The goals were flowing for Denver hockey in their first series of the season, with the Crimson and Gold scoring 12 goals in two games against the Nanooks. After last season ended with a dry spell in the goal scoring department, it was important for Denver to re-establish their high-flying ways.
The season got off to an inauspicious start, with new captain, senior forward Mckade Webster taking a penalty in the opening four minutes of the game on Saturday. Alaska capitalized on the penalty, scoring a power play goal to give them an early lead.
Denver would respond less than a minute later when sophomore defenseman Kent Anderson ripped a beautiful wrist shot past the Alaska goaltender to tie the game. It was Anderson’s first collegiate goal, which would become something of a theme this series.
Four Denver players would score their first collegiate this weekend. With seven freshmen in the lineup, this was always going to happen eventually, but the youngsters hit the ground running this weekend.
After Anderson’s tying goal, Denver pressed aggressively for a second goal, firing shots at the Alaska net. This persistence paid off when DU got a power play of their own.
While Denver did not score on the power play, they struck seconds after it ended, with freshman defenseman Boston Buckberger firing a slapshot from the point past the goaltender for his first career DU goal. Fellow freshman, forward Sam Harris, got his first career point, providing Buckberger with the assist.
DU continued to pile on the pressure, which included another power play, but they could not find a third goal before the end of the first period.
Denver would continue their momentum into the second period, pressing and probing, before they struck six minutes into the second. Anderson, who was listed as the seventh defenseman got on the scoresheet yet again, driving home his second goal of the night. Anderson, who is fighting for a regular spot in the lineup, made a huge statement in the season opener with two goals and an assist.
Just over a minute later, DU would strike yet again, this time with a more familiar goal scorer in junior forward Jack Devine. This prompted a goaltender change for the Nanooks, who would steady the ship for the rest of the period. They added a goal to make it 4-2 entering the third period.
With the game still up in the air, Devine added another, this time on the power play, to make the game 5-2, putting it out of reach. Denver would add two more goals, including one from Webster, and Alaska would add one more to make it a 7-3 final score.
In game two of the weekend series, Denver started the game slowly, looking flat for much of the first period. Junior goaltender Matt Davis kept DU in the game, with some solid saves. Davis has been waiting his turn behind Magnus Chrona for a couple of years, and this is the year where he was handed the keys and trusted to be the number one goaltender.
Alaska struck first, with Davis’ efforts not enough to keep everything out of the net. However, at the end of the period, DU tied the game against the run of play, with junior forward Tristan Broz getting his first goal of the season. Junior forward Massimo Rizzo assisted him, something he did a lot of this weekend, recording seven assists in the first two games, including four in game two.
While Alaska could not capitalize on their domination in the first period, Denver was ruthless in the second, taking advantage of their chances. Freshman defenseman Zeev Buium gave Denver the lead early in the second, with a lightning quick wrist shot for his first career goal.
Buium, who is brothers with junior defenseman Shai Buium, has immediately been put on the top defense pair, showing the trust David Carle and his staff have in the defender who is still only 17 years old.
Devine would strike twice in the second period to make it a 4-1 game, putting it out of reach for Alaska. Devine has continued his hot second half from last season and will be a focal point for DU this season on the top line with Rizzo and Webster.
Denver would make it 5-1 when freshman forward and Denver native Kieran Cebrian scored on the penalty kill for his first career DU goal. This put the cherry on top of an impressive sweep for the Crimson and Gold, with the game ending 5-2.
Denver’s next games come on October 20th and 21st, when they head to the east coast to play Providence and Boston College, two quality opponents, who will likely gauge how good the team DU can really be.
