CHICAGO – Will Butcher has been named the recipient of the 2017 Hobey Baker Memorial Award as college hockey’s national player of the year. Butcher becomes the University of Denver’s second Hobey Baker Award recipient. Matt Carle won the award as a defenseman in 2006. Continue reading Will Butcher wins Hobey Baker, named 2017 national player of the year
Tag Archives: Denver News
Ultimate team player Evan Ritt finding his game at Frozen Four
Photo courtesy DU Athletics
CHICAGO – Over the course of this season, the University of Denver Pioneers hockey team has gotten significant contributions from all four lines. It’s been one of the reasons why the Pioneers have made it to the National Championship Game, to be played against Minnesota Duluth tomorrow night. Evan Ritt, fourth line mainstay, has been at the center of the Pioneers’ depth contributions. Continue reading Ultimate team player Evan Ritt finding his game at Frozen Four
America’s best two teams to clash in National Title Game
Photo courtesy DU Athletics
CHICAGO – It doesn’t happen often in the regular season. It’s even rarer in the National Championship Game. But on Saturday at the United Center in the Frozen Four, the college hockey world will get that rare treat when the University of Denver Pioneers and the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs hit the ice Saturday night with a National Championship on the line. Continue reading America’s best two teams to clash in National Title Game
Denver ends the Luck of the Irish, advances to National Championship
Photo courtesy DU Athletics
CHICAGO – On college hockey’s biggest stage, under college hockey’s brightest lights, the top-ranked University of Denver once again showed why they’re the best team in the country. Thanks to a 6-1 drubbing of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the Pioneers are returning to the National Championship Game for the first time since 2005. Continue reading Denver ends the Luck of the Irish, advances to National Championship
Denver and Notre Dame taking lacrosse rivalry to the Frozen Four
Photo courtesy DU Athletics
CHICAGO – “Notre Dame and Denver. It is what it is…it was all we thought it was going to be,” DU lacrosse head coach Bill Tierney said with a laugh a few weeks after his team beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish with a last-second goal from Connor Cannizzaro. Denver’s win was just the latest in a long streak of close, exciting games between the two top five men’s lacrosse programs. This Thursday evening, though, the rivalry between the two schools hits the ice on college hockey’s biggest stage at the Frozen Four. Continue reading Denver and Notre Dame taking lacrosse rivalry to the Frozen Four
Heartbreak fueling Denver’s push for National Championship
Photo courtesy John Leyba, The Denver Post
CHICAGO – You could see it in their body language. You could see it in their faces. As soon as North Dakota’s Nick Schmaltz tapped the puck past Denver goalie Tanner Jaillet for the game-winning goal at the Frozen Four in Tampa last year, heartbreak had a heavy crimson and gold tinge. Continue reading Heartbreak fueling Denver’s push for National Championship
Denver hockey locker room upgrade finally gets green light
Photo courtesy NCHChockey.com
After years of fundraising, the University of Denver hockey team is finally getting its much-needed locker room upgrade. According to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post, DU has officially given the green light to the $2.1 million upgrade to be completed by the time the puck drops on the 2017-18 season. Continue reading Denver hockey locker room upgrade finally gets green light
Jim Montgomery wins Spencer Penrose Award, named National Coach of the Year
Photo courtesy Denver Athletics
CCM and the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) announced today that University of Denver head coach Jim Montgomery has won the Spencer Penrose Award which is given to the Division I Men’s Coach of the Year. Montgomery was a finalist last year before losing out to Quinnipiac head coach, Rand Pecknold. Continue reading Jim Montgomery wins Spencer Penrose Award, named National Coach of the Year
Puck Swami: DU Fans Need to Step Up for #Skatefor8!
The United Center in Chicago – Home of the 2017 NCAA Frozen Four – Photo: NCAA
This is a very big week for everyone connected to the University of Denver, as our top-ranked Pioneers skate for NCAA Hockey Title #8 in Chicago. Over 1,000 DU fans will watch the game live at the United Center in Chicago, and thousands more will gather at the at least 13 DU-sponsored watch parties around the country or in front of their personal screens on ESPN around the world to cheer on the Pioneers, celebrating our common emotional bond with our team and school. Continue reading Puck Swami: DU Fans Need to Step Up for #Skatefor8!
Trevor Baptiste Becomes DU’s Greatest Face-off Man, Leads Pios to 20-11 Big East win over Georgetown
Photo: Inside Lacrosse
It was the Trevor Baptiste record-setting show, as the junior from Denville, N.J. set a DU career record and tied another to lead the Denver Pioneers to a 20-11 Big East League men’s lacrosse victory over the Georgetown Hoyas before a sellout crowd on a dreary gray day at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium.
Baptiste became the University of Denver’s all-time face-off leader in just his junior year, setting the school record with 736 wins in passing DU legends Chase Carraro and Geoff Snider, going 26-for-30 on the day. The possession advantage Baptiste created helped the Pioneers to season high 20 goal output, the most DU has scored since 2012. The Pioneers had a balanced attack behind 11 different goal scorers, but the 4-goal, 5-assist assist performance from senior All American Connor Cannizzaro led the way offensively with nine points, moving him into a tie for 3rd place all time in DU scoring with Todd Dickson (199 points), and behind Mark Matthews (216 points) and Wes Berg’s 255 career points.
Baptiste also tied Ben Wahler’s 2008 school record with his 26 face-off wins on the day and moved into ninth place on the all time NCAA career lacrosse face-off winners list – incredible for a player only two-thirds of his way through his junior season. He also picked up 17 ground balls on the day, and even scored a goal.
“Baptiste was so tenacious,” said DU coach Bill Tierney of his face-off star after the game. “He did so many different moves against five different face off [opponents]…we’re glad he’s on our side.”
Indeed the only way the Hoyas could even slow Baptiste was to put all three long pole players into the face-off play, which Georgetown did in the second half.
The Pioneers (7-2 overall, 1-0 Big East) broke open a close 8-6 halftime lead with an eight goals, including seven unanswered in a dominant 11 minutes of the third quarter to delight another sellout home crowd and put away the somewhat snakebit Hoyas, who fell to 2-8 on the season, and 0-1 in Big East pay.
“I was little emotional at halftime,” Tierney said, referring to what was likely a paint-peeling halftime address to his Pioneers, who were sloppy and sluggish with too many turnovers and some lazy play in the first half. “We weren’t playing well in the first half, but we were scoring goals and winning face-offs…We needed to make sure we got a good convincing win and we did that.”
Besides Baptiste’s dominance at the X, Sophomore goalie Alex Ready woke up from a tough 3-save first half to make four third quarter saves to help change the momentum of the game to finish with seven saves on the day.
Daniel Buccaro was the top offensive bright spot for Georgetown, with a three goal hat trick to go with three assists on the day.
The Pioneers stay home in Denver this week to face Big East rival Villanova next Saturday at 12 pm MT.