COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The No. 2 Denver Pioneers hockey team defeated the Colorado College Tigers 5-1 on Saturday night at Ed Robson Arena to sweep the weekend series and retain the Gold Pan trophy.
Denver (6-1-1, 2-0-0 NCHC) stretched its winning streak to three games and unbeaten streak to five in a row (4-0-1). The Pioneers have now won 13 consecutive regular-season contests against CC (5-3-0, 0-2-0 NCHC) and have earned the Gold Pan for five straight years. The teams meet again at the end of the campaign on March 8-9, but DU only needed a series split in the four-game series to keep possession of the Gold Pan.
Three freshmen scored for the Pios, as defenseman Boston Buckberger found the back of the net for the second consecutive game and forwards Miko Matikka and Sam Harris both buried their first career goals. Junior Carter King and sophomore Jared Wright added markers in the third period.
“It was a great second period for us, defensively and also offensively,” said Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach David Carle. “I thought we were opportunistic. I didn’t think it was a dominate offensive performance, I just think we capitalized on our chances.”
King also had an assist for a multi-point performance and stretch his individual point streak to a career-best five games (four goals, three assists). Rizzo recorded two helpers to push his season-opening point streak to eight games (five goals, 12 assists) and now has 99 career points.
DU goaltender Freddie Halyk made his third consecutive start and stopped 20-of-21 shots.
The freshman has allowed only two goals in those three stars.
Tied at 1-1 after the first period, the Pioneers opened up their advantage with two goals in a matter of 1:43 with Matikka and Harris. The Finn Matikka scored on a one-timer in the slot during a power play at 10:56 and the San Diego, California, native Harris hit twine from the slot at 11:56.
“Great for Miko and Sammy to score those two goals,” Carle said. “To get them back-to-back within a minute’s time was huge momentum.”
Buckberger gave Denver a 1-0 lead with a one-timer goal just 106 seconds after the initial faceoff, but Gleb Veremyev of Colorado College evened the score at the five-minute mark of the frame with a breakaway goal.
Both of King’s points came in the final frame, as he scored on the power play at 9:42 and Wright was the benefactor of the puck going off a CC player’s skate 62 seconds later.
The Pioneers killed off all four of the Tigers’ power plays in the game and have now killed a season-best 14 consecutive penalties since Oct. 28.
UP NEXT: The Pioneers continue their three-game road swing next weekend as they travel to the desert to play future-NCHC foe Arizona State on Nov. 10-11.
POSTGAME NOTES
- Denver and Colorado College were playing for the 339th time, the most-played rivalry in college hockey.
- DU finished 2-for-3 on the power play.
- The Pioneers won 37-of-66 faceoffs (.561).
- Denver improved to 4-0-0 on Saturdays this season.
- DU is now 5-0-0 all-time at Ed Robson Arena.
- In addition to his first career goal, Miko Matikka recorded his first NCAA game-winning tally.
- Massimo Rizzo extended his season-opening point streak to eight games (5g/12a), the longest to begin a campaign by a Pioneer since Jarid Lukosevicius had a nine-game run to start 2018-19.
- Boston Buckberger extended his career-long point streak to six games (2g/5a).
GOAL SUMMARY
1st Period
1:46 DU (1-0) – Boston Burger buried a one-time shot from the right circle off a pass from Tristan Broz.
5:00 CC (1-1) – Gleb Veremyev tallied blocker side on a breakaway
2nd Period
10:13 DU (2-1) – PPG, Miko Matikka scored from the slot after taking a pass from Shai Buium.
11:56 DU (3-1) – Jack Devine’s centering pass caromed off a CC player and right to Sam Harris, who scored from the slot.
3rd Period
9:42 DU (4-1) – PPG, Carter King knocked in Sean Behrens’ centering pass.
10:44 DU (5-1) – Jared Wright’s shot through the slot went off a Tigers’ players’ skate and five-hole into the goal.
QUOTABLES
Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach David Carle
On the penalty kill and Jared Wright’s performance: “His speed gives him a chance to play for a long time. He was excellent on the kill. Obviously, we get the short-hand goal, we killed the five-on-three, thought we disrupted a lot. We got a lot of really good clears, so big credit to the guys and their ability to execute on the kill.”
On Zeev Buium, Shai Buium, and Sam Harris: “When Zeev pasted it over to Shai, I thought it was pretty cool that they get the opportunity to do that. I’m jealous of them. It’s certainly a moment in their lives that they will never forget, playing here together. Hopefully many more where they connect on goals. It was the first time that they got to do that as well. It’s really cool for them. Sammy without playing power plays and penalty kills found a way to get him some good ice, and I liked how he responded.”
Junior Forward Jack Devine
On the game: “I thought it was a big one for us. I thought it was a game where we got tested a lot. I thought we kept our cool there. So I thought it was a big win against a big rival, and I am just proud of the guys with how we responded tonight.”
On the physicality of the game: “I think for us, just not backing down to them. They wanted to play a physical game, and I think we responded well to that. I think just sticking to our game, playing fast, playing strong, so I thought that we did well in that aspect.”
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