YellowknifeSA国际影视传媒檚 Jack Works and the Denver University Pioneers are in the NCAA MenSA国际影视传媒檚 Hockey Tournament field, which is a good sign.

But they wanted to go into it as champions of their conference, which they wonSA国际影视传媒檛 have the chance to do.

The Pioneers were the top seed in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Frozen Faceoff playoff tournament this past weekend but fell in the semifinal to the University of Minnesota-Duluth on Saturday by a score of 2-0.

It wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 for a lack of trying, said Works, who didnSA国际影视传媒檛 play in the semifinal SA国际影视传媒� they just ran into a brick wall at the worst time.

SA国际影视传媒淭hey scored on us early and they just shut us down defensively,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淭hey got the empty-netter (in the third period) and that was it.SA国际影视传媒�

It was a tough pill to swallow for the Pioneers, he added, with the confidence in the locker room being high going into the game.

SA国际影视传媒淲e felt really good but we came out slow and they made us pay for it,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲e just left it too late.SA国际影视传媒�

The Pioneers started the Frozen Faceoff by taking on the University of Miami-Ohio in a best-of-three quarter-final the week before and swept them aside in two straight, winning Games 1 and 2 by score of 5-1 and 5-2 respectively.

This was also the first time Works had experienced playoff college hockey in the U.S., which is much different than what he would have had playing junior with the Okotoks Oilers of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 the first time playing one-and-done instead of a best-of-seven,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚t wouldSA国际影视传媒檝e been great to win the tournament and go in (to the NCAA tournament) with some confidence but we just have to regroup and get ready for the regional.SA国际影视传媒�

That regional is the Loveland Regional in Loveland, Colorado and Denver will be the top seed in that bracket as well. TheySA国际影视传媒檒l have a semifinal against UMass-Lowell from Massachusetts on Thursday evening and, like the Frozen Faceoff, itSA国际影视传媒檚 a must-win game in order to move on. If they overcome that, thereSA国际影视传媒檚 the potential of a rematch with Minnesota-Duluth as theySA国际影视传媒檒l be in the other semifinal versus Michigan Tech. The final happens on Saturday.

SA国际影视传媒淚t would be nice to get another shot at Minnesota-Duluth but weSA国际影视传媒檙e not fussy who we play,SA国际影视传媒� said Works.

The winner of each of the four regional tournaments will advance to the Frozen Four in Boston, which begins on April 7. Denver last won the national championship in 2017.