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Two New Trier alumni get the Frozen Four of a lifetime with Denver

Not only did Erich Fear and Greg Ogard win a national championship with the Denver men’s hockey team — they won it at Chicago’s United Center.

Fear, a Winnetka native, and Ogard, a Wilmette native, skated on that ice in state championship games. Even so, Ogard, a senior goaltender, had a hard time explaining what winning a Frozen Four title in Chicago meant.

“It was awesome,” Ogard said. “It was a surreal experience. It hasn’t really set in what we were able to accomplish.”

Fear has family in Michigan and grew up a Detroit Red Wings fan, but winning the title in the home of the Chicago Blackhawks meant plenty.

“It was a really cool experience just skating around in practice before the game and looking up at the banners at the United Center where I’ve gone to games since I was a kid,” said Fear, a freshman defenseman. “We would’ve enjoyed winning anywhere else, but it’s one of those things where you’re in your hometown, you’ve got your family there, you’re at the United Center, one of the cooler rinks and facilities in the hockey world. I couldn’t ask to script it any better.”

Neither Fear nor Ogard appeared in the Frozen Four. The Pioneers beat Notre Dame 6-1 in the semifinals on April 6, and Denver held off Minnesota Duluth 3-2 in the national title game two days later.

Fear played in six games this season and recorded one assist. Ogard played limited minutes in two games, made four saves and didn’t allow a goal.

How did two Chicagoland natives end up playing hockey in Denver?

It’s actually not that big of a surprise. Given the Pioneers’ status as one of the top programs in college hockey, Denver draws elite players from all over the country.

Ogard loved the area from his time playing junior hockey, but only got his chance with the Pioneers after a pair of breaks. First, Denver goalie Juho Olkinuora signed with the Winnipeg Jets in April 2013, leaving an unexpected slot to fill. Second, then-Pioneers assistant coach David Lassonde reached out to his old acquaintance Dave McCauley in need of a goalie. McCauley was Ogard’s junior hockey coach with the Bay State Breakers at the time.

“It was kind of a no-brainer,” Ogard said. “It was a school I wanted to go to and obviously the program here speaks for itself.”

Fear said he wanted a college experience similar to his high school experience — strong academics mixed with powerful athletics. He also was impressed by Denver’s welcoming atmosphere. At some schools, part of the team turned out to meet him on his recruiting visit. However, seemingly every Pioneers player came out to say hello on his visit.

Though Fear and Ogard both went to New Trier, they didn’t know each other prior to Fear visiting Denver. Ogard has been very helpful since, showing Fear around campus on his visit and taking him under his wing upon arrival.

“Our friendship formed right away because we had the bond of a similar experience, going to high school at New Trier and going out to Denver for college,” Fear said. “Greg’s been through the whole college experience already. Being a senior, he’s seen a lot of things. He’s been through a lot of things with hockey and schooling, academic and social. He’s been great helping me adjust to life here as a freshman.”

The fact that the Frozen Four was in Chicago was a stroke of luck for the Pioneers’ two Chicagoland natives. The event moves from stadium to stadium — it was in Tampa in 2016 and will be in St. Paul, Minn., next year.

Ogard was part of the Denver team that lost in the Frozen Four semifinals in 2016. He said the team prepared hard but left feeling like it could do more.

“We got swept up a little bit in the glamour of what was going on,” Ogard said. “It left a really bad taste in our mouth. We came back — our senior class and the classes under us set out to make sure it didn’t happen again.”

When Ogard saw the Frozen Four was headed for Chicago, he had a good feeling.

“When I saw it was in Chicago, I kind of got excited,” Ogard said. “I had a feeling that we were going to get back there.”

An experienced Denver squad handled regular-season obstacles, like losing its first two games, with relative ease. From Dec. 10, 2016, through Jan. 20, the Pioneers went 3-4-1. But they turned it around after that. Denver won 18 of its final 19 games, including 15 by multiple goals during that stretch.

“It was a long year, but it flies by,” Fear said.

This time, Fear, Ogard and their teammates resolved to treat the Frozen Four like a business trip, even with the potential distraction of playing at home. Of course, the ticket requests and flurry of texts came in for the Chicagoland natives playing two Frozen Four games back in Chicago. Fear recalled a number of texts from friends and family, as well as former coaches and trainers. He couldn’t put a number on how many people he knew in attendance. Neither could Ogard.

The surrounding family and friends, in their hometown arena, only added to the celebration. After, many people gathered in the team hotel to mark the moment.

“Our celebration was incredible,” Fear said.

Jonah L. Rosenblum is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.

Twitter @Pioneer_Press