As UConn men’s hockey made its run in the Hockey East Playoffs, it faced a champion each step of the way. In the quarterfinals, the Huskies beat Boston University, who claimed the 2022 Beanpot. In the semis, they took down Northeastern, winners of the 2022 Hockey East regular season.
But to become champions themselves, UConn needed to go through UMass — not only the defending Hockey East Playoff champions but also defending national champions.
The Minutemen were as experienced as they come in the postseason. Entering the title game on Saturday, they had won their last nine playoff games.