David Carle’s Denver Pioneers won the race to 10.

College hockey’s most decorated program, No. 3 Denver became the first to win 10 NCAA championships with a 2-0 win over No. 1 Boston College Saturday night in St. Paul, Minn.

It is DU’s second national title in three years and the Pios’ fifth this century. They broke a tie with Michigan for the most titles all-time.

“There's a lot of great college hockey programs,” Carle said. “It's a really hard event to win. And obviously the nine title teams prior to (this) went through a huge lift to get us here. But we certainly try and attract people that want to be a part of something bigger than themselves.”

Carle specifically mentioned former DU chancellor Dan Ritchie as one of the pioneers (no pun intended) in bringing all of the university’s athletic programs to the forefront of their respective sports.

“He brought everybody to Division I in our athletic department in 1999, built the Ritchie Center, and I think it's so special that he got to be here to experience this because in his wildest dreams, (and) he's got a high standard, but I don't know if he would have dreamed of five championships since that building was built and being the first to 10,” Carle said. “We owe so much to the people who came before us, and we're so proud to be Pioneers and carry that honor of being the first to 10.”

NCAA Denver Boston College Hockey

Denver poses with the championship trophy after defeating Boston College in the championship game of the Frozen Four NCAA college hockey tournament Saturday, April 13, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. Denver won 2-0 to win the national championship. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

At 34 years old, Carle has won two titles. The second happened three months after he coached the United States to a gold medal at the World Junior Championships. If his players have a say, the title of best coach in hockey belongs to the man running the powerhouse DU program.

“It's a far cry from six years ago when everybody said I was too young to do this,” Carle said. “I think we've got great people. I've been extremely blessed to have great mentors, be supported by an unbelievable wife and family. It's a total team effort to do what we do at Denver. Just really proud of the whole program.

“I think the run we're on is a reflection of the people that we have.”

The Denver players pegged a national title as the season's goal. They beat the consensus No. 1 team in the country, Boston College, in both matchups this season and took down fellow powerhouse Boston University in the Frozen Four.

In both games in St. Paul, DU shut down two of the top offenses in the nation and frustrated a star-driven Eagles team all night Saturday.

“Truly, I think it's the culture,” captain McKade Webster said after. “I think a lot of people maybe came at our defensive structure throughout the year, but we stuck to it. And I think it's just Denver hockey, doing whatever it takes, sacrificing everything for this group. It's all about team success and not individual success in this program."

Junior goaltender Matt Davis played the hero once again, tallying 35 saves with a shoutout against the Eagles, who entered Saturday as the nation's second-best offense behind the Pioneers. Davis was named Most Outstanding Player of the Frozen Four after allowing three goals in four NCAA Tournament games.

The Calgary, Alberta, native made a spectacular glove save early in the third period as Boston College threatened on the power play that served as the Frozen Four's signature moment and sent ESPN play-by-play announcer John Buccigross into hysterics.

"Oh, my, God! What was that!" Buccigross shouted on the broadcast.

Sophomores Jared Wright and Rieger Lorenz scored for the Pios in the title game. Lorenz also added an assist on Wright’s goal, while freshman phenom Zeev Buium made a beautiful pass to Lorenz to set up the second goal.

Lorenz, another Calgary native, played two of the best games of his college career in the building of the NHL team that two years ago drafted him, the Minnesota Wild.

Lorenz was named to the all-tournament team. So were Davis, Buium, defenseman and Avalanche draft pick Sean Behrens and forward Tristan Broz.

Zeev Buium, an 18-year-old from San Diego who is likely going to be taken early in the upcoming NHL Draft, won a gold medal with USA Hockey at World Juniors and an NCAA title in the same season.

DU won nine straight games to close the season, a streak that began in the regular-season finale against rival Colorado College. The Pios won four straight games in the NCHC tournament to win their first conference tournament title since 2018, then overcame more travel than anyone else in the NCAA Tournament by taking down UMass and Cornell in the Springfield (Mass.) Regional.

NCAA Denver Boston College Hockey

Denver forward Connor Caponi (22) celebrates after defeating Boston College in the championship game of the Frozen Four NCAA college hockey tournament Saturday, April 13, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. Denver won 2-0 to win the national championship. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

“I couldn't ask for a better group,” Webster said. “It's been so easy with these guys and the staff and everyone that puts time into Denver hockey, all the alumni and the administration. It's been super easy. They're the best guys in the world in that locker room.

“So I'm super happy for them, especially the guys that hadn't won one. Now they don't have to listen to us talk about what it was like when we won. But super proud of our group. They were awesome.”