DU hockey (1-0-1) opened up its home slate for the 2025-26 season against Bentley University (Waltham, Mass.) Saturday night. DU Junior goaltender Paxton Geisel got a shutout, stopping 21 shots-on-goal. Two Freshmen, Clarke Caswell and Kristian Epperson, assisted Eric Pohlkamp (Jr.) and Samu Salminen (Sr.) to build a 2-0 lead heading into the third period. Pohlkamp finished with a hat trick and the Pioneers coasted to a 6-0 victory.
In the first period, Denver controlled the pace of play and Geisel was forced into several quality saves. Finally, at 6:21, a Clarke Caswell backhand feed found a charging Eric Pohlkamp for a 1-0 DU lead. Denver sent 24 shots at the Falcons netminder, 10 on target, to complete a solid first-period effort.
It was an uneven second period for Bentley and DU as neither team was able to generate scoring until late in the frame. Early in the period, DU went on the power play but could not create meaningful scoring chances against net-minder Easton Hesse. The Pioneers got their second power play opportunity with five minutes left in the period along with a late delayed double-call (roughing and cross checking) on a Falcon player. Finally, a Kristian Epperson chip from the right flank to Samu Salminen’s stick in front of the cage and a poke off the pipe into the net put Denver up, 2-0.
In the first five minutes of the final period, the Falcons placed a ‘coach’s challenge’ that gave a 5-minute major penalty on DU freshman Kyle Chyzowski for tripping along the boards. A swarming Pioneer penalty kill kept Bentley off the board until late in the kill. Rieger Lorenz charged up ice short-handed and fed a streaking Eric Pohlkamp, 3-0. A minute later at full-strength, DU’s Cale Ashcroft fed Jake Fisher, 4-0. A minute after that, a drop pass from Brady Milburn (Fr.) gave Pohlkamp a hat trick, 5-0. Another freshman, defenseman Eric Jamieson, fired home the final dagger from the right dot, 6-0 final.
It was a solid team effort that displayed the returning veterans’ skill along with talented newcomers. While goaltending for Denver may have been a question mark heading into the season, Paxton Geisel (and Quentin Miller Friday night) showed solid skills in net for the Pioneers in the early-season shutout.
I was beginning to think that DU’s offense wasn’t going to arrive for a while, as the 10 freshmen get acclimated to the pace of college hockey. Turns out that it only took about five periods after the Air Force tie Bentley was an NCAA Tourney team last season, so hanging six on them is a great home start.
More impressively, defense and goaltending were both very solid this weekend. If DU can keep teams under three goals per game, the offense should be good enough for another 25-30 win season.
Of the freshmen, Caswell showed us why he’s a first line center. Chyzowski and Emerson are hard workers and I was really impressed with Jamieson, who looks like he’s been with DU for years.
Some signs of talent in this new group of recruits, but no sign of a super-star so far.
It’s only been two games. Relax
If Pitner is not going to dress he will gone by Christmas
pitner has done nothing for 2 years
DU’s defense was excellent last night, and Bentley had very few good chances all night long. Pretty happy with how DU was able to turn up the offense after the first two periods to break the game open and eliminate hope for the Falcons. Pohlkamp was the best player on the ice last night (should have been first star) – and his ability to get into the offense in the high slot was the difference last night and why he ended up with his hat trick. When the game needed to be taken over, he did it.
People forget that the Bentley Falcons were an NCAA tournament team last year, and whomping them 6-0 was a statement that this DU team is going to be pretty good once the freshmen figure NCHC requirements out – game speed, positioning, foot movement, effort level and spacing. It takes some time to be effective at a new level. Fortunately, it looks like some of the new guys are already getting it – Caswell, Chyzowski, Epperson and Jamieson all look like seasoned Pios already. That said, replacing the top line production of Devine, Thompson and King is going to take some time.
As for Pitner, he needs to worry about improving to be good enough to be a top six defenseman on this team. In the exhibition, he was meh, and he’d probably be the first to tell you so. He’s going to get chances to break into the top six, but he needs to show that he’s effective enough. This is a hard line-up to crack, and he needs to earn his spot.