LetsGoDU

Beat The Gophers Week

Pioneers Gearing Up For Dramatic Finish

From: Denver Post

by Mike Chambers

The college hockey polls released Monday suggest the University of Denver's weekend visit to Minnesota will be the country's most attention-grabbing games.

The Golden Gophers, despite having their school-record, 22-game unbeaten streak end last weekend at Wisconsin, remain No. 1 in the USA Today/American Hockey Magazine and U.S. College Hockey Online polls. The Pioneers, who have won eight of nine games, moved up to fourth and fifth, respectively.

The teams meet Friday and Saturday in Minneapolis for a key Western Collegiate Hockey Association series. The Gophers (20-2-3, 12-1-3 WCHA) lead the league with 27 points. The Pioneers (17-7-2, 9-5-2) are tied with Colorado College and St. Cloud State for second with 20 points.

Twelve league games remain, and each of the top four teams play each other twice.

"Going into a place like that, it's obvious it's going to be exciting," Pioneers freshman Rhett Rakhshani said. "No. 1-ranked team, that's naturally exciting, and on top of that we have a pretty good rivalry with them, and we're in a logjam for the No. 2 spot in the WCHA."

Coming in confident

Denver hopes to build on the confidence it gained in last weekend's two-game nonleague sweep over Niagara. The Pioneers' offense awoke from a midseason slumber by combining for 97 shots in the 2-1 (overtime) and 5-2 victories, and their special teams were a plus-4. They scored four power-play goals.

"We've got the No. 1 team in the nation (up next), and it's a necessity knowing that your special teams are clicking," said DU junior center Ryan Dingle, who leads the WCHA with 18 goals. "If we went in there with some doubt, it would be a downer. But we're pretty excited with how things are going right now."

Defense, defense

If DU junior Peter Mannino is able to play this weekend, the series will feature the WCHA's four highest-rated goalies, each among the top eight nationally.

Minnesota's Kellen Briggs (11-1-2) and Jeff Frazee (9-1-1) are first and second in the WCHA with 1.77 and 1.80 goals-against averages. Mannino (6-3-1) and teammate Glenn Fisher (11-4-1) are second and third in save percentage at .932 and .931.

Mannino, who has allowed only one goal in his past three games, did not play against Niagara after tweaking his groin in practice Thursday.

"I'll do the treatment that I need and we'll take it day by day," Mannino said. "I'm planning on playing. That's my goal."

Footnotes

DU freshmen scored six of seven goals against Niagara, and have produced 43 percent of the teams' goals and 50 percent of its points. ... DU is 15-0 when leading after two periods and 10-0-1 when not allowing a power-play goal....The Pioneers went 2-2 against No. 1-ranked teams last season, and are 4-9-1 in 14 games against top-ranked opponents.