From: Rocky Mountain Newsby Pat Rooney
It was not so long ago that Ryan Dingle felt as if he had the weight of the entire University of Denver hockey program resting on his shoulders.
As the only returning player from a quartet that accounted for more than 56 percent of the Pioneers' points last season, Dingle had reason to be concerned that much of DU's offense during the 2006-07 campaign would originate through him.
But with the swift emergence of DU's freshmen and the strong supporting roles accepted by the team's veterans, Dingle finds himself leading an offense that has proved to be more balanced than last season's star-laden lineup.
With DU's four offensive lines playing its particular roles to perfection, the eighth-ranked Pioneers will take a six-game unbeaten streak and five-game winning streak into the opener of a Western Collegiate Hockey Association series tonight against Wisconsin at Magness Arena.
Dingle, whose 16 goals lead the WCHA, again is leading DU's top line, but the three pairings behind the junior center and his linemates, freshmen Brock Trotter and Rhett Rakhshani, are offering plenty of support at both ends of the ice.
"Last year, I felt the need for me to produce every single night," said Dingle, a junior from Steamboat Springs. "Now, with that pressure off, it's nice when you can fit into your role and have confidence in the other lines. How well the other lines are clicking is definitely a relief."
Dingle was one of four DU skaters to record at least 39 points last season, but behind that group, the Pioneers offense often sputtered and stalled.
This season, third-liners Geoff Paukovich, Ryan Helgason and Patrick Mullen have combined with a gritty fourth line of Steven Cook, Mike Handza and J.P. Testwuide to provide stingy defense and timely offense.
Unlike last season, when coach George Gwozdecky had to adjust the line combinations almost every game out of necessity, the Pioneers' forward lines have remained largely consistent throughout the season.
"Our upperclassmen have done a tremendous job, with the roles
they've been asked to play, of accepting willingly," Gwozdecky said.
DU enters the series in second place in the WCHA, three points behind league-leading Minnesota. Wisconsin has struggled in the wake of its 2006 national title and enters in a tie for seventh place.
The Pioneers swept the Badgers on the road in November and has had success against Wisconsin the past few seasons. DU is 6-0-1 in the past seven games against the Badgers and has lost only twice in the past 18 matchups.
"(Wisconsin) has had a couple tough weekends, but in the WCHA, any team can pull off anything," Helgason said.
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