Friday was clinical domination. At no point during those 60 minutes did the hosts have a prayer. Saturday, however, was much more about weathering the storm from a desperate team looking to salvage an all-important split on home ice. In game two at The Ralph after a surgical 5-2 victory in game one, the #1 Denver Pioneers (12-0-0, 2-0-0 NCHC) withstood an early flurry from the #9 North Dakota Fighting Hawks (5-6-0, 2-2-0 NCHC) and twice came back from one-goal deficits before Boston Buckberger hammered the nail in the Nodak-labeled coffin to earn the Pioneers a 3-2 win and a rare sweep at The Ralph. It was the program’s 21st consecutive win and kept the top-ranked team in the land unbeaten through 12 games.

Saturday night was never going to be as easy for the Pioneers as Friday. In many ways, Denver embarrassed North Dakota in their storied building in game one. As a result, the Fighting Hawks – a Certified Good Team™, mind you – were always going to make significant adjustments and come out with a level of desperation that could have put Denver behind big early (just look at what they did to Boston University a few weeks ago).

And sure enough, UND came out firing. From the jump, North Dakota looked like a completely different team from the night before. Sure, head coach Brad Berry put his lines into a blender and held ‘pulse’ for no less than 15 minutes but it was the Fighting Hawks’ renewed sense of determination and purpose that set them apart in the first period. After dominating most of the opening period, freshman center Sacha Boisvert converted on UND’s second power play of the game with a one-timer that made every DU fan ask themselves, “Did Aidan Thompson switch teams overnight?”

But as this Denver team does, they responded. Barely two minutes later, James Reeder redirected a Samu Salminen pass off the rush over TJ Semptimphelter’s right shoulder and into the top left corner to knot the game at one at the end of the first period. The Pioneers successfully weathered the early storm, played an admirable road period, and entered the second period with a chance to yet again take control of the game.

Dylan James had other ideas, though. On DU’s first power play of the game, early in the second period, the Pioneers turned the puck over in the offensive zone (turnovers…yeesh…if there’s one weakness on this DU team…) and James snuck a shot through Matt Davis’ armpit, a shot that he stopped 95% of, to restore the hosts’ one-goal lead.

But again, what does this Denver team do? It responds. This time, it took more than six minutes to get back on the board but it felt inevitable when Aidan Thompson made Alex Ovechkin blush with a one-timer from the right circle on DU’s third power play of the night. Tie game. Again.

This time, though, Denver didn’t take their foot off the gas. Thompson’s 9th goal of the season – only one behind teammate Sam Harris’ NCAA-best 10 – gave the Pioneers new life and in the waning minutes of the second period, Boston Buckberger crashed the net off the rush to tap in his third of the season and hand the Pioneers their first lead of the night.

North Dakota didn’t go away in the third, though, especially after what would have been Thompson’s second goal of the night was correctly waved off after the Fighting Hawks challenged for offside. UND attacked in waves and Denver’s shift to a defensive posture to ride out the rest of the game might have caused some heart attacks around the Denver metro area…at least a few ulcers. But the defense was smothering and Matt Davis was characteristically strong in the crease, making massive, timely saves throughout the final frame as Denver killed the rest of the clock and escaped The Ralph with a rare sweep.

From October through December, the priority is growth as a team, not wins. Wins are not a concern for a team as talented and deep as Denver. Those will come. The learning lessons and moments of growth matter much more in the early months of the season. That’s the reason why in 2021-22 and last season, nobody wearing crimson and gold panicked after slow starts (by Denver’s standard). The Pioneers learned the lessons they were supposed to learn in those early-season moments and used that experience down the stretch and into the postseason to win the program’s 9th and 10th national titles.

This year, the first 12 games have not been bereft of those same opportunities for growth. The difference this season is that the Pioneers are learning the lessons they’re supposed to be learning and they’re winning while doing it. Take game one against Wisconsin, for example. The Pioneers would readily admit that they were not at their best in that game. In fact, the casual observer might have watched that game and thought that the wrong team won that game. But the Pioneers fought through their sloppiness, never let the game get away from them and found the back of the net when they needed to to come away with the victory.

This weekend in Grand Forks was no different. The Pioneers have a target on their backs every weekend this season. They earned it. It’s something every team would kill to have. And after delivering a top-notch performance in game one, they found a way to learn to weather the storm against a desperate team fighting for points and home ice pride. They just so happened to win the game while learning that lesson.

21-straight victories and a 12-0 start are certainly enough to turn heads and grab headlines. But the wins themselves aren’t the most encouraging part of this streak. Denver will eventually lose a game this season. It’s almost guaranteed. But you can count on one thing – whether they win or lose, the Pioneers are learning the lessons they’re supposed to and they’re growing through victory.

Highlights

🎯🎯🎯#UNDproud | #LGH pic.twitter.com/MlHmNzDMdd

— North Dakota Hockey (@UNDmhockey) November 17, 2024

James Reeder connects on Samu Salminen’s pass and we’re all tied at 1-1!

Reeder (8 games) & Salminen (5 games) also stretch their career-long point streaks.#GoPios pic.twitter.com/1SLWV7tXad

— Denver Hockey (@DU_Hockey) November 17, 2024

They all don’t have to be a Picasso to count. #UNDproud | #LGH pic.twitter.com/uQgXwDiTFi

— North Dakota Hockey (@UNDmhockey) November 17, 2024

Aidan Thompson quiets the Ralph Engelestad Arena crowd and extends his season-opening point streak to 12 games–the longest by a Pio in the last 10 years!#GoPios pic.twitter.com/SdW3kwFjMS

— Denver Hockey (@DU_Hockey) November 17, 2024

Boston Buckberger’s late tally in the 2nd is tonight’s @Safeway Goal of the Game. pic.twitter.com/KL0q9Fp0kO

— Denver Hockey (@DU_Hockey) November 17, 2024

Saturday’s are better with the fight song!#GoPios pic.twitter.com/AoGzUQ2Rbc

— Denver Hockey (@DU_Hockey) November 17, 2024