In a year dominated by COVID-19 news, Denver Athletics provided major stories of their own. There were a host of individuals and teams that created lasting memories and achieved historic milestones for the Pioneers. And yes, there were some major losses as well. Below, we selected some of the key events that shaped the ‘Year of COVID-19’. Continue reading Top DU Athletic Stories of 2020
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays
This year we are especially grateful for DU Athletics providing many of us a welcome distraction from Covid-19. Special thanks to the DU Administration for supporting DU athletics during this time. And, let’s not forget that many of our incredible coaches and athletes who have an abbreviated holiday away from family and friends as they hit the courts, ice, ski slopes and fields to entertain us.
Thanks for reading and supporting LetsGoDU. And, Go Pioneers!
Lumberjacks Chop Down Denver, 68-65
Two desperate teams met on Tuesday afternoon at Hamilton Gym. A combined 1-10 going into the game, the University of Denver Pioneers (1-6) played the (1-5) Northern Arizona Lumberjacks. Absent two front-line starters for the game, DU dropped the game 68-65 as Denver could not make critical stops or baskets down the stretch. Continue reading Lumberjacks Chop Down Denver, 68-65
SCSU Defeats Pioneers, 3-1 with Special Teams Edge
Veeti Miettanen’s game-winning power-play goal with 9:38 remaining in the game lifted the Saint Cloud (Minn.) State Huskies (6-3) to a 3-1 thriller over the Denver Pioneers (3-6-1) at Omaha’s Baxter arena on Sunday afternoon, Dec 20. Miettanen beat DU goalie Magnus Chrona with a clean wrist shot from 20 feet-out for the game-winner, and the Huskies added an empty netter by SCSU’s Zach Okabe in the final minute for the 3-1 final score. Continue reading SCSU Defeats Pioneers, 3-1 with Special Teams Edge
Which North Dakota Commercial is Most Annoying?
After watching a few weeks of DU games in the NCHC “pod,” we’ve been subjected to hundreds of repetitive, small-city Grand Forks, North Dakota-based TV commercials. The reason for this is that Dakota-based Midco Sports Network is producing the NCHC.tv-wide production, fueled by money from North Dakota advertisers, where UND hockey is the state’s largest athletic attraction. To our more citified eyes and ears, there are seven of them that, in heavy rotation, have become proverbial nails on a chalkboard to our urban sensibilities… Continue reading Which North Dakota Commercial is Most Annoying?
McKade Webster’s Shootout Heroics Give Pioneers Extra Point in 3-3 Tie with Western Michigan
No game in the first 10 games of any season is a must-win game for any team. Even for the #8 Denver Pioneers (3-5-1, 12 pts) who came off of a demoralizing 3-0 shutout loss against Miami just two nights ago, no game this early is a must-win game. But given everything that DU has gone through so far in the Pod, you’d be forgiven for feeling like this afternoon’s game against the Western Michigan Broncos (2-6-2, 8 pts) was one. Staring down the barrel of a 3-5-0 record, it certainly felt like the Pioneers needed a victory immediately to get things back on track. And they got one…kind of…as they tied the Broncos 3-3 and took the extra NCHC standings point in the shootout. Continue reading McKade Webster’s Shootout Heroics Give Pioneers Extra Point in 3-3 Tie with Western Michigan
Bobcats Nip Denver, 70-68
The University of Denver (1-5) hosted the Texas State Bobcats (5-3) in the first game of the Pioneer Challenge Saturday afternoon at Hamilton Gym. A 19 point Pioneer lead slipped away in the second half and the Pioneer dropped a heartbreaker, 70-68. Continue reading Bobcats Nip Denver, 70-68
Pioneers’ Nagging Mistakes Return as Miami Pitches 3-0 Shutout
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
Bears Claw Past Pioneers, 83-75
Denver (1-4) played by far their best game of the season Wednesday night but fell to the University of Northern Colorado (3-1), 83-75. DU played the highly athletic Bears tough all night long but could never knock out the visitors who nailed 10 of 20 three’s (50%) for the game to DU’s 4 treys. Continue reading Bears Claw Past Pioneers, 83-75
Three Point Shooting & Turnovers Plague Denver Hoops
It’s too early to determine a simple fix for what ails DU men’s basketball (1-3) heading into tonight’s game against Northern Colorado (2-1) at Hamilton Gym. However, digging into the statistics, you will see several major issues facing this season’s team. Continue reading Three Point Shooting & Turnovers Plague Denver Hoops