Panthers prospects will go head-to-head for a chance to play for an NCAA championship when Michigan and Denver face off in the Frozen Four national semifinals at TD Garden in Boston on Thursday.
In a battle of No. 1 seeds, defenseman Mike Benning, a fourth-round pick of the Panthers in 2020, will man the blue line for the Pioneers, while forward Mackie Samoskevich, who was taken by the Panthers with the 24th overall pick in 2021, will lace up his skates for Michigan.
PROSPECTS: Samoskevich, Benning set to battle in NCAA's Frozen Four
With puck drop set for 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2, the winner will face the winner of Thursday's other semifinal between No. 1-seed Minnesota State and No. 2-seed Minnesota for the championship.
"It's a special team," Samoskevich said. "This is kind of what we envisioned at the start of the year and where we hoped to be. It was a long year with a lot of ups and downs, and I think we handled those ups and downs really well. We've done just such a good job with so many different things and the adversity we've gone through. We're firing on all cylinders right now."
Looking to capture their first NCAA title since 1998, the Wolverines entered the tournament as the No. 1 overall seed. Owning a record of 31-9-1, they boast the third-highest scoring offense in the country (4.02 goals per game) and the ninth-best defense (2.22 goals allowed per game).
Setting an NCAA record for most first-round draft picks on a single roster, Samoskevich is one seven former first-round selections on Michigan. That loaded group of talent also includes the top-two draft picks in 2021: Buffalo's Owen Power (No. 1) and Seattle's Matty Beniers (No. 2).
Fifth in scoring among Wolverines forwards, Samoskevich registered 29 points (10 goals, 19 assists) in 39 games during his freshman campaign, including a three-game span from Jan. 28 through Feb. 11 in which he complied seven points (two goals, five assists) in just three games.
After winning the Big Ten, Michigan opened the tournament with a 5-3 win over No. 4-seed American International College before beating No. 2-seed Quinnipiac 7-4 in the second round.
"I'm super excited," Samoskevich said of being drafted. "Florida is a great spot. I watched them a ton this year. It's definitely a fun team to watch, and a team I'm looking forward to playing for."
While the Wolverines have won a record nine NCAA championships, the Pioneers are nipping at their heels with eight of their own. With the more recent success among the two programs at the tournament, Denver won it all back in 2017, and then returned to the Frozen Four in 2019.
Looking to make their 12th appearance in the NCAA championship game, the Pioneers, who have made the Frozen Four in four of the last seven seasons, own a 29-9-1 record this season and opened the tournament with victories over No. 4-seed UMass Lowell (3-2) and No. 2-seed Minnesota Duluth (2-1).
Playing an exciting brand of hockey, Denver leads the country in goals per game with 4.28.
Supporting that lethal attack from the back end, Benning led all Pioneers defensemen in scoring with a career-high 34 points (14 goals, 20 assists) in 39 games during his sophomore campaign.
Benning, the son of former Panthers blueliner Brian Benning, really kicked his game up a notch down the home stretch, producing 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in his last eight outings.
"For me as a player, I think I'm an offensive defenseman," Benning said of his dynamic playstyle shortly after being drafted. "I'm a puck-moving guy. I can create a lot of stuff offensively, especially on the power play. … A lot of energy in me, too. I like to get the boys fired up."
Unfamiliar foes, this will be the first meeting between Denver and Michigan since the two historic clubs clashed in the NCAA quarterfinals all the way back on March 23, 2002 - a game that the Wolverines took a by score of 5-3 within the friendly confines of Ann Arbor, Michigan.
With puck drop for the NCAA championship game slated for Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2, the good news is that the Panthers will have at least one prospect on the ice in that contest.
Who will it be?
You'll have to check out this afternoon's matchup to find out.
