Frozen Four 2014, Minnesota vs. Union final score: Dutchmen win first national championship

The National Championship was held tonight in Philadelphia and while the two teams playing in it were vastly different, they collided to give us one of the best hockey games of the season. The Minnesota Gophers were hunting for their first national title since their back-to-back run from 2002-2003, but the Union Dutchmen were searching for their first title in school history and that’s clearly the driving force behind the motivation we all saw on the ice Saturday night.

Union had paved an improbable path to the Frozen Four and got into the national championship game with a stunning win over the heavily favored Boston College Eagles. That’s likely what helped them settle into a game where their opponents were again heavily favored to win, but the Dutchmen couldn’t be held down.

It was a see-saw game if we’ve ever seen one, with the Gophers striking first and third and the Dutchmen picking up two early goals as well int h first period. Things got off to a ruckus start as Union managed three unanswered goals to take a 4-2 lead before the Gophers could cut into the lead and make it 4-3.

But the shots kept coming and the chances were converted to goals for the Dutchmen as the 4-3 lead quickly became a 5-3 lead and finally a 7-4 victory.

It’s the first time the Dutchmen have hoisted the national championship and it’s one of the best hockey stories we’ve seen lately. The Frozen Four is built for these kinds of cinderella stories and the Union Dutchmen capturing their first title ever is up there with the best.