In what was supposed to be a series against No. 6 St. Cloud State over the weekend, DU hockey took to Magness Arena to face off against the No. 16 Omaha Mavericks on Saturday and Sunday after COVID-19 protocols prevented play against St. Cloud State.
DU Head Coach David Carle was also absent for the weekend due to COVID-19 related issues. However, Denver’s pairing with the lower-ranked opponent showed, with the Crimson and Gold outscoring the Mavericks 9-2, winning 5-2 on Saturday and shutting them out 4-0 on Sunday to remain undefeated at home this season.
Saturday night’s game got off to a slow start, but DU was able to open the scoring just under eight minutes into the game. Freshman forward Massimo Rizzo (Burnaby, B.C) knocked the puck into the net off a pass from fellow freshman Carter Mazur (Jackson, Mich.) in what was Mazur’s first of three assists of the night.
Junior forward Bobby Brink (Minnetonka, Minn.) doubled Denver’s lead 20 seconds into the second period before the Mavericks were able to get on the scoreboard during a power play at 6:06. Senior forward Cameron Wright (Newmarket, Ontario) took away any momentum Omaha may have gained by scoring two goals to close the period. His second goal was his 12th of the season, tying the team lead.
Omaha’s second goal in the game was the result of a Denver penalty, with Taylor Ward (Kelowna, B.C.) scoring at 16:44. The Crimson and Gold sealed the win with an empty-netter goal from senior forward Cole Guttman (Los Angeles, Calif.).
Sunday night’s game saw the Denver defense play with more aggression than the previous night, with junior goaltender Magnus Chrona (Stockholm, Sweden) stopping all 31 of Omaha’s shots, giving Chrona his second shutout of the season and fifth of his career for DU.
Freshman forward Carter Savoie (St. Albert, Alberta) opened the scoring just over halfway through the first period, benefitting from a power play.
Denver’s second goal of the night, the only one without power-play advantage, came from senior forward Brett Stapley (Campbell River, B.C.), who picked up a pass from Savoie in the 100th game of his DU career.
The Crimson and Gold sealed the contest in the third period with a pair of man-advantage markers, the first of which was from an outside shot by freshman defenseman Antti Tuomisto (Pori, Finland) with 8:27 left to play. Mazur then knocked in a loose puck in the net in the final minute of regulation to put an exclamation point on the shutout.
The weekend was penalty-ridden for both teams, with 20 penalties on Sunday night and 36 overall. The number of penalties led to a lack of 5 on 5 hockey, making it difficult for either team to get in a rhythm. Still, DU’s attacking game in the later periods and a shining performance from Chrona on both nights were more than enough for the team to add two wins to their record.
Next weekend, DU will play a split series with in-state rival Colorado College. The Tigers will make the trip to Denver on Friday at 8 p.m. before returning to Colorado Springs to host DU in their brand new arena for the first time on Saturday.
