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Only four teams remain in the 2018 D1 Men’s Ice Hockey Championship, with only two more wins separating those teams from a national title. The Frozen Four is perennially one of the most entertaining events in sports, and this year’s edition should be no different.
Ohio State vs Minnesota Duluth is Thursday at 6 p.m. ET and will be on ESPN2, Notre Dame vs. Michigan is Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET and will be on ESPN2, and the national championship is Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be on ESPN. If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can watch all of the action live on your computer, phone or other streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
Hulu With Live TV: In addition to their extensive Netflix-like streaming library, Hulu now also offers a bundle of live channels, including both ESPN and ESPN2. You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the games on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Hulu app.
DirecTV Now: ESPN and ESPN2 are both included in all of DirecTV Now’s four main channel packages. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial no matter what package you choose, plus you can get an Amazon Fire TV if you prepay two months. Once signed up, you can watch the games live on your computer via the DirecTV Now website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the DirecTV Now app.
Sling TV: ESPN and ESPN2 are included in the “Sling Orange” channel package. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial, and you can then watch the games live on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling TV app.
Note: You can also watch the games on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the WatchESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a TV provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have cable, you can use your Hulu, DirecTV Now or Sling TV credentials to do that.
Preview
The first national semifinal pits Ohio State against Minnesota Duluth in a rematch of last year’s first-round matchup, which saw the Bulldogs advance with a 3-2 overtime win. Despite that result, though, the Buckeyes were arguably the better team for the second and third periods of that game, out-scoring Minnesota Duluth by two goals to force overtime after falling to an early deficit.
“Last year, we were on the edge, we needed to be the last team in and we hadn’t been (to the tournament) in a while as a program,” OSU head coach Steve Rohlik said. “Certainly, we knew we were going against one of the best teams in the country at the time. They were definitely the better team, and we were kind of on our heels a little bit and fell behind, but I think as the game went on a second or third period, I thought we played pretty well.”
Now, the Buckeyes enter as the favorite. The No. 4 overall seed, they dispatched of Princeton an defending national champions Denver by a combined score of 9-3 to advance to their first Frozen Four since 1998.
Minnesota Duluth, meanwhile, are back to the semis after advancing to the national championship a year ago. After going 23-16-3 during the regular season, the Bulldogs put together close wins over Minnesota State and Air Force to advance to this stage.
In the second semifinal, Notre Dame will take on Michigan. Though the Wolverines have the most Frozen Four appearances (25, tied with Boston College) and national titles (nine), they are comfortable playing the role of underdog.
“Obviously, we’re the underdog in the tournament and we’re just happy to be there, and it’s bonus hockey for us now, but it’s been a great week in Michigan,” Wolverines head coach Mel Pearson said.
Notre Dame, the second overall seed in the tournament, survived an overtime scare against upset-minded Michigan Tech in the first round then got a late goal from Dylan Malmquist to take down Providence, 2-1.