Denver men’s hockey (15-5-4, 7-2-3-2, National Collegiate Hockey Conference) entered a road trip on Jan. 13-14 against No. 14 Western Michigan University (11-6-3, 5-6-1-1 National Collegiate Hockey Conference) while ranked number one in the country and looking to build their momentum.

However, the Western Michigan Broncos handed the Pioneers their first shutout loss of the season. DU fell 3-0 in a game that stayed deadlocked at 0-0 until the final period.

Until the end of the game, junior goalie Tanner Jaillet (Red Deer, Alberta) had a strong performance, battling it out with Broncos’ goaltender Ben Blacker. Jaillet saved 27 of 28 shots on goal, as Western Michigan didn’t get on the board until the 6:28 mark of the third period. The home team then tacked on a couple of empty-net goals to end the game, handing the home team a devastating 3-0 loss.

Despite some chances throughout the game, the Pioneers were unable to take advantage, as none of their 24 shots on goal found the back of the net.

Things looked a little different the second game of the series, with DU pulling out a 7-2 win. Jaillet showcased his second dominating game of the series, saving 22 of 23 shots on goal. The Pioneers got off to a quick lead as well when center Matt Marcinew (Calgary, Alberta) scored with 4:16 left in the first period.

Scoring was a team effort as seven different players scored all seven of DU’s goals, including senior Evan Ritt (Lakewood, Colo.) recording his first NCAA tally.

DU is now ranked No. 2 in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference behind University of Minnesota-Duluth. The Pioneers’ next match-ups are Jan. 20 and 21 on the road against St. Cloud State University.