For the second consecutive season, the University of Minnesota Duluth will play in the national championship game thanks to a 2-1 win over Ohio State in the 2018 NCAA Frozen Four semifinal Thursday night at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.

The Bulldogs scored twice early and were able to stave off a late charge by the Buckeyes to advance to Saturday’s final against the winner of Michigan and Notre Dame.

A pair of Minnesotans, Louie Roehl (Eden Prairie) and Jared Thomas (Hermantown), gave the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead just 3:04 into the game. Roehl's goal was his fourth of the season. Thomas scored on a breakaway for his 10th goal of the year. The Bulldogs controlled play throughout the first period, outshooting the Buckeyes 17-4.

"It was a huge start for us," Thomas said. "When we've had success, we've had fast starts. It was a great play by two freshmen defensemen there on the goal. Louie is not quite the
biggest goal scorer -- no goals in high school, right? Couple this year, though."

After a scoreless second period, Ohio State’s Tanner Laczynski notched a power-play goal with a wrister past UMD netminder Hunter Shepard at the 9:27 mark.

Buckeye head coach Steve Rohlik pulled goaltender Sean Romeo with two minutes to play, but OSU couldn’t generate much offense against a stingy Bulldog defense.

"We obviously had a great start to the game, getting
a lead, but thought our first two periods were strong, and a little slow in the third," UMD head coach Scott Sandelin said. "They got the power play, but our guys held strong and kind of seems to be the MO with our team right now. Our program in this tournament,
we've had a lot of one-goal games."

Shepard stopped 19 shots for the Bulldogs to earn the win. Romeo stopped 26 shots for the Buckeyes, who finish their season with a 26-10-5 record.