The Denver Pioneer hockey family lost an inspirational former team captain, David Tomassoni (Denver, ’75) who passed away from Aymotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) on August 11th in his native Minnesota. He was 69 years old.
Tomassoni helped bring DU to two Frozen Fours in the 1970s and served as DU’s captain under coach Murray Armstrong in his senior season in 1974-75, before going on to a 16-year pro hockey career, mostly played in Italy. After his hockey career ended, he served for 30 years in the Minnesota State Legislature, retiring earlier this year following his 2021 ALS diagnosis. Continue reading Pioneer Captain Dave Tomassoni (’75) Passes Away at 69→
Student – Athlete Author – Ben Bowen Ben is a redshirt freshman. Bowen is a local product and played at Mountain Vista High School. He averaged 20.2 points per game with 5.9 rebounds per game to go along with 4.3 assists per night as a senior. The 6’5″ shooting guard started his collegiate career at Wyoming and matriculated to DU. His father Ryan played over a decade in the NBA and is currently an assistant coach with the Denver Nuggets.
We arrived in Paris after a long flight in the middle of the night. Immediately after we arrived, we grabbed a team lunch and headed out for some sightseeing. A guided bus tour took us through Paris, as we learned about its history and saw places like the Opéra de Paris, the Panthéon, Luxembourg, and various other sites. We then stopped at the Arc de Triomphe, everyone had a little bit of jet lag, so it felt hard to believe we were actually in Paris at the Arc de Triomphe. After everyone piled back onto the bus, we drove by one last stop. The Eiffel Tower. Seeing the Eiffel Tower for the first time is probably something I will never forget in my life. When we drove by the Eiffel Tower everyone sort of had a moment of clarity, we all realized that we were in Paris, France, and just how spectacular this trip was going to be. Continue reading Student-Athlete Update: DU Hoops in Paris→
DU announced Gymnastics Coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart has signed a contract extension through 2026-27. While financial terms were not disclosed, it can be safely assumed that the Kutcher-Rinehart’s extension was in the works for some time, but it likely took DU’s new athletic director, Josh Berlo, to sign-off on the final deal. Continue reading Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart Receives Hard-Earned Contract Extension→
A Denver area Squirt youth hockey player, Bert Grossmeier, was stripped of his scoring record due to an equipment violation. Grossmeier skated for the Evergreen Warriors. Bert scored a record-breaking 12 goals in the 2nd period against the Loveland Ice Caps on May 22nd, erasing the national mark of 10 goals by a squirt player in a single period. However, Grossmeier took to the ice wearing a Denver Commemorative Championship Boone Jersey during his epic scoring spree, refusing to don his team’s kit. As a result, the Squirt scoring record was stripped by the USA Hockey governing board. Continue reading Local Boy Stripped of Scoring Title→
Denver men’s basketball left Sunday for France for a four-game set. LetsGoDU will have exclusive player coverage of the trip. Head Coach Jeff Wulbrun sees the trip as a reward for his team and an opportunity for players to gain valuable practice and playing time in France against four experienced teams. More importantly, Wulbrun sees this as an opportunity to build team chemistry which is sure to benefit the team during the 2022-23 season. Denver is also integrating eight new players onto the squad. Continue reading Denver Men’s Hoops Headed to France→
It took an outside investigation and eventual leak to The Athletic and other media outlets to finally throttle an attempt by the current University of Michigan athletics director, Warde Manual, to renew the contract of embattled hockey head coach Mel Pearson. Pearson was fired when the details of the Michigan internal investigation went public.
We’re mostly meat and potatoes at LetsGoDU but amidst all of the closings and new apartments replacing old favorites, there is going to be a new option out there for others to try near DU. A plant-based burger joint, Next Level Burger, is opening their first restaurant in Colorado, west of DU on Evans Avenue. The chain operates in Oregon and Washington and this will be the chain’s first Colorado spot. Continue reading Next Level Burger Joint Set to Open on Evans→
In 2018, The University of Denver created a strategic plan. Denver Impact 2025 to position the University of Denver for the future. How well is Denver following on those plans? Has the change of chancellors (Rebecca Chopp to Jeremy Haefner), COVID-19, and the many other challenges faced by higher education stifled the strategic plan? Continue reading Is DU Delivering on Denver Impact 2025?→
A seedy La Quinta motel at Buchtel & Colorado Boulevard is receiving the wrecking ball treatment along with a Perkins Restaurant as housing and residential buildings continue to pop up in the University and University Park neighborhoods. The latest project is one mile east of the Ritchie Center. This project is in addition to a new building at Josephine & Evans (one block East of University & Evans) and a massive housing project at Evans & Broadway. Continue reading Buchtel Blvd Perkins and La Quinta Bite the Dust→
The hits just keep on coming for the Bonnie Brae neighborhood. Last month, Bonnie Brae Tavern closed. Now, across the street, the Saucy Noodle, a cozy casual Italian sit-down restaurant is preparing to close according to a Denver Post story. The family-style restaurant, operating in the same location for 58 years, is now on a month-to-month lease after its building was sold for $2.2 million in mid-July. Continue reading The Saucy Noodle on the Way Out of Bonnie Brae→
