you can watch Minnesota vs Omaha live on the AT&T TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung Smart TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the AT&T TV website.
You can also watch the game live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a TV provider to watch this way, but you can use your AT&T TV credentials to do that.
If you can’t watch live, AT&T TV also comes with 20 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to 500 hours).
Sling TV
ESPN and ESPN2 are include in Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” bundle, while ESPNU and ESPNews are in the “Sports Extra” add-on. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but it’s the cheapest long-term streaming service with the ESPN channels, plus you can get $10 off your first month, and get Showtime, Starz and Epix included for free:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch Minnesota vs Omaha live on the Sling TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Android TV, airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Sling TV website.
You can also watch the game live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a TV provider to watch this way, but you can use your Sling credentials to do that.
If you can’t watch live, Sling TV comes included with 50 hours of cloud DVR.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which you can try out for free with a seven-day trial:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch Minnesota vs Omaha live on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
You can also watch the game live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a TV provider to watch this way, but you can use your Hulu credentials to do that.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu with Live TV also comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
Minnesota vs Omaha Preview
The Golden Gophers bested the Wisconsin Badgers 6-4 in the Big Ten Tournament title game on March 16 to punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
Gophers junior forward Blake McLaughlin scored 2 goals and added as many assists. Senior goaltender Jack LaFontaine came up with 46 stops.
“I couldn’t be more proud of our guys,” Minnesota head coach Bob Motzko said, according to the Detroit Lakes Tribune. “I’m telling you, three games in three nights, they don’t do that in the National Hockey League and you rarely do it in college hockey. We couldn’t have played any better the entire weekend. We ran out of a little gas in the third and there were a couple mental mistakes, but overall I think we came in here and earned that championship.”
LaFontaine, a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award and the Richter Award, ranks second in the nation in save percentage (.936) and third in goals-against average (1.74).
Minnesota junior forward Sampo Ranta’s 18 goals are tied for second in the country.
The Gophers are seeking their sixth national championship and first since 2003, when they claimed the second of consecutive titles.
“This program, it’s expected here,” Motzko said on Sunday, according to USCHO. “We knew we’d get back there. We’re there, really that’s really all that matters, we’re there now and we earned our way in. We’re excited, we are excited to be there. None of our guys have been there. The senior class, they get to hang a banner and now they get to get in the NCAA tournament and all you hope is you’re just playing your best when you get in that thing.”
The Mavericks bowed out of the NCHC playoffs in the first round, falling to the Denver Pioneers 5-4. Eight days later, they learned their season wasn’t over yet with the announcement of the NCAA Tournament field. They’ve reached the Frozen Four just once, in 2015, when they fell to the Providence Friars 4-1 in the semifinals.
The Omaha attack is led by junior forward Taylor Ward. He’s scored 11 times across 25 contests, tied for 32nd in the nation.
“Lots of nervous energy, I think, all of last week leading up to (the regional first-round pairings being announced), where you’re kind of on pins and needles a little bit, but the guys were excited,” Omaha head coach Mike Gabinet said, per USCHO.
“You could tell that this is a group that wants to play. This isn’t a group that is just happy being a good team. They want to play the game, and those are the types of guys that we recruited here, and those are the types of guys you want playing.”