This past weekend, No. 7 Denver (21-11-3) faced off against No. 26 Miami Ohio (18-14-2) in the quarterfinals of the NCHC Frozen Faceoff at Magness Arena.
On Friday, March 6, Miami came out aggressive, delivering hard hits and frequently sending Denver players into the boards to disrupt their rhythm and slow their offense.
Miami was called for a penalty for high-sticking, giving Denver a power-play opportunity. Denver was unsuccessful, but shots from junior defenseman Eric Polkamp and senior forward Rieger Lorenz kept Miami on their toes.
Freshman goaltender Johnny Hicks made a key stop during the power-play, leading to a physical scramble in front of the net as players from both teams pushed and shoved after the whistle.
Denver finally found their momentum when junior defenseman Cale Ashcroft sent a pass across the crease to freshman forward Clarke Caswell, who ripped a shot over the goalie’s shoulder and into the top right corner to give Denver a 1-0 lead.
Hicks made a last-second save to keep Denver ahead 1-0 at the end of the first period.
The second period was a tense, back and forth battle dominated by defense and missed chances.
Junior defenseman Boston Buckberger had a wide open net while Miami’s goalie was down but couldn’t control the puck and missed the opportunity for a second goal.
Freshman defenseman Eric Jamieson took a hard hit into the boards near Denver’s bench.
Halfway through the period senior defenseman Kent Anderson was called for tripping.
During the power play, Miami’s defense held strong, stopping every attempt on goal. Lorenz’s shot ricocheted off the top post and Pohlkamp’s slap shot was saved.
The Crimson and Gold held their 1-0 lead at the end of the second period with a 27-13 shot advantage.
Denver struggled in the first half of the third period, spending most of the time defending against the RedHawks. The puck stayed mostly in Denver’s zone and the Crimson and Gold were forced to focus on keeping the puck out of their net.
Hicks made a critical save that bounced off his pad and back into his crease. Junior forward Sam Harris quickly recovered the puck and carried it to the other side of the ice, clearing the danger.
Despite their defensive efforts, Denver wasn’t able to generate offense for much of the period, but remained strong, keeping Miami from breaking the shutout.
With less than two minutes remaining Miami pulled their goalie.
Lorenz seized the opportunity for Denver after collecting the puck in the neutral zone and firing a long shot down the ice into the empty net, sending the crowd into celebration.
Less than thirty seconds later, Jamieson took a shot from behind his own goal line and buried an unassisted empty net goal to further extend Denver’s lead.
Hicks delivered an outstanding performance in net, recording 23 saves to secure a shutout and the 3-0 win for Denver.
On Saturday, March 7, Denver struggled to capitalize on Friday’s victory.
Miami struck first when Ethan Hay found the back of the net early in the first period, giving the RedHawks an early 1-0 lead.
Denver controlled their pace throughout the opening period, peppering Miami’s goalie with shots. Pohlkamp repeatedly fired shots towards the net, while Jamieson nearly tied the game when his shot rang off the left post.
Penalties were thrown left and right throughout the first period. Buckberger was sent to the box for tripping, while Miami’s Kocha Delic and Doug Grimes were called for hooking and cross-checking, respectively. Lorenz later received a tripping penalty.
Despite the pressure from Pohlkamp, junior forward Kieran Cebrian, Jamieson and Lorenz , Miami’s goaltender was able to hold off Denver and give the RedHawks a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.
Miami came out with the same aggression as they had in the first period, but Denver was just as willing to put up a fight.
The breakthrough came when Lorenz circled behind the Miami net and fired a shot from the right side. The puck bounced off the top of the goal and dropped into the crease, where sophomore forward James Reeder seized the opportunity and buried a goal to tie the game.
Less than a minute later, Buckberger slipped a behind the back pass to Cebrian before delivering a hit to clear space, allowing Cebrian to skate right and rip a shot into the RedHawks net.
The scoring surge continued when freshman forward Brady Milburn sent a behind the back pass near the blue line to sophomore forward Hagen Burrows. Burrows capitalized on a one-on-one chance and scored, sending DU fans into a frenzy.
Despite a hooking penalty on Jamieson, Denver maintained control thanks to an incredible diving save by Hicks during a Miami breakaway.
Denver capped off the period when freshman forward Kyle Chyzsowski pounced on a loose puck in the crease after assists from freshman forward Reid Varkonyi and Pohlkamp. Chyzowski’s goal, with one minute remaining, pushed Denver ahead 4-1 heading into the third period.
Denver’s defense held firm early in the period, preventing Miami from building any momentum.
Miami’s Kocha Delic was given a penalty for hitting-from-behind after a hard check on Anderson, giving Denver a key power-play opportunity midway through the period.
The Crimson and Gold quickly capitalized. After winning the face-off, Harris slid the puck across the ice to Pohlkamp, who buried a shot into the bottom right corner of the net to extend Denver’s lead to 5-1.
Denver later pulled Hicks for junior goaltender Paxton Geisel with under eight minutes remaining. Miami responded with a goal from Doug Grimes, making a small dent in the deficit.
The RedHawks pulled their goalie with less than three minutes left in regulation, hoping to spark a late comeback. Instead, DU sealed the game when sophomore forward Jake Fisher launched the puck from behind the blue line into the empty net with 43 seconds remaining, securing a 6-2 victory.
The Crimson and Gold will host Western Michigan, Mar. 14, in Magness Arena in a rematch of last season’s NCHC Frozen Face-off championship game and NCAA Frozen Four semifinals.
