Omaha (14-11-1, 10-4-1 NCHC) opened the game with two power-play goals to take a 2-0 lead 8 minutes in. For the next 52 minutes, #5 Denver (19-6-1, 8-5-1 NCHC) flipped the script, scoring 11 consecutive goals, including six in the 2nd period. It was the first time since the second period of the January 13, 2023 game against Miami that they scored six in a period and the first time since December 27, 1995, against Air Force that they scored 11 goals in a game. More importantly, the Pioneers might have exorcised the demons that have plagued them in NCHC play since being swept by Arizona State at Magness Arena at the end of November.
After last night’s choppy, inconsistent effort in the shootout loss to the Mavericks, Denver’s start didn’t give the Crimson and Gold faithful much to get excited about. Omaha again controlled the pace of play and two poor penalty kills later, the Pioneers trailed 2-0. Seemed like déjà vu all over again. But Samu Salminen scored with five minutes left in the opening period and something changed for the hosts.
Denver went into the first intermission down 2-1 but just 3:11 into the second period, the Pioneers had claimed a 4-2 lead and, as it turned out, they were only just warming up. Three goals and nearly 17 minutes later, the Pioneers went back into the locker room with a 7-2 lead and a stranglehold on the game.
DU could have taken their foot off the gas at that point. The result was not in doubt. Omaha was not going to win this game. But at some point during the second-period onslaught, the night’s objective flipped from merely winning the game to turning it into a proverbial “get-right game.”
It’s no secret that the Pioneers have struggled this season against NCHC competition not named Miami or North Dakota. They were swept at home by Arizona State, managed just two points at Western Michigan, blew a 3-0 lead at Colorado College, and sputtered to a split at Minnesota Duluth last weekend. In short, since their sweep at The Ralph in November, things have been ugly for the Pioneers, at least by their lofty standards.
So, after last night’s 16-round shootout loss to the Mavericks, you would be forgiven if you uttered the phrase, “Oh boy, here we go again.”
At some point during that second period, and echoed by Jack Devine (1G-1A) during his 2nd intermission interview on the NCHC.tv broadcast, the Pioneers decided they were not taking their collective foot off the gas until the final buzzer, no matter the score. The opportunity to finally rid the team of the demons that had been haunting them since the end of November was before them and nobody on the Omaha bench was prepared to stand in their way, least of all goalies Simon Latkoczy and Kevin Reidler who relieved the former after the second period (and gave up four goals himself).
It’s not like Denver put up 11 against a team like Miami. Winners of 7 straight and within three points of first place ASU coming into tonight’s game, Omaha is no slouch. Latkoczy is, or at least was, a legitimate contender to win the Mike Richter Award, given annually to the country’s best goalie. The Pioneers took all of that in and put up a crooked number anyway.
Now, we could continue to get caught up in all of the “this is the first time since…” statistics (and there were plenty more of those, believe me). But perspective is incredibly important, especially after a game like this. They scored 11 goals but it’s just one win. They had nine different goal-scorers but they still only took four of six points this weekend. Nine different players recorded two or more points and 16 notched at least one but Denver is still only in fifth place in the NCHC (one point behind 4th place North Dakota) and #8 in the Pairwise.
It was a good, fun, cathartic victory for the Pioneers. But unless the Pioneers do something with it, it will remain just that. If Denver doesn’t build on this game over the next month and a half, it will be nothing more than a footnote, a fun answer to a DU-based trivia question.
The Pioneers saw an opportunity to right the ship tonight with a statement victory over Omaha and they took it. Now, the next opportunity, to climb back up the NCHC standings and, hopefully, the Pairwise Rankings over the coming weeks, is before them. What will they do with it? If tonight’s unending attack is any indication, the Pioneers won’t be taking their foot off the gas anytime soon.
Stats
Shots on goal: 40-23 DU
Faceoffs: 40-29 DU
PP: UNO – 2/5, DU – 2/3
Goal-Scorers
Omaha: Brady Risk & Harrison Israels
Denver: Samu Salminen, Rieger Lorenz (2), James Reeder (2), Boston Buckberger, Jack Devine, Connor Caponi, Sam Harris, Jared Wright, Cale Ashcroft
Highlights
Honestly, there are too many to put in here. The NCHC will probably post a package…eventually. Check the conference’s Twitter page in the morning.
Top photo credit: Tyler Schank/Clarkson Creative Photography via Denver Athletics
Would have love to have been a fly on the wall in the room between 1st/2nd periods. Looks like the lines were put in a blender? Great to see Lorenz and Wright get going.
I thought the Pio’s energy was good on Friday night, even with the tie and SOL, so expected they’d be ready to play on Saturday. Coming back from 2 goals down to tie on Friday was an accomplishment in itself. Latkoczy‘s 7 goals against in 40 minutes on Saturday drops his save percentage to .927 with an 11-10-1 season record. Matt Davis tops him with a .923 save percentage and an 18-5-1 record. It’s easy to lose sight of the fact that this DU team has mostly been playing well despite their current NCHC record. Let’s hope the readjusted lines lead to a sweep at ASU next weekend.
Since the new year goals have been tough to come by for DU. It was nice to see them finally get some ‘puck luck’ along with excellent play by the ‘revised’ forward lines. With 16 players contributing at least one point, perhaps the team has finally turned the corner for the stretch run to the playoffs. They should have renewed confidence heading into this weekend’s series against ASU.
The 2004 championship had a tie against North Dakota as the springboard to the title. It would be fun if this win had a similar effect. Seems like this team needed a reminder of what they can be.
We just saw the potential of this team with its best single game goal output (11) since 1995, some 30 years ago. Very exciting.
Now comes ASU, a team that always seems to play DU very tough, and DU wins in Tempe are no easy feat. Certainly, revenge is on the menu for the last November humiliation sweep that ASU handed DU in Magness. Let’s see if DU can build on last Saturday, or do they go back to inconsistent play?
Wild game. Early on, there was certainly a lot of stewing and angst, and after that 2nd goal by UNO 12 minutes in, you could just feel a collective groan among the fans. But the Pios, to their credit, found some momentum, cut the lead to 2-1, and just a few minutes into period 2 were up 4-2. That opened the floodgates, and DU took UNO to the woodshed after that. Great to see after the unsatisfying tie on Friday and then watching UNO celebrate after winning the shootout.
Big test this weekend on the road against ASU. That’s a program that is clearly headed in the right direction. Sun Devils are currently 13 in the PWR and 16-9-1 overall. I looked at their schedule. They are 13-3 since mid-November, and obviously they came up here and swept DU. Big challenge for the Pios.