On a night where the #6 Denver Pioneers (20-6-1, 9-5-1 NCHC) were looking to exact some revenge for a home sweep in November, special teams were anything but special but their dominant play at five-on-five was just enough to outlast their own leaky defense and a pesky #12 Arizona State Sun Devils (16-10-1, 11-6-0 NCHC) team that erased two separate DU leads to win 5-4 in overtime. Entering the game, ASU was tied with Western Michigan for first place in the NCHC so the Pioneers’ two points allowed them to at least move a point closer to the top of the conference and leapfrog North Dakota into 4th place.
Pios wearing a patch on their uniforms and helmets to honor Dan Ritchie. All DU teams will be wearing the patch.(Photos from DU Hockey on Twitter)
ASU opened the scoring early on the game’s first power play, just 1:41 in, before the hosts handed the Pioneers three quick power play opportunities, including a five-on-three look that lasted 1:07. Denver failed to convert on any of those opportunities. Fortunately, Garrett Brown found a streaking Jared Wright and sprung him on a breakaway where the speedy forward tied the game and gave the Pioneers the jolt they needed.
From there, the Pioneers dominated most of the game at five-on-five. For much of the second period, including the first 10 minutes, Denver was by far the better team. They won every race to the puck, 50-50 battles were going the Pioneers’ way, and Sam Harris and Boston Buckberger each tallied a highlight-reel goal to give Denver their first two-goal lead of the season against the Sun Devils.
They would not, however, hold onto the lead, something of a theme on this night. Two gritty ASU goals later – both the product of unlucky bounces in the crease combined with a lack of DU defensive presence in the slot – the game was tied again entering the third period.
Aidan Thompson, DU’s very own junior sniper, had yet to put his mark on the game, though, and boy did he ever in the third period and overtime. Like the second period, Denver came out in the third and dominated, holding ASU to just one shot on goal for nearly 13 minutes. Along the way, Eric Pohlkamp saved a tough play in the neutral zone with a great chip pass to Jack Devine who then found Thompson in the middle of the ice all alone. Thompson raced to the slot, deked ASU goalie Luke Pavicich, and found his five hole to restore Denver’s lead.
Despite plenty of chances to double their lead, the Pioneers could not find the back of the net again in regulation. And after a failed clear by the Pioneers in their own zone with ASU’s net empty and many tired legs on the ice for the visitors, Bennett Schimek found the back of a yawning cage thanks to a perfect pass across the slot from Artem Shlaine. Overtime for the second Friday night in a row.
After the Pioneers killed off Samu Salminen’s tripping minor that occurred at the end of regulation, Aidan Thompson put his superhero cape on again, skating around January’s HCA National Co-Player of the Month Ryan Kirwan before burying a wicked wrister over Pavicich’s glove to give Denver the 5-4 victory, which, importantly, counts as such for the Pairwise Rankings (a shootout would have counted as a tie).
The win is the Pioneers’ 20th, extending the Tenzer Streak to 23 straight full seasons with at least 20 victories. The last time the Pioneers failed to record 20 wins in a full season? 2000-2001 – George Gwozdecky’s 7th season with the program.
It wasn’t a perfect game by any means for the Pioneers but they gritted out an important road victory against a team that thought they had DU’s number after the early-season sweep at Magness Arena. Now, step two of the quest for revenge is upon them – can the Pioneers earn three more points tomorrow night, earn the road sweep, and make it a five-point road weekend against a very good team?
Only one way to find out. The puck drops at Mullett Arena tomorrow night at 5 pm MT. It will be televised on NCHC.tv and Altitude 2 (including for you now, Comcast customers!).
Highlights
The Wright flyer splits the D! 👌Brown delivers a perfect pass and Denver ties the game with an #NCHCTopPlay📺: CBS Sports Network#NCHChockey // #GoPios
Backhand 🔝🧀Sam Harris puts Denver in front early in the 2nd📺: CBS Sports Network#NCHChockey // #GoPios
All tied up at Mullett Arena! 😎Sillinger cleans up the rebound for Arizona State. Catch the 3rd period now on CBS Sports Network! 📺#NCHChockey // #BeTheTradition
What a goal! 💪Aidan Thompson finishes 5-hole to restore the Denver lead with an #NCHCTopPlay 📺: CBS Sports Network#NCHChockey // #GoPios
Aidan Thompson with the dagger for Denver! 🙌The @nhlblackhawks.bsky.social draft pick snipes the OT winner with his 2nd goal of the night! 🚀 #NCHChockey // #GoPios
Big win! Had the UND guy announcing the game on CBS Sports Network. Like the DR patch.