YellowknifeSA国际影视传媒檚 Jack Works and the Denver University Pioneers will be going to the Frozen Four in Boston after all.

They just had to take the long road to do it.

The Pioneers advanced to the NCAA menSA国际影视传媒檚 hockey championship by virtue of winning the West Regional playoff in Loveland, Colorado this past Saturday. They did so by beating the University of Minnesota-Duluth (UMD) 2-1 in the final to book their place in the national championship playoff.

Works didnSA国际影视传媒檛 play in the final but he watched the whole thing and said it was a nail-biter.

SA国际影视传媒淭hey got one early on us. We tied it later in the first (period) and we got one late in the third to pull ahead,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

It was a bit of revenge as UMD beat Denver in the semifinal of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference Frozen Faceoff playoff tournament a week earlier in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Works said they werenSA国际影视传媒檛 going to let that happen again.

SA国际影视传媒淭he arena was packed, lots of Denver chants and just really cool to look around and take it all in,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淭he guys were on their game and we werenSA国际影视传媒檛 going to lose to them again.SA国际影视传媒�

The Pioneers reached the regional final by beating UMass-Lowell in the semifinal two nights earlier in another tight affair, 3-2. Just like the final, the Pioneers scored late in the third period to survive.

Works and company will be leaving for Boston next Tuesday to prepare for their national semifinal against the University of Michigan, which is set for April 7. The winner of that contest will take on the winner of Minnesota vs. Minnesota State for the national championship on April 9.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e expecting to go out and win it all,SA国际影视传媒� said Works. SA国际影视传媒淒enver is a school where success in hockey is expected because of the history behind it SA国际影视传媒� not making it to Boston would have been a huge disappointment.SA国际影视传媒�

This is DenverSA国际影视传媒檚 fourth trip to the Frozen Four in the last five years and itSA国际影视传媒檚 the first time Works, whoSA国际影视传媒檚 in his freshman year, will get to experience what itSA国际影视传媒檚 all about.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 really cool to be a part of it,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚 never thought I would get to do something like this so soon and everyone around the campus is excited. WeSA国际影视传媒檝e had students and professors coming up to us and congratulating us, and our fans who come to watch us have been awesome as well.SA国际影视传媒�

WorksSA国际影视传媒� parents, Greg and Kathy, will be making the trip from Nova Scotia for the weekend and he said he canSA国际影视传媒檛 wait to see them again.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 about a 10-hour drive for them but theySA国际影视传媒檒l be there,SA国际影视传媒� he said.