Denver was great for 16 seconds and then CC flipped the script and controlled the pace most of the night. Denver made a late push in the third period trailing 4-1 and closed the gap to 4-3 with 1:30 remaining  – it was too little, too late. Denver was missing centers Massimo Rizzo and Carter King and suffered at the dot, 40-23, a problem that has plagued the Pioneers off and on during the season. Continue reading Denver Comeback Falls Short in The Springs, 4-3 →

The #5 Denver Pioneers (23-8-2, 14-6-2 NCHC, 42 pts) might just be rounding into form at the perfect time. Over the past three weeks, the Pios rose from 5th place in the NCHC, potentially looking at having to play the conference tournament quarterfinals on the road, to 2nd place with three consecutive sweeps of Minnesota Duluth, Miami (OH), and St. Cloud State. The most impressive of the bunch, however, was the latest this weekend when they obliterated the #15 St. Cloud State Huskies (15-12-5, 11-7-4 NCHC, 40 pts) twice, 6-2 & 7-2 on the road at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center. Continue reading Pioneers Blitz Huskies Again to Take Possession of 2nd Place →

If the #5 Denver Pioneers (22-8-3, 13-6-2 NCHC, 39 pts) continue making a habit of chasing the opposing goaltender as they did for the third straight weekend in tonight’s 6-2 victory over the #15 St. Cloud State Huskies (15-11-5, 11-6-4 NCHC, 40 pts), their prospects of making a run to the Frozen Four in St. Paul will increase dramatically. Two weeks ago, in game two against the UMD Bulldogs, the Pioneers scored three times in the opening seven minutes to chase Zach Stejskal. Last weekend, in game two against Miami, DU scored five times on Bruno Bruveris and chased him midway through the game. And then tonight, in the series opener with the Huskies, Denver scored three times in the opening 11 minutes which forced St. Cloud State head coach Brett Larson to pull Isak Posch. That’s three times in three weekends that the Pioneers have forced a goalie change – all without the services of Massimo Rizzo, no less. Continue reading Pioneers Pull Within A Point of 2nd Place with 6-2 Drubbing of SCSU Huskies →

There are plenty of reasons to be frustrated with the 2023-24 Denver Pioneers hockey team but their NCAA-best offense (4.88 GPG) is most certainly not one of them. That offense was on full display in game two against Miami (of Ohio) (7-20-3, 1-17-2 NCHC, 7 pts) as the #3 Pioneers (21-8-3, 12-6-2 NCHC, 36 pts) exploded for eight goals en route to an 8-1 drubbing of the Redhawks. The win broke the third-place tie with Colorado College and they are alone there, four points behind 2nd-place St. Cloud State with a series with the Huskies in Minnesota on deck next weekend. Continue reading Denver Builds a Snowman Against Miami to Earn Second-Straight 5-Point Weekend →

We’ve all heard the old cliché , “a 2–0 lead is the worst lead“. Well, it certainly was Friday night for DU when the Pioneers held a 3-1 lead in the third period. The visiting Miami Redhawks responded with two goals and knotted the game to force a 3-on-3 overtime period. Denver found the post in the 5-minute OT but neither team could find the back of the cage in the extra period. Denver finally scored on one of their three shootout opportunities while Matt Davis held the Redhawks off the board for the two conference points. Continue reading Miami Comes Back in Third Period to Tie Denver, 3-3 →

A night after blowing a late two-goal lead before recovering in overtime, the #5 Denver Pioneers (20-8-2, 11-6-1 NCHC, 31 pts) bounced back to blow out the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs (10-15-4, 6-11-1 NCHC, 21 pts), 5-2 at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth. The Pioneers scored the game’s first three goals, including a Zeev Buium marker just 31 seconds into the game and Sam Harris scored twice over the second and third periods to seal the regulation victory and claim five of the six points at stake this weekend. Continue reading Pioneers Bounce Back from Blown Lead to Blow Out Bulldogs, 5-2 →

#5 Denver (19-8-2, 10-6-1) had dropped to fifth in the NCHC standings and, despite their lofty national ranking, the trip to Minnesota Duluth felt like a must-win series. Coming off an open weekend after dropping three of their last four games and going on the road, could Denver regain their form in the final quarter of NCHC Play? Denver carried a comfortable 4-2 lead into the final chaotic three minutes but needed overtime to secure the win, 5-4. Continue reading Denver Averts Catastrophe in Overtime win Over UMD, 5-4 →

We don’t want to write it. You don’t want to read it. Here’s the box score, which does a better job explaining what the hell happened at Magness Arena tonight than we ever could: Western Michigan 7, Denver 2

After dropping three of their last four games, Denver has a much-needed bye week next weekend before heading up to Duluth for their only series of the season with the Bulldogs.

But hey, at least the men’s lacrosse team had a good day!

After last weekend’s disaster in Grand Forks where they were swept by the North Dakota Fighting Hawks, the #5 Denver Pioneers (18-7-2, 9-5-1 NCHC, 26 pts) returned home to face the #15 Western Michigan Broncos (15-9-1, 6-9-0 NCHC, 22 pts) in a key middle of the NCHC pack showdown. The Pioneers, looking for a big bounceback effort, scored twice in the opening period, then hit five posts, and added another in the final period to hold off the Broncos, 3-2. Continue reading Denver Survives Poor Puck Luck & Extra Attacker Frenzy to Earn 3-2 Bounceback Victory Over WMU →