Photo by: Andrew Fielding
Things looked bleak for the DU hockey team after the first dozen minutes of Saturday’s game against arch rival Colorado College as the team trailed 2-0 early on.
That was until injured Pioneer Jesse Martin stepped onto the ice during a television timeout and everything changed.
Martin gave his team a much-needed boost of inspiration, swinging the momentum of the game in favor of DU with a first-period speech, which helped the No. 4-ranked Pioneers (17-6-5, 13-4-3 WCHA) win the Gold Pan Trophy for the second consecutive season.
“I would have to give Jesse Martin a lot of credit for that turnaround in the first period,” said head coach George Gwozdecky. “I could see with his presence some guys stopped feeling sorry for themselves and instead cheering for him and making noise. It was an inspirational boost, and that was great.”
Martin, the Pioneers’ senior center who is recovering after suffering a near-fatal neck injury against North Dakota on October 30, was announced by the PA announcer at Magness Arena and was greeted with a standing ovation, thanking the sellout crowd and DU fans from all over during his brief speech.
As Martin stepped off the ice, the Pioneers took complete command of the game, scoring four goals in the next twelve minutes — two in the final four minutes of the first period and two more in the first eight minutes of the second period.
Gwozdecky noted the drastic change that occurred in the first period, following Martin’s appearance.
“That was as strange and as bad of a start to a game that I’ve ever coached,” said Gwozdecky. “First sixteen minutes were awful, the last four minutes was something else.”
The Pioneers didn’t relinquish their lead, adding a fifth goal from sophomore Drew Shore at the end of the second period, which solidified the 5-3 victory over the No. 19-ranked Tigers (16-13-1, 10-10 WCHA).
The Pioneers split the season series against the Tigers with both teams finishing 2-0 on their home ice.
In addition to retaining the Gold Pan, the team was able to edge idle North Dakota in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s standings.
The Pioneers are now tied with Minnesota-Duluth for the league’s top spot with 29 points.
Freshmen Nick Shore, Jarrod Mermis and Sam Brittain all played a notable role in the Pioneers win with Shore recording two goals within the same minute to close out the first period.
Mermis scored the third goal after out muscling a Tigers defensemen, propelling himself towards the net while performing a nifty back handed flip shot to beat goaltender Joe Howe for Mermis’ second goal of the season. Junior Luke Salazar tallied DU’s fourth goal a minute later in the second period.
“Offensively [Shore] was really good,” said Gwozdecky. “Mermis didn’t get much ice time, but he made a really nice goal, and his line helped change the game.”
As for Brittain, the freshman goalie was a wall between the pipes, dominating the Tigers after two early goals slipped past him. Brittain finished with a career-high 36 saves, while the DU defense helped blocking 22 more shot attempts.
The win came a day after the Pioneers lost for the first time in 2011, dropping a road contest to CC 3-2 at World Arena in Colorado Springs, which caused DU to descend in the national rankings, dropping from No. 2 to No. 4.
Despite the loss, the Pioneers remain atop of the conference with only four weekend series remaining.
As for Friday’s loss, the Pioneers fell behind early by two goals and failed to mount a comeback, losing 3-2.
Gwozdecky acknowledged the team’s slow starts as a problem that has been persistent all season.
“Is it a concern? Damn right it’s a concern and we’ve got to fix it,” said Gwozdecky about starting in a 2-0 deficit and losing on Friday. “It’s been a concern for a long time now. It’s not fun; it’s frustrating, especially when you can’t come back, but we’ve been resilient in most of our games, however eventually it’s going to catch up with you, and it did tonight.”
With the rivalry series behind them, the Pioneers head to Minneapolis to take on Minnesota on Friday and Saturday night.
However, the team can’t afford to forget what they learned this past weekend, according to Gwozdecky.
“Both teams battled like crazy and I think we learned a lot from this series,” said Gwozdecky. “It was a tight series, the way a series like this should be with these two great traditions, it’s arguably the best rivalry in college hockey.”
