Denver cruises past Notre Dame in Frozen Four semifinal

Denver exceeded expectations as the No. 1-ranked team in the country Thursday night, dominating Notre Dame by a final score of 6-1 to reach the Frozen Four championship game.

The Pioneers were far and away the better team wire to wire, and Emil Romig got things started eight minutes into the first with a top-shelf wraparound. Before the opening frame came to a close, Henrik Borgstrom doubled Denver's lead on a perfectly executed 2-on-1 with Hobey Baker finalist Will Butcher.

Tariq Hammond, Dylan Gambrell, and Evan Ritt all scored within four minutes of each other in the second period to extend Denver's lead well beyond reach. Gambrell added his second of the game late in the final period.

Notre Dame's Cam Morrison deflected a Jordan Gross shot on a third-period power play for the team's only goal of the contest.

It's a disappointing finish for the Irish, who were the only team to reach the Frozen Four without a No. 1 seeding in their regional tournament. While Notre Dame managed comebacks in each of their tournament wins, Thursday's result put an emphatic close to its Cinderella run.

Next up, Denver will take on Minnesota-Duluth in the national championship Saturday, seeking its eighth title in program history, and first since 2005.