DU Hockey came out strong in their first home game in their Magness Arena on Oct. 1, when in the first period they stole two goals over the University of Lethbridge for a final score victory of 3-1.
Crimson and Gold opened the scoring on an odd-man rush at 4:30 of the first period, despite being shorthanded early in the game. Junior forward, Logan O’Connor (Calgary, Alberta) helped set up the shorthanded goal with a pass through the neutral zone to sophomore forward, Tyson McLellan (San Jose, Calif.), who finished the play with a wrist shot over the glove of Pronghorns goalie, Garret Hughson.
Shortly after, sophomore forward, Liam Finlay (Kelowna, B.C.) found himself alone in the right circle for a power play assisted by senior defenseman, Adam Plant (Penticton, B.C.) which extended the Denver lead 2-0. Freshman forward, Jaako Heikkinen (Helsinki, Finland) had the secondary assist, and the two-goal advantage held through for the Pioneers to the first intermission.
At 5:30 of the second period, junior forward, Troy Terry (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) put the Pioneers back on the board. Junior forward, Dylan Gambrell (Bonney Lake, Wash.) and junior forward, Jarid Lukosevicius (Squamish, B.C.) had the assists on Terry’s goal from the corner to the front of the net.
The Pronghorns scored their first goal of the night at 16:56 of the second period when Lethbridge’s Brandon Clowes took the puck up the left-wing boards and fired a shot through freshman goalie, Dayton Rasmussen’s (Eden Prairie, Minn.) legs, resulting in a 3-1 score.
Senior goalie, Tanner Jaillet (Red Deer, Alberta) started the exhibition game, but was subbed in the second period by freshman Rasmussen. Rasmussen helped preserve the Pioneers’ lead with a glove save on a breakaway in the early moments of the frame.
Denver finished 1/3 on power plays and 6/6 on penalty kills. Denver outshot Lethbridge, 37-31. Jaillet finished with eight saves, and Rasmussen finished with 14 saves. The second freshman goalie, Devin Cooley (Los Gatos, Calif.) made four stops in the final 10:18 of the third period.
DU Hockey will see its first regular season game against Notre Dame on Oct. 13 in South Bend, Indiana.
