For all of the progress that the #8 Denver Pioneers (3-5-0, 10 pts) had made since their 0-3 start to the season, the mistakes that led them to that start – poor faceoffs, defensive zone turnovers, third-period mental mistakes leading to opponents’ power plays, an inability to finish on their scoring chances – came back to haunt them against the Miami RedHawks (2-6-0, 7 pts) in a 3-0 shutout loss. Miami played a good, defensive, hard-nosed game and got another stellar 26-save performance from freshman goaltender Ludvig Persson along the way but it was Denver’s self-inflicted wounds that played the starring role in this loss. Continue reading Pioneers’ Nagging Mistakes Return as Miami Pitches 3-0 Shutout →

The #8 Denver Pioneers (3-4-0, 10 pts) continue to learn and grow throughout the Pod. After erasing the memory of their season-opening three-game losing streak, they wanted to erase another loss from their memories, this time a 4-1 loss to Minnesota Duluth. Thanks to a strong performance from Yale transfer goaltender Corbin Kaczperski and a stifling presence in the defensive zone, DU bounced back from that loss with a 3-2 victory over the Western Michigan Broncos (2-5-1, 7 pts). Continue reading Pioneers Bounce Back with 3-2 Victory over Western Michigan Broncos →

The Denver Pioneers became mentally unglued in the third period of an otherwise tight game, allowing the two-time defending NCAA champion Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs to score a pair of unanswered goals to blow open a 2-1 game, en-route to a 4-1 victory over the Pioneers on Saturday, Dec. 12 at Omaha’s Baxter Arena. Continue reading Pioneers Third Period Meltdown Enables UMD to Thump DU, 4-1 →

Once the relief of earning their first victory of the season two days ago wore off, a new reality set in for the #9 Denver Pioneers (2-3-0, 7 pts): they’re in the bottom half of the NCHC, trailing first-place Minnesota Duluth by 8 points just four games into the season. So while that thrilling 3-2 victory over North Dakota on Tuesday felt great for the Pios, their work had just started. With the winless, last-place Miami RedHawks (0-5-0, 1 pt) next on the schedule, Denver had to face a team desperate to earn their own first victory. In other words, DU’s journey back up the NCHC standings continued with a potential trap game. But after surrendering the first goal to the RedHawks, the Pioneers settled in, played their game, and did again to Miami what they’ve done so many times in recent years: dominate. It was a 5-1 victory that didn’t end up being as close as even the wide score margin indicates. Continue reading Pioneers top RedHawks 5-1 for Second Straight Victory, 6th Straight Over Miami →

It’s extremely rare when Denver and North Dakota tangle and the game doesn’t end up being an instant classic. On Friday night, it was #1 North Dakota’s (3-1-0, 8 pts) Jordan Kawaguchi who put the finishing touches on an overtime thriller with a roofed shot down low but this time, just four days later, it was the #9 Denver Pioneers (1-3-0, 4 pts) who came away with the late game-winning goal off of the stick of freshman hero Carter Savoie, his fifth of the season already. The 3-2 victory, though, took on a much bigger significance for the Pios as it was their first victory of the season after starting the season 0-3-0 for the first time since the 2000-2001 season. Continue reading Denver Enters Win Column in Thrilling 3-2 Victory over North Dakota →

The #4 Denver Pioneers (0-2-0, 1 pt) are finding themselves in a precarious position with an alarming trend just two games into the season. On Wednesday night, the Pios had a 1-0 lead entering the third period before #3 Minnesota Duluth came back on the back of two quick power-play goals. Then, two nights later, in a matchup with #1 North Dakota (2-0-0, 5 pts), the Pioneers had a 2-1 lead early in the third period before coughing that lead up as well. Freshman sensation Carter Savoie played temporary savior, tying the game to send it to the Pod’s first overtime before UND captain Jordan Kawaguchi won the 4-3 contest for the Fighting Hawks. Continue reading #4 Pioneers Blow Second-Straight Third Period Lead, Fall to #1 North Dakota in Overtime →

The third period, normally a strength for David Carle and his Pioneers, proved to be the Crimson & Gold’s Achilles Heel in the #4 Denver Pioneers’ (0-1-0, 0 pts) 2-1 loss at the paws of the defending national champions #3 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs (2-0-0, 6 pts) at the NCHC Pod in Omaha. Denver played a superb 40 minutes to start the game but UMD goaltender Ryan Fanti’s performance in limiting a dangerous Pioneers offensive attack to just one goal through two periods and a poor DU sequence in the final 10 minutes that saw the Bulldogs score two power-play goals just 48 seconds apart ruined Denver’s Omaha Pod welcoming party and served as the Pioneers first-ever loss at Baxter Arena. Continue reading Third-period Penalties Doom Pioneers in 2-1 Pod-Opening Loss to Bulldogs →