The past two seasons, the Pioneer hockey team has faltered in the stretch. Both years, the team squandered early season success and failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament.
After a recent skid, in which DU was 2-6-1 in the past nine games, the No. 8 Pioneers were determined to right the ship and not have a repeat of past disappointments.
“This week, we talked about trying to remember 12 months ago, sitting in the locker room after losing that first round of the playoffs,” Head Coach George Gwozdecky said. “[I] tried to remind (the players) that we have six games left. Last year all we needed was one more win, and each of these next games could be that one win we need.”
Gwozdecky’s team answered his call.
With DU star forward Tyler Ruegsegger and the fans in the DU student section noticeably absent, the Pioneer hockey team was able to pick up two much-needed Western Collegiate Hockey Association wins and clinch home ice for the WCHA playoffs.
DU smashed down the visiting Seawolves of the University of Alaska-Anchorage 4-2 Friday and 3-1 on Saturday at Magness Arena.
“It felt like a long time ago since we won our last game,” Gwozdecky said. “I don’t think that any of us are used to dealing with the issues that we have the last week. This was a huge win for us.”
Some of the outside factors that Gwozdecky may have been alluding to were that both Ruegsegger (abdominal strain) and sophomore Brock Trotter (left team for personal reasons) were out of the line-up this past weekend.
The Pioneers were also without defenseman and alternate captain J.P. Testwuide and sophomore forward Brandon Vossberg, Friday night, who were both serving one game suspensions for fights that took place two weekends ago in North Dakota.
Despite playing short handed, the Pioneers played in complete control Friday night.
After the Seaswolves jumped to an early 1-0 win, DU tied the score when defenseman Patrick Mullen ripped a slap shot past UAA goalie John Olthuis at 11:03 of the first period. Senior defenseman Zach Blom and freshman forward Stephen Cunningham assisted on the goal.
The Pioneers then dominated the second period, scoring three special teams goals. The first came on a power play when sophomore forward Rhett Rakhshani sniped a one-timer into the upper corner.
Then the Pioneers netted two straight shorthanded goals. Defenseman Chris Butler buried a pretty pass from freshman Tyler Bozak for a 3-1 lead, before Bozak netted his league-leading 5th short-handed goal, 15th overall this season.
UAA scored to cut the lead to two goals in the third period, but could not get any closer, and the Pioneers hung on for the 4-2 win.
The Pioneers had three players (Mullen, Rahkshani and Bozak) who registered a goal and an assist each, and senior Peter Mannino made 24 saves in the win.
“We had four regulars out of the lineup, and …everyone did their job tonight,” Butler said. “Everyone got pucks out of the zone. We didn’t make foolish turnovers that cost us.”
Saturday night’s tilt was more of the same for the Pioneers.
With the student section at Magness Arena being occupied by about 40 students for the majority of the first two periods, many DU students did not see the Pioneers jump out to an early, and commanding, lead.
Six minutes into the game, the Pioneers capitalized on a power-play opportunity when Rakhshani netted his second goal of the weekend, No. 12 on the year, off a rebound on a shot by Mullen.
DU pushed its lead to two goals when Testewuide’s rocket from the point found its way into the back of the net at 7:58 of the second period.
After the Seawolves cut the lead back down to 2-1 midway through the second, sophomore Matt Glasser finished off a 2-on-1 break by sliding a shot five hole on Olthius for a 3-1 lead that they would not relinquish.
The win clinched home ice for the Pioneers in the opening round of the WCHA playoffs and gives them an outside chance at chasing down in-state rival Colorado College for the regular season conference title.
“Clinching home ice was important to be able to get it off our mind,” Gwozdecky said. “We’ve got two teams ahead of us that are pretty hot right now… but we are in good position.”
The Pioneers trail first-place CC by six points and second-place North Dakota by two points in the WCHA standings. With an away series at Michigan Tech (7-13-4 WCHA) this weekend and a home-and-home series with CC the following weekend, DU still can gain some ground in the standings.
Both Friday and Saturday’s games in Houghton, Mich. are slated to start at 5:07 MT.
