In the penultimate game of the regular season, Denver Hockey defeated Colorado College 2-1 on senior night in a tense match where DU could have won much more comfortably had a couple of bounces off the goalpost gone in a different direction. However, DU’s missed chances made for a nervy final few minutes of the game for the Crimson and Gold.
Before the game, there was a ceremony to honor Denver’s six seniors, forward Casey Dornbach (Edina, Minn.), defenseman Lane Krenzen (Twig, Minn.), defenseman Kyle Mayhew (Anaheim Hills, Calif.), forward Brett Edwards (Grande Prairie, Alberta), captain Justin Lee (Waskada, Manitoba), and goaltender Magnus Chrona (Stockholm, Sweden), who saluted the crowd despite missing the game with an injury. It was a big moment for a group that has given so much to the program despite the pandemic disrupting their collegiate career.
Speaking about the senior class, coach David Carle said, “They have steadied the ship here; we went through some rough waters back at the end of 2020 and into the 2021 season. Those guys stuck with it, believed and have been a big part of the solution, getting us a national championship a year ago.”
The first period was scoreless, but not due to a lack of trying on DU’s part with the Crimson and Gold creating chance after chance with no end product. There were many solid chances, but sophomore forward Carter Mazur (Jackson, Mich.) came closest to scoring, hitting the post midway through the period.
Fellow sophomore forward Massimo Rizzo (Burnaby, B.C.) was also a visible force, skating circles around the Colorado College defense. Despite that, the period would end without a goal.
The beginning of the second period was an extension of the first, with Denver getting chances that were either saved by CC’s standout goaltender Kaidan Mbereko or went wide of the net.
That was until junior defenseman Mike Benning (St.Albert, Alberta) struck on the power play eight minutes into the period. Benning has been the most prolific goal-scoring defenseman in the NCAA this season with a resounding 13 under his belt, and this goal was a good example of his poaching instincts, cleaning up a rebound in front of the net.
Less than two minutes later it would be another defenseman that would strike for the Crimson and Gold, with Lee scoring off a shot from the blue line to give him his sixth goal of the season. Lee has been the biggest leader for Denver this year, wearing the C for the first time in his career. He reflected on his captaincy this year post-game.
“I am extremely honored to be wearing the C,” Lee said. “Obviously there have been a lot of captains before me, and I have been able to learn a lot through the years with the likes of Cole Guttman, Ian Mitchell and Kohen Olischefski. They all bring different things to the table and I was able to learn a lot of those things and incorporate them into the locker room.”
Coach Carle had glowing reviews of Lee and his character.
“He’s a heart-and-soul guy, a leader by example. He’s the type of kid you recruit and think ‘this guy could be a captain.’ He’s a kid who grew up on a farm, has worked for everything he’s got and you can see that in how he plays the game,” Carle said.
Despite the 2-0 deficit, CC refused to give up, scoring a power-play goal late in the second period to make it a one-goal game heading into the final stanza.
The third period was an eventful, action-packed frame, but no goals were scored. DU would get the best opportunity during a bizarre sequence where Denver had a two-on-zero breakaway opportunity with only the goaltender to beat, but couldn’t get a shot off. Seconds later, to make the sequence even more comical, a Dornbach shot hit the post and somehow DU wouldn’t get a goal out of this golden opportunity.
Late in the third, after CC pulled their goalie, they had a couple of good opportunities, but sophomore goaltender Matt Davis (Calgary, Alberta), who was filling in for the injured Chrona stood tall and made some crucial saves to give DU a 2-1 victory.
After Friday night’s game, the team traveled an hour down I-25 to Ed Robson Arena for the final game of the regular season and completed the season sweep against Colorado College.
Going into the third period, Denver was down 1-2 and needed a momentum boost in order to come back into the game. Freshman forward Tristan Lemyre (Mirabel, Quebec) kicked it into gear and tied the game up 12 minutes into the period.
Another freshman forward, Aidan Thompson (Fort Collins, Colo.) added another tally just 53 seconds later, swaying the game into the hands of the Crimson and Gold. Thompson took a feed from Mazur behind the cage and finished top shelf for his ninth of the season.
Rizzo fired a consolation empty-net goal to win the game, and DU would win 4-2. It is the second straight season DU has swept the season slate against rival CC.
DU hockey returns to Magness Arena for a final time this season for a best-of-three series in the NCHC conference tournament. They will play against Miami (OH) next Friday, Saturday and Sunday if necessary.
