Photo courtesy DU Athletics
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The #2 University of Denver Pioneers will hold onto the Gold Pan for at least one more year. Thanks to a dominant 5-1 victory over their archrival, the Colorado College Tigers, at the Broadmoor World Arena, the Pios clinched the trophy that is awarded annually to the winner of the intrastate rivalry for the fourth straight year. This was the first time in years, however, that it took the second series between the Pios and Tigers to determine who took home the trophy.
Colorado College built on the momentum from their two December ties with Denver and played with determination and heart early on in the game. They had a number of quality scoring chances throughout the opening frame, but DU goalie Tanner Jaillet kept the Tigers from breaking through and gave the Pioneers a chance to score the all-important opening goal. They didn’t squander the chance. Barely five and a half minutes into the game, Henrik Borgström fielded a rebound deflected into the corner by CC goalie Alex Leclerc and attentively shot the puck off of the goaltender and into the back of the net.
“We were just relentless,” DU head coach Jim Montgomery said of his team’s victory and ability to score on Leclerc. “We spent a lot of time in their end which gets tiring for a goaltender. When the puck is in your end, you have to crouch the whole time and you can’t relax.”
The score remained 1-0 for the remainder of the first period but the Pioneers grabbed the momentum from the Tigers and wouldn’t relinquish it. If Denver grabbed ahold of the game in the first period, they grabbed ahold of the scoreboard in the second. Goals from Colin Staub, Kohen Olischefski, and Logan O’Connor gave the Pioneers all the cushion they needed to absorb a Tigers goal from Brian Williams and coast to an easy victory.
“They were playing well,” Montgomery said of his depth and fourth line’s performance. “One of their first shifts, [CC] put out their top line and they hemmed them in their end the whole time. That line, Barrow, Olischefski, and Junda has really grown and matured here over the last six weeks.”
Olischefski’s goal had the potential for controversy as defenseman Griffin Mendel passed the puck to Rudy Junda with his hand in DU’s defensive zone and Olischefski finished the ensuing rush with a tap-in goal. The play went uncalled and the goal counted. If it was a closer game, the missed call would have generated much more coverage and controversy. Jarid Lukosevicius even added a goal in the third period to put the game out of reach, end any possibility of controversy, and seal the Gold Pan victory for the Pioneers.
In the bigger picture, the Pioneers played a successful game in their first of four games without star forward and Olympian Troy Terry. With more of an emphasis on a team game rather than getting the puck to goal-scorers like Terry, Borgström, and Dylan Gambrell, the ice opened up for the entire team and offered scoring chances from the top line to the fourth line.
“I felt all week that we have our swagger right now,” Montgomery said. “I felt that the way we practiced, we’re confident, but we’re working. When you get that combination, you see the kind of team performance like you saw tonight.”
Denver is certainly happy to clinch the Gold Pan, but as the stretch run continues, DU’s focus has shifted to winning their second straight Penrose Cup which is awarded to the regular season champion of the NCHC. St. Cloud State, currently in first place, beat Western Michigan in three-on-three overtime tonight. As a result, Denver’s victory in Colorado Springs pulled the Pios to within two points of the Huskies with five games to play, including two in St. Cloud next weekend.
Great effort. Again, Jailett was outstanding. It wasn’t a hand pass, because the puck went from the DU hand and hit a CC stick before the next DU player took it up the ice.
Great effort. Again, Jailett was outstanding. It wasn’t a hand pass, because the puck went from the DU hand and hit a CC stick before the next DU player took it up the ice.
Pios dominated the game, and won the puck battles all night long. DU loves that big ice, and the Tigers did not have the depth to keep up.
Jailett is the BEST!
Easily CC’s worst outings this season, lack of energy and passion that we saw against DU back in December. Credit to DU for playing a very solid, structured, complete game last night. Your guys hardly had to break a sweat out there. There’s some debate among CC fans about that hand pass and whether or not the whistle should have been blown. I haven’t watched the replay on tv yet but I was there and my first instinct was that a Tiger player touched the puck immediately following the DU player making the hand pass which would have waived off the delayed whistle; at least that’s how it appeared to me from where I was sitting. The biggest problem I had with that play was how CC stopped playing, waiting for a whistle that never cmae. Meanwhile DU kept on skating and went down and scored a goal. There was a lot of finger pointing among the CC players. As a Tiger fan, that’s the more concerning part, not whether or not the official should or shouldn’t have blown the whistle but guys standing around waiting for help from the officials. Players are taught at a young age to play through the whistle.
DU seemed to own every 50/50 battle last night. The speed and stick handling was something to see. It will be interesting to see how CC does on a smaller sheet tonight.
Pios dominated the game, and won the puck battles all night long. DU loves that big ice, and the Tigers did not have the depth to keep up.
Yeah I looked at that play in slo mo, and it looked pretty clear to me that the puck hit the CC stick after the DU hand.
BTW, great goal by Lucosevecius, a real goal-scorer’s goal. I hope he continues to drive to the net like that.
I would expect to see a closer game tonight. But if DU can shut down Halloran, I like our chances again.
Jailett is the BEST!
Easily CC’s worst outings this season, lack of energy and passion that we saw against DU back in December. Credit to DU for playing a very solid, structured, complete game last night. Your guys hardly had to break a sweat out there. There’s some debate among CC fans about that hand pass and whether or not the whistle should have been blown. I haven’t watched the replay on tv yet but I was there and my first instinct was that a Tiger player touched the puck immediately following the DU player making the hand pass which would have waived off the delayed whistle; at least that’s how it appeared to me from where I was sitting. The biggest problem I had with that play was how CC stopped playing, waiting for a whistle that never cmae. Meanwhile DU kept on skating and went down and scored a goal. There was a lot of finger pointing among the CC players. As a Tiger fan, that’s the more concerning part, not whether or not the official should or shouldn’t have blown the whistle but guys standing around waiting for help from the officials. Players are taught at a young age to play through the whistle.
DU seemed to own every 50/50 battle last night. The speed and stick handling was something to see. It will be interesting to see how CC does on a smaller sheet tonight.
Great game for DU last night. Pios won battles, played with pace, used their speed, and got timely saves from Jaillet. CC didn’t have an answer. Pios need to keep their foot on the gas tonight.
Yeah I looked at that play in slo mo, and it looked pretty clear to me that the puck hit the CC stick after the DU hand.
BTW, great goal by Lucosevecius, a real goal-scorer’s goal. I hope he continues to drive to the net like that.
I would expect to see a closer game tonight. But if DU can shut down Halloran, I like our chances again.
Great game for DU last night. Pios won battles, played with pace, used their speed, and got timely saves from Jaillet. CC didn’t have an answer. Pios need to keep their foot on the gas tonight.
More like playing for the Bed Pan! When was the last time this rivalry was relevant?
More like playing for the Bed Pan! When was the last time this rivalry was relevant?