Photo by: Michael Furman
The buzz around Denver hockey this week is all about the Gold Pan. The MacNaughton Cup champions will try and win another award this weekend.
The Gold Pan is the trophy that is awarded to the winner of the season series of the games between DU and their in-state conference rival Colorado College.
The Gold Pan has eluded the current senior class their entire time at DU. In the past three seasons, the Pioneers have a record of 1-7-4 against the Tigers.
The Pioneers had won the Gold Pan three years in a row before the current three-year drought.
“It would mean a lot for us to win the Gold Pan, especially for the seniors,” said senior captain Rhett Rakhshani. “It is something we have never won here and we are excited for the opportunity to bring it back.”
This weekend, the senior class and the rest of the Pioneer team needs one win to clinch the Gold Pan.
Earlier in the year, the Pioneers won the first half of the home and home series against the Tigers in Colorado Springs, Colo. The game in Magness Arena ended in a 4-4 tie after CC’s senior captain Mike Testwuide scored on a penalty shot with 40 seconds left in the game. DU comes into the weekend as the hottest team in the nation. They are winners of 10 straight games and a total record of 13-1-2 in the last 16 games.
The Pioneers are still ranked No. 1 in the nation, getting 48 of the 50 first-place votes.
Last weekend, the Pioneers swept Minnesota State to clinch the MacNaughton Cup, awarded to the team with the best record in the WCHA during the regular season.
The first game the Pioneers won 3-1. The big line of sophomore Joe Colborne along with Ruegsegger and Rakhshani was on the ice for all three Pioneers goals.
This line has been a major part of the success for the Pioneers this season.
These three have scored 118 total points, and have scored 40 percent of thetotal points for DU this season. The dynamic trio also has scored 54 of the 112 total goals for the team this season, 48.2 percent of the team’s total goals.
“I feel really fortunate to be playing with two players of their caliber,” said Colborne. “They are both so skilled and work so hard that I just do whatever I can to compliment their games.”
Rakhshani had three assists in Friday’s game against Minnesota State, Ruegsegger had a goal and an assist and Colborne had a goal. Junior goaltender Marc Cheverie stopped 28 of the 29 shots that he faced.
Rakhshani stole the show for the Pioneers in the second game. After the Pioneers lost a 3-1 lead in the second period, the game went into overtime. Then, with 23 seconds left, the leading scorer for the Pioneers and the captain delivered the game winning and conference-clinching goal.
“We [seniors] have never won the WCHA regular season title, so it was really cool to win it with an overtime goal like that,” said Rakhshani.
After this high-octane weekend the Pioneers must look to their next set of games.
The games are Friday and Saturday, at 7:35 p.m. and 7:05 p.m., respectively.
The first game will be in Magness Arena and the team will honor their six seniors—Rakhshani, Ruegsegger, Brian Gifford, Brandon Vossberg, Matt Glasser and Cody Brookwell. The second will be held in World Arena in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Follow live by visiting duclarion.com at game time.
