The streak is going to end eventually. The Denver Pioneers aren’t going to just never lose to Omaha for the rest of time. That’s not how hockey works. That’s not how sports work. But, for now, the streak is still alive thanks to  Bobby Brink’s game-tying goal with 13.8 seconds left in regulations. Neither the #4 Pioneers (15-4-5, 5-3-4-3) nor Mavericks (9-10-4, 3-6-3-0) scored in regulation overtime (what a great oxymoron) and the game ended in a 2-2 tie at Baxter Arena in Omaha. Michael Davies did score in three-on-three overtime to give the Pioneers the second point and ensure that the Pioneers came home with four of the six possible points. With the official tie, Denver now has not lost to Omaha since January 2014. Continue reading Last-minute Bobby Brink goal gives Pioneers tie against Omaha as unbeaten streak reaches 18 →

Photo credit: Omaha World-Herald

Goaltender Isaiah Saville played strongly for the University of Nebraska Omaha Mavericks and held the #4 Denver Pioneers to a lone first-period goal from Tyler Ward through 65 minutes of regulation NCAA hockey at Baxter Arena in Omaha, Nebraska. Meanwhile, the Mavericks were able to stay in the game and eventually capitalize with a third-period shorthanded goal to force overtime at 1-1. Brett Edwards then gave the Pioneers the extra point in the NCHC standings with a goal in the fifth round of the shootout. Continue reading Denver extends unbeaten streak over Omaha to 17 with 1-1 tie, shootout win →

Photo courtesy of Shannon Valerio/Denver Athletics

DENVER – Winning in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference is never easy. Sweeping series in the NCHC is downright difficult. That’s just the nature of this conference. Even if it’s first-place vs. eighth-place, or, in tonight’s case with the third-place #5 Denver Pioneers (15-4-3, 5-3-2-1) taking on the eighth-place St. Cloud State Huskies (6-10-4, 3-7-0-0), even a 4-0 lead with five minutes left in the second period wasn’t totally safe. However, thanks to some puck luck and clutch late goaltending by Magnus Chrona, the Pioneers were able to hold off the Huskies to win 5-3 at Magness Arena to finish off the weekend sweep and pull to within five points of second-place Minnesota Duluth in the NCHC standings. Continue reading Pioneers hold off Huskies to break out brooms and extend winning streak to 6 →

Photo courtesy Nick Monaghan/Denver Athletics

DENVER – Filip Lindberg is a good goaltender. Denver Pioneers fans found that out just eight months ago on the ice in Buffalo at the Frozen Four where he backstopped the UMass-Amherst Minutemen to an overtime victory over the Pioneers. The #7 Pioneers were not-so-kindly reminded of that in their first matchup with the #9 Minutemen since that late April night in upstate New York. Only this time, at Magness Arena, Cole Guttman found a way to solve him in regulation for a 4-2 Pioneers win. Continue reading Pioneers withstand UMass-Amherst push & Filip Lindberg heroics to exact Frozen Four revenge →

Photo courtesy Shannon Valerio/DU Athletics

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – If you read last night’s recap, the one that summed up the #8 Denver Pioneers’ shutout of the archrival Colorado College Tigers, you could have copied and pasted that into this space right here. And I did indeed think about doing that. But last night’s game was a shutout for Denver and this one wasn’t. But CC’s goal was about the only difference between Friday and Saturday night as Denver traveled south to the World Arena to close out 2019 and the first half of the 2019-2020 Battle for the Gold Pan with a 3-1 win and clinch the sweep. The sweep puts Denver in full control of the Gold Pan series as just another win or tie in the second half of the series in March will guarantee the trophy’s return to Denver. Continue reading Pioneers take down Tigers in dominating fashion to sweep weekend & take commanding Gold Pan edge →

Photo courtesy of Shannon Valerio/Denver Athletics

DENVER – Mired in a 1-4-3 slump, the #8 Denver Pioneers were in need of a spark, anything at all that might give them some extra motivation. After an underwhelming two games in the desert against Arizona State that saw Denver lose to and tie the Sun Devils, the Pioneers – thanks to a stellar shutout performance by goaltender Devin Cooley – got back on track in the first game of the season against the unranked archrival Colorado College Tigers with a  3-0 victory at Magness Arena. The win gave Denver the early edge in earning back the coveted Gold Pan trophy, awarded annually to the winner of the DU-CC series. Continue reading Pioneers hold serve in first Gold Pan matchup as Devin Cooley shuts out rival CC Tigers →

A night after #20 Arizona State completed the upset for the Sun Devils’ first-ever victory over a top-5 team, it took a goal from Cole Guttman with 40 seconds left for the #4 Denver Pioneers to avoid a sweep and secure a 2-2 tie at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona. Since starting the season 8-0-0, the Pioneers have gone 1-4-3 against Minnesota Duluth, North Dakota, Western Michigan, and now Arizona State. Continue reading Late Cole Guttman goal saves Pioneers from desert sweep →

Photo courtesy Shannon Valerio/DU Athletics

DENVER – If there was ever a must-win November game, game two against the #20 Western Michigan Broncos was probably it for the #4 Denver Pioneers. Sure, it’s only November 23rd and sure, Denver is still Denver. There was no reason to hit the panic button but after salvaging just three points through their first five NCHC games, at a certain point, the Pioneers had to hit the gas and get back into the win column. On Saturday night, that time finally came and then some in a dominant, cathartic 6-1 victory at Magness Arena to end their five-game winless streak. Continue reading Pioneers buck five-game skid with dominant 6-1 victory over Broncos →