In two mirror-image performances, DU used dominant second-period displays to cruise to consecutive 7-0 victories over Miami University of Oxford, Ohio. The back-to-back wins for DU open up a five-point lead in the NCHC standings over St. Cloud State, who they square off against next weekend. In both games, DU overwhelmed the Redhawks in the second period, scoring 10 of their 14 goals in the second frame.

As was the case both nights, neither team scored in the first period of game one, but DU was clearly the more threatening team, creating the majority of the scoring chances. Denver’s best chance of the period actually came on the penalty kill when sophomore forward Carter Mazur (Jackson, Michigan) was one-on-one with Miami goaltender Ludvig Persson, but Mazur was unable to beat the goaltender. 

However, the goals would come thick and fast for Denver at the beginning of the second period. Mazur would strike first less than 30 seconds into the period, collecting a pass from fellow sophomore forward Massimo Rizzo (Burnaby, B.C.) and feathering it past the goaltender to make it 1-0. This was Mazur’s 17th goal of the season, which is the second most in the country. Adding more goals to his game was something Mazur worked on during the off-season.

“I focused on it in the summer, and that was something I wanted to add to my game because I knew I could score net front. I wanted to add more shot threats, and playing with Rizzo, it’s easy to get open, he said”

After a Miami penalty, DU would strike on the powerplay just over a minute after the first goal, with Denver catching Miami on a bad change leading to a goal by junior forward McKade Webster (St. Louis, Missouri). The goals would keep coming with freshman forward Aidan Thompson (Fort Collins, Colorado), as he scored his fifth of the season 11 seconds later to make it 3-0 less than two minutes into the second period.

After four and a half minutes of no goals, sophomore forward Carter King (Calgary, Alberta) put on a show, scoring two goals in a span of 41 seconds to put the game firmly out of reach. DU effectively made a 0-0 game a blowout in less than seven minutes, showing the kind of offensive firepower they are capable of. Another goal in the second period, this time from senior forward Casey Dornbach (Edina, Minn.), made it a six-goal period for the Crimson and Gold. 

However, the good times were far from over for DU, with Carter King scoring yet again four minutes into the third period to give him his first career hat trick. King said the hat trick “felt really good, being able to produce offensively feels really good.” 

Scoring hasn’t always been King’s role. Last year, King served as the fourth-line center and a penalty-killing specialist, but this year he has moved to the third line which has brought more scoring opportunities. King is thankful for that fourth-line experience. 

“Coming from the fourth line, you learn the system quite well because you are reliant on playing that system. Once you are put in a more offensive role, you are able to put up more points,” he said.

Coach David Carle spoke in glowing terms about King after the game. “It has been a really fun process to see him mature and grow. I am not sure if there is a guy in the room that the guys would be happier for,” he said. The King hat trick was the cherry on top of a dominant game one display.

Coming back with the same intensity after blowing a team out can be difficult, but it was not a problem for Denver, who came out with the same hunger in the second matchup as they did in game one. Coach David Carle even said that Saturday’s performance was “more complete” than the previous night’s.  

Like game one, DU was the better team in the first period, but, once again, the dominance did not show up on the scoreboard, with neither team finding the back of the net in the first. Denver got the closest to scoring, with both Carter King and Casey Dornbach hitting the post.

For the second straight night, DU would have a red-hot start to the second period, scoring four goals in the first eight and a half minutes of the period to put the game out of reach much like the night before. The first goal came following a beautiful tic tac toe passing sequence where Aidan Thompson fed sophomore defenseman Shai Buium (San Diego, Calif.), who set up sophomore forward Tristan Broz (Bloomington, Minn.) who put it in the back of the net, having dismantled the Redhawks defense. 

Less than two minutes later, the Denver fourth line struck, with freshman forward Rieger Lorenz (Calgary, Alberta) scoring his second goal of the season. Lorenz also contributed more than just the goal in this game, laying multiple hits throughout the night, something his coach appreciated. Coach Carle said that Lorenz has “added some grit and sandpaper to his game, and got rewarded by being on the powerplay this weekend.” Adding that grit is something that could be crucial to Lorenz’s long-term development.

However, Denver was far from done scoring two more in the period. The next goal came from a shot by sophomore defender Sean Behrens (Barrington, Ill.), who was fresh off of winning bronze at the recent World Junior Championship for Team USA. Later on in the period, Casey Dornbach found the back of the net to make it 4-0.

The third period would be the Tristan Broz show. The sophomore from Minnesota would secure a natural hat trick, scoring three in the period to add to the earlier goal he had scored. Broz scored his goals in a variety of ways. His first goal of the period came after he blew past a defender and beat the goaltender one on one. The next two goals were set up by nice passes by Thompson and Rizzo, respectively.

Despite the four-goal night, Coach Carle still doesn’t think Broz has reached his full potential yet, saying after Friday night’s game that Broz continues to be a work in progress. 

“Consistency shift to shift and game to game is something we continue to harp on him with. There is a good hockey player in there and we have seen it in spurts the last six weeks.” 

DU coasted the rest of the way, winning the game by the same 7-0 score as the night before. The Crimson and Gold return to action for a two-game series in St. Cloud on Jan. 20 and 21, available on NCHC TV. They return home on the 27th with a special game at Ball Arena against Colorado College.