MANCHESTER, N.H. – Denver does it again.

For a second straight year and in a rematch of last year’s national championship, the top-seeded Boston College men’s hockey team saw its title dreams halted by the Pioneers – this time a 3-1 loss in the NCAA Tournament’s Manchester Regional final at SNHU Arena Sunday night.

Much of the first and third periods saw the Eagles threaten with a barrage of quality looks, including a late charge down by a goal with an empty net in the final two minutes.

Denver’s Matt Davis continued his NCAA Tournament heroics in net, though, remaining unbeaten with a 35-save outing to limit BC to just Teddy Stiga’s breakaway goal late in the second period. He’s now allowed just three goals in six NCAA Tournament starts.

The defending-champion Pioneers advance to their sixth Frozen Four since 2016 as a result, set to play Western Michigan in St. Louis on April 10. BC’s season ends once again to Denver, falling to 1-5 against it in the NCAA Tournament all time.

Boston College came out of the gate strong, preventing Denver’s potent power play from capitalizing in the first period before shutting down the Pioneers’ 5-on-5 attack for much of the second part of the frame. The Eagles’ own power play within that stretch produced a three-shot frenzy on Davis in front, though the senior didn’t allow a goal in an 11-save first period.

Eric Pohlkamp rewarded him with a 1-0 lead with 1:41 left in the first, sniping a goal that banked off the far post past Jacob Fowler (27 saves). Denver doubled the lead in the second period less than three minutes into the second period on a goal from James Reeder.

Stiga got a breakaway in the final minute of the second period and potted it to snap 99 consecutive scoreless minutes from Davis against BC, which awoke a lifeless crowd. But despite a 15-shot charge in the third period in an effort to tie things up, Davis held strong and Manchester Regional’s most outstanding player Zeev Buium added an empty-net goal with 4.4 seconds left.