Hockey, men’s basketball, and men’s soccer are all featured at the University of Denver this weekend:

DU Hockey vs CC – 7:00 pm Friday, Magness Arena

This is CC’s Stanley Cup, Super Bowl, and national championship, all wrapped up into one. Never an easy game for Denver, the Pioneers want to draw first blood in this year’s edition of the Battle for the Gold Pan. Denver can retain it with two non-shootout wins this weekend.

DU Men’s Basketball vs University of Texas San Antonio (UTSA), noon Saturday, Hamilton Gym

Denver can make it two in a row, reach .500, and give new head coach Tim Bergstraser his first home win. The question is: Can DU identify, build, and cultivate fans who have long waited for a winning basketball program in the Denver metro area? 

DU Men’s Soccer vs UMKC, 3:00 pm Saturday, Pioneer Field

This is the battle for the Summit League Tournament championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. It’s also a rematch of last year’s Summit League Tournament championship, won by UMKC in the 90th minute. Hopefully, DU employs the same desperate offense it employed against Oral Roberts in the Summit League semifinals last weekend. Otherwise, this could be a low-scoring nail-biter.

Top photo courtesy of the University of Denver