BOSTON — Ask Jon Gillies about the key saves he made and he’ll tell you about the one that got away.

That’s probably why the junior from South Portland is one of college hockey’s best goaltenders.

He backstopped his Providence College team to a 4-1 victory over Nebraska Omaha on Thursday in the Frozen Four semifinals at TD Garden.

Then he critiqued himself.

“It was tough miscommunication on that goal. I didn’t hear (defenseman) Kyle (McKenzie) at first and then by the time we did, it was too late. I made the wrong play with the puck. I shot it a little too hard trying to feather it in the corner. So that was a tough one,” Gillies said of the Mavericks’ goal, which came in the third period when Tyler Vesel grabbed the puck along the boards and fed Jake Guentzel for a wrist shot in the slot.

“You’ve just got to acknowledge your mistakes and hold yourself accountable.”

The lone lapse for Gillies, who made 25 saves, was quickly covered up when Trevor Mingoia scored 24 seconds later and the Friars cruised into Saturday night’s championship game.

“That’s how the Friars roll,” Gillies said. “The guys had my back 100 percent, and came out and scored the very next shift. It doesn’t get more mentally tougher than that.”

Gillies matched up with Nebraska Omaha goaltender Ryan Massa, but not for the first time. Sort of.

They are veterans of the U.S. Hockey League and Massa’s Fargo Force team iced Gillies’ Indiana Ice 4-1 back on Feb. 12, 2011. Gillies didn’t start that game, coming on to let in one goal in 36 minutes.

Still, he remembered.

“I know Ryan Massa from the USHL and I knew the kind of performances he’s capable of putting on,” Gillies said. “So I just knew, not matching him save for save (Massa made 44), I just made sure I was tracking the puck to the utmost. I was able to control rebounds to not give them second chances to give them some momentum.”

The previous two national champions, Union and Yale, had never won one before.

Does that give some hope to Providence, seeking its first title in four Frozen Four appearances?

“I think it talks about the parity,” Friars Coach Nate Leaman said. “It used to be that if you could get 20 wins, you’re pretty much locked in the tournament. But this year we had 22. Bowling Green had 22. And it came down to the two of us to see who was going to get in.

“There’s not a lot that separates teams. And it comes down to a bounce here, bounce there, almost every night.”

Providence got into the 16-team NCAA tournament as a No. 4 seed. Bowling Green was left out.

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