It’s never easy against the Tigers. Or at least it hasn’t been since the Mike Haviland era ended. But in the end, after last night’s 2-1 overtime thriller that ended with a Boston Buckberger snipe, the #4 Denver Pioneers (8-3-1, 4-0-0 NCHC) got the job done again, finishing off the weekend sweep of the #17 Colorado College Tigers (6-5-1, 1-4-1 NCHC) with a 3-2 classic in Colorado Springs. The win effectively guarantees Denver will retain the Gold Pan for the 7th straight year, as they only need 1 point in February’s rematch to keep it at home. Continue reading Pioneers Get Weekend Sweep of Tigers, Extend NCHC Winning Streak to Four →

It wasn’t looking good for the #4 Denver Pioneers (7-3-1, 3-0-0 NCHC) with just four minutes left in regulation as their archrivals, the #17 Colorado College Tigers (6-4-1, 1-3-1 NCHC), held a 1-0 lead and had fully collapsed into their patented neutral zone trap. But one misplayed save by CC senior goaltender Kaidan Mbereko later, DU defenseman Eric Pohlkamp swatted home the tying goal, which gave Boston Buckberger the stage to win it three and a half minutes into three-on-three overtime. The 2-1 victory means the Pioneers drew first blood in this year’s Battle for the Gold Pan and are one win away from retaining the trophy for the seventh straight year. Continue reading Boston Buckberger Calls Game in Overtime as Pioneers Take Gold Pan Game One →

If any DU fan were being honest with themselves, they would have picked last night’s matchup against #9 Boston College if they were asked which single game they’d prefer the #7 Denver Pioneers (3-2-1) win this weekend. Unfortunately, that hypothetical scenario became reality in game two as DU couldn’t solve the Northeastern Huskies’ (3-1-0) goalie Lawton Zacher despite peppering him with 35 shots. The Huskies got a goal from freshman Amine Hajibi early in the second period, and it was the only offense either team could muster in the Pioneers’ final appearance at historic Matthews Arena, which is being demolished this Winter. Continue reading Denver Dominates but Can’t Solve Goalie Zacher, Falls 1-0 at Northeastern →

Coming off a disappointing split with Lindenwood in St. Louis last weekend, the #7 Denver Pioneers (3-1-1) needed a big win in the worst kind of way. And they got it in the biggest kind of way, dispatching the #9 Boston College Eagles (2-2-1) with a 7-3 drubbing that was not close once the second period started. If there were any tears in Chestnut Hill tonight, they certainly weren’t in Denver’s locker room. Continue reading Denver Wins 4th Straight Over Boston College With 7-3 Rout →

The #5 Denver Pioneers (0-0-1) opened their 2025-26 season in Colorado Springs against the Air Force Falcons (0-0-1), and despite outshooting the hosts 59-24 through 65 minutes of hockey, they could not find the game-winner and skated to a 1-1 tie before Sam Harris won the exhibition shootout in the third round. Freshman Clarke Caswell scored his first career goal with under five minutes left in regulation to tie the game at one after Will Dawson opened the scoring for the Falcons almost 17 minutes into the game. The Pioneers narrowly avoided joining the growing ranks of big-time upsets this weekend, including Clarkson’s win over Penn State and Ferris State’s victory over defending champions Western Michigan. Continue reading Pioneers Win the Tie in Season Opener at Air Force →

Call it revenge, call it just taking care of business, call it anything you want. Denver was not going to deliver a repeat performance from last December when UNLV visited Magness Arena for the second time in less than 10 months. Last year, Denver fell to the ACHA champions in the shootout (after an official 6-6 tie). Tonight, though, the Pioneers were not letting another viral moment happen, scoring the game’s first four goals and cruising to a 6-1 exhibition game victory over the UNLV Rebels. Sam Harris recorded a natural hat trick, Cale Ashcroft scored two power-play goals in the third period, and freshman Payton Nelson – a Centennial native – opened the scoring 10 minutes into the game. Continue reading Sam Harris Nets Natty Hatty as Denver Cruises in UNLV Exhibition Rematch →

As we prepare to start another college hockey season in just a few weeks, we are also entering a new, unprecedented era as former Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Major Junior players are eligible to play in the NCAA for the first time since the early 1980s. This new era also gets underway after we awarded our third first-time Division I national champion – Western Michigan – since 2021. The other two champions in that span were Denver in 2022 and 2024, when they won their 9th and record 10th championships, respectively, which presents an interesting dichotomy, a sort of success split between the historical blue bloods and new powers in the sport. Continue reading What Are the Top Division I Men’s Hockey Programs of the Last 25 Years (and All Time)? →

The University of Denver Department of Athletics announced today that hockey head coach David Carle, pursued heavily by NHL teams with head coach openings, signed a multi-year contract extension. As DU is a private institution, the exact terms and length of the agreement are and will not be released to the public. His current deal, which runs through the 2026-27 season, was signed after he guided the program to its ninth championship in 2022. Continue reading David Carle Signs Multi-Year Extension With Denver, Reaffirms Commitment to Program →

ST. LOUIS – This game had no right to go to overtime, let alone two. For 45-plus minutes, the Denver Pioneers were completely outclassed and outworked by fellow NCHC power Western Michigan Broncos. But that’s the funny thing about Denver Hockey and the playoffs. Sometimes, the balance of play, shots on goal, and yes, the score don’t matter. After killing off a Hagen Burrows holding penalty more than four minutes into the third period, the Pioneers flipped the script, found a window, and tied the game. Outshot 32-8 through two periods, the Pioneers never quit and forced their way back into the game and forced two overtimes when they were left for dead early in the third…unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. Their quest to repeat and earn the program’s third title in four years abruptly ended on the stick of Owen Michaels. That’s hockey. Continue reading Pioneers Fall to Western Michigan in First Double-Overtime Frozen Four Game Since 1996 →