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After a slow start in both games over the weekend, the Pioneers swept Bemidji State, topping the Beavers 6-3 Friday and 3-2 Saturday.
The sweep comes at the right time for an injury-plagued roster heading into its bye week.
More importantly, the conference victories help the Pioneers semi-erase the stain from last weekend, when they suffered a terrible loss to Alabama Huntsville in Magness Arena.
“[Friday] was one of the worst starts we’ve had in quite a long time, and considering how important this series was, this game was, I was disappointed and I let them know that,” said head coach George Gwozdecky. “They responded and came out and got a power-play goal. Ty Loney scored a big-time goal and obviously Drew Shore had a huge night for us.”
This weekend’s sweep helped the Pioneers tremendously in their hunt for the playoffs, especially in their PairWise ranking. The top 16 teams according to this ranking qualify for the NCAA Championships.
After last weekend’s split with AHU, who had recorded only one prior win this season, DU dropped from 14th to 18th. However, after this weekend’s sweep, the team moved back up to a three-way tie for 15th.
Also, after dropping out of the USA Today/USA Hockey men’s poll for the first time in nearly six years last week, the Pioneers have returned to No. 15.
“Certainly we have to have a winning record over our last 14 games, that’s understood, but whether we need to have nine wins, 10 wins, 11 wins or 12 wins, we won’t know because there are so many other factors that go into that PairWise ranking,” said Gwozdecky. “We put ourselves in some bad situations, but this weekend was a good positive step in that direction.”
On Friday, sophomore forward Jason Zucker returned to the ice in his first game back since competing in the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championships, contributing two assists during the game.
BSU opened the scoring five minutes into the game when sophomore defenseman Kyle Brodie scored off an assist from junior forward Brance Orban.
The Beavers outshot Denver 10-5 in the first period, but the Pioneers picked up their game in the second period, scoring five of their six goals.
In the second minute of the second period, freshman forward Loney opened the scoring for the Pioneers off an assist from junior forward Drew Shore, who followed two minutes later with a power-play goal.
BSU countered in the sixth minute with a goal from Brodie, tying the game at 2-2.
DU scored three consecutive goals in the remainder of the second period from LaLeggia, Drew Shore and Loney.
During the third period, BSU’s Orban and Denver’s junior forward Chris Knowlton each scored, leaving the final score at 6-3.
Drew Shore reached his 100th point of the season in Friday’s game with two goals and three assists before missing Saturday’s game with a lower body injury.
Injuries and fights disrupt play
Denver played a rough and physical game Saturday against BSU, having a player from each team ejected in the first period for checking from behind, but managed to top BSU 3-2.
“Tonight’s win was as great a team win as we’ve had in quite a while, for sure all year long. With the Drew Shore injury last night, and some of the guys not in line tonight, I’m really proud of how the guys played,” said Gwozdecky. “We’re short-staffed, we only had four defensemen for the majority of the game and nine freshmen playing in the lineup. But we had great leadership from people like Nick Shore, Chris Knowlton getting a big goal and Jason Zucker had a great game. He was involved in all three goals. [It was] just a tremendous battle.”
BSU senior forward Jamie MacQueen was ejected in the 12th minute after checking freshman forward Zac Larazza from behind. Larazza had to be helped off the ice. DU freshman Scott Mayfield was also ejected in the 19th minute for checking from behind.
“Larazza got hurt. He is mobile, but they took him down to the hospital just for precautionary measures,” said Gwozdecky. “He is slightly concussed, and they want to make sure that there are no other issues there, so he is being tested and checked right now down at the hospital.”
The Pioneers were forced to dig deep on Saturday with many of their strongest players out of the line-up.
“There’s no question that we weren’t in a great situation as far as not only the score, but the healthy bodies. You look at the guys who were either kicked out of the game or hurt in the game, and then all of a sudden on our number one power-play in the third period we’ve got Nate Duhurst playing at the point, a guy who is our fourth line center who doesn’t get a lot of ice time, who’s never played in the power play before. But we really didn’t have any choice, we didn’t have anyone else left,” said Gwozdecky. “Joe LaLeggia on the number one power-play, Ty Loney, a freshman, on the number one power-play.”
Despite being shorthanded, the Pioneers persevered throughout the game.
“We just made it; we just willed it to happen,” said Gwozdecky. “Bemidji was a tough competitor all weekend long and never gave us much, but this was, I’ve said it a number of times, as good a team win, and as difficult and challenging of a team win, that we’ve had in quite a while. This could be one of the defining moments for our season.”
Following suit with Friday’s game, BSU opened the scoring of the game in the 10th minute, but Zucker leveled the score in the 16th minute off an assist from LaLeggia and Mayfield.
In the second period, BSU took the lead again after a power-play goal from Mayfield’s misconduct penalty.
Aggression was a key aspect of the second period, with both teams being slammed into the boards. It boiled over in the 18th minute with a fight between BSU’s Illo, who received a two-minute penalty for roughing and a five-minute penalty for face washing, and Denver freshman defenseman Josiah Didier, who received a four-minute penalty for roughing.
In the 6th minute of the third period, Knowlton evened the score for the Pioneers off an assist from Zucker and LaLeggia.
Zucker scored his second goal of the game in the 11th minute, scoring on a power-play and settling the final score at 3-2.
The Pioneers have next weekend off before a road series against Alaska Anchorage on Jan. 27 at 9:07 p.m.
