Last season the Pioneers recorded the first ever undefeated home season, and this weekend at Peter Barton Stadium DU picked up right where it left off, extending their home winning streak to 11-0 over the last two seasons.
DU hosted the seventh annual Pioneer Face-Off Classic this weekend, which included Villanova, Air Force and No. 19 UMBC. The Pioneers faced Villanova on Saturday and University of Maryland Baltimore County on Sunday.
Saturday’s game gave the fans, at least those supporting DU, something to cheer about. The Pioneers trailed almost the entire game after building a 3-1 advantage midway through the 1st period. Villanova tied it at three with 6:20 left in the period and then took the lead at 5:42.
The final score at the end of the first period was DU 4, Villanova 6 thanks to a hat trick goal by Joey Murray. Villanova’s lead would last until one second remained in the fourth period when Murray dished a pass to John Dickenson, who spinning around, flung the ball around his head for the tying goal, sending the game into overtime.
The excitement continued throughout the first sudden death overtime period with both teams getting several opportunities to score. Then eight seconds into the second OT, freshman Dillon Roy stole the ball from a Villanova defenseman then took a slap shot at the ball sending it passed Villanova goalie Andrew Diloreto for his first career goal, giving the Pioneers their second win of the season and a 1-0 record at home.
“I wouldn’t have it in any other circumstance,” Roy said of his first career goal. “I just checked it out of his stick and my hockey instincts kicked in because I saw the empty net and just slapped it in.”
Joey Murray recorded six goals and two assists while Brad Richardson, Roy and Ilija Gajic each scored one a piece. Brett Koll recorded two assists and Michael Goltra recorded three assists. The three goals off the bench came from Jon Paulson who got two and John Dickenson with 1 and an assist.
Coach Jamie Munro said about the first half on Saturday, “We were playing pretty good defense six on six but we were giving up too many transition goals. We just had to get back on defense.”
“We came out a little flat in the beginning, we didn’t try very hard and our defense gave up a couple of quick goals but we fought back the entire game,” said Murray on his team’s effort Saturday. “Getting this home win in the fashion that we did, I think we are going to come out with way more effort tomorrow and play really well.”
Freshman goalie Austin Konkel started in net for the Pioneers, however, he was pulled after 17 minutes of play allowing seven goals and making two saves. Jeb Hollingsworth took over in goal for the remainder of the game allowing four goals and recording five saves. The final score was 12-11 after Roy’s goal in the second OT. 1,527 fans turned up on Saturday to Peter Barton Stadium.
Coach Munro said of the win Saturday that snapped the two game losing streak , “It’s big, we needed it big time.”
Sunday’s match against UMBC saw DU face its third ranked team of the season. They lost last weekend to both UNC and Duke. Sunday, however, it was the Pioneers that took control early and never looked back. Murray sparked the 5-0 run that the Pioneers put up in the first period until Andy Gallagher of UMBC scored with 14 seconds remaining. UMBC came within two of the Pioneers late in the third period but that was as close as they got as DU scored five in the fourth period starting with Paulson’s second goal of the game on an assist from Murray.
No Pioneer scored more than two goals on Sunday. Ryan Zordani, Koll, Brad Richardson and Murray all scored 1 while Koll and Richardson both had an assist and Murray had three. Off the benc,h Denver got goals from Brad Patterson, Gajic, Ryan Shaughnessy, Dickenson and Cameron Kerr. Both Dickenson brothers had an assist as did Kyle Widerstedt. Michael Goltra and Paulson each scored twice with Goltra also dishing out two assists.
Jeb Hollingsworth spent 60 minutes in goal making 14 saves and allowing eight goals. The final score was 13-8 with Denver getting the third win of the season in front of a crowd of 1768 at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium.
The tourney MVP was Denver’s Joey Murray. Other Pioneers selected to the All-Tournament Team were Michael Goltra, Dillon Roy, and David Hahn. The Pioneers next face off against Stony Brook on Saturday March 10th and 1:30 pm at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium.
