DU Hockey earned a 5-0 win against the University of Nebraska Omaha on Friday in Magness Arena and rallied for a 4-0 victory the following night, downing the Mavericks in the weekend matchup.
“Our collective intensity and urgency is back,” Denver Coach Jim Montgomery said.
On Friday, senior goalie Tanner Jaillet (Red Deer, Alberta) made 34 saves in his third shutout of the season and freshman Ian Mitchell (Calahoo, Alberta) recorded a career-high of one goal and three assists. To start the momentum to the win, sophomore Jarid Lukosevicus (Helsinki, Finland) opened the scoring on the power play late in the first period, deflecting a shot from Mitchell to make it 1-0 by the first intermission. Henrik Borgström had the assist on the goal. Mitchell extended Denver’s lead at 2:42 of the second period when he received a drop pass from junior Dylan Gambrell (Bonney Lake, Wash.), and slid the puck past the pad of Mavericks goalie Evan Weninger. The two-goal advantage held through 40 minutes of the game.
At 4:52 of the third period, the Crimson and Gold struck again on the power play as junior Troy Terry (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) took a pass from Gambrell and scored a shot over the shoulder of Weninger to make it 3-0. Mitchell had a secondary assist on the goal. Less than two minutes after Terry scored, the Pioneers returned to the power play, as Borgström found Lukosevicius with a cross-crease pass and Lukosevicus patiently put the puck into an open net. Mitchell tallied his fourth assist of the night on the play.
Sophomore Erich Fear (Winnetka, Ill.) added the final goal of the night and the first of his collegiate career at 12:37 of the third period with a shot from the point. Borgström and junior Logan O’Connor (Calgary, Alberta) were credited with assists on the goal that earned a final score of 5-0.
In game one, the Pioneers finished 3/5 on the power play and 4/4 on the penalty kill.
On Saturday, Jaillet made 30 saves in the shutout, marking the first time Denver recorded back-to-back shutouts since Oct.13-14, 2013.
Borgström had one goal and one assist and O’Connor had two assists in the victory that pushed the Pioneers to the top of the NCHC standings.
Freshman Jaakko Heikkinen (Helsinki, Finland) opened the scoring at 18:15 of the first period, receiving a pass from Jake Durfligner and reaching the back of the net between the legs of Maverick goalie Evan Weninger to make it 1-0 at the first intermission.
Denver extended its lead late in the second period when Borgström found a loose puck outside the crease and scored. The Pioneers’ two-goal advantage held through two periods.
At 2:01 of the third period, Terry slid the puck into the net to make it 3-0. Junior Colin Staub (Colorado Springs, Colo.) added an empty-netter with 2:05 remaining.
The Pioneers sweep marked their first sweep since Dec. 1-2, 2017 against Minnesota Duluth, and outshot the Mavericks, 30-29, finishing 1/5 on the power play and 4/4 on the penalty kill.
