From: Denver Post
by Mike Chambers
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(left) Ryan Helgason might be back for the Denver Cup
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If your Christmas presents included tickets to the 2007 NCAA Hockey Tournament West Regional, chances are good the hometown team will be among the four participating clubs at the Pepsi Center.
At the halfway mark of the season, the University of Denver (12-6-2) would likely qualify for the 16-team national field and be guaranteed to play at the regional it will host March 24-25.
The Pioneers, ranked No. 10 in the two national polls, are 8-4-2 and in second place in the rugged Western Collegiate Hockey Association with the most difficult portion of their schedule behind them.
DU plays 13 of its final 18 games at home and should have injured seniors Adrian Veideman, Ryan Helgason and J.D. Corbin back for most of the second half of the season. Veideman (neck, shoulder) and Helgason (hand) might return Friday when DU begins the Denver Cup against Mercyhurst (4-10-4). The annual four-time holiday tournament also features Massachusetts-Lowell (3-10-4) and Brown (6-4-2).
Corbin, who broke his leg and had surgery on his ankle after the fourth game of the season, could return as early as the middle of January.
The Pioneers, who rely heavily on underclassmen who only figure to get better, are on a four-game unbeaten streak (3-0-1) since Veideman and Helgason joined Corbin on the injured list.
"I'm proud the way our team has developed over the first two and half months, and I think we have a lot of positive development to come, and that's exciting as a coaching staff," DU coach George Gwozdecky said.
"We've slowly developed as a group, finding out how to play together pretty darn well, especially considering the three seniors have been out of the lineup.
"We've kept ourselves in contention. It hasn't been easy. It's been challenging at times, but we knew that probably would be the case with so many new faces, and so many big responsibilities put on those new faces."
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