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Last weekend, the University of Denver men’s hockey team, ranked first in the nation, battled against a formidable opponent, 2nd ranked St. Cloud State and split the series 1-1.
Friday, senior Chris Paradise and his teammates put on a dazzling performance that resulted in a convincing 5-2 victory in front of 6,095 frenzied fans.
The Pioneers scored just three minutes after the puck was dropped in the first period, when Paradise (first career hat-trick) blasted a screaming shot that got past Husky netminder, Dean Weasler.
A few minutes later, the Huskies capitalized on a power play. Forward Mark Hartigan, who leads the country in scoring with 61 points, scored his 31st goal of the season at 5:50 of the second frame. He took a cross-feed from Joe Mtzko and one-timed the puck over Pioneer goalie, Wade Dubielewicz.
For a large part of the period, the penalty boxes looked reminiscent of a 3-person dorm room filled with roommates that don’t like one another; cramped, stuffy and volatile.
What appeared to be an Irish-donnybrook taking place in front of the St. Cloud net, sophomore Lukas Dora gained possession of the puck from the angry mob, and then craftily slid it under Weasler’s blocker, giving Denver a 2-1 lead.
The Pioneer juggernaut offense scored in just 18 seconds into the third period.
In recording his 14th goal of the season, Paradise received a help from his friends. Freshman Kevin Ulanski fed Paradise in front of the crease, who then wristed a low shot into the corner of the net that gave Denver a 3-1 advantage.
A few minutes later, junior Kevin Doell extended his point streak to an unprecedented, Gretzky-like seven games, when he scored on a backhander from the right edge of the crease, allowing the Pioneers some breathing room, up 4-1.
St. Cloud’s Derek Eastman’s shot a floaterthat got by the outstretched arm of Dubielewicz, trimming the lead 4-2.
St. Cloud pulled its goalie in hopes of mustering another late-game goal, but their plan backfired when Paradise scored on an empty net, providing the final score of 5-2.
It was a bittersweet weekend for the Pioneers though, as they dropped the second game Saturday, 4-2 and lost two players to injuries
Lukas Dora, who is fifth on the team in both goals and points could be lost for the season, after a knee injury in the first period. Aaron MacKenzie also suffered from a wrist injury.
Hartigan, the NCAA scoring leader set up St. Cloud’s first three goals, helping St. Cloud rally from an early 2-1 deficit.
Sophomore Max Bull was called for roughing at 3:44 after punching a St. Cloud player into the boards and Greg Keith was given a front-row seat in the sin-bin for hooking in the neutral zone.
The Huskies lead the country in power-play efficiency when they slipped two goals past the Pioneers.
Despite the loss, the Pioneers still lead the league with 41 points.
