From: Rocky Mountain Newsby Pat Rooney
By himself, Ted Cook will cause plenty of problems for DU's defense. Add his linemates to the mix, and the Pioneers will be facing a 120-minute headache tonight and Saturday.
DU begins its final nonconference series when the puck drops tonight against the 17th-ranked Niagara Purple Eagles, who come to Magness Arena boasting one of the top offensive lines in the country in Cook, center Les Reaney and left wing Sean Bentivoglio.
All three players are ranked in the top 10 in the nation in scoring, and despite the fact Niagara plays in a thin College Hockey America, its line stacks up against anything the seventh-ranked Pioneers face in the more rugged Western Collegiate Hockey Association.
"I don't care what team you play for or what league, if you are scoring 20 goals in 20 games, that's pretty impressive," DU sophomore defenseman Chris Butler said. "We look forward to the challenge of trying to shut them down. That is one of my jobs this weekend.
"Hopefully, I'll be matched up against them and do my best."
Cook, a sophomore, leads the nation with 20 goals and 13 power-play goals, but he has been far from a one-man show. Reaney, another sophomore, is tied for second in the nation with 36 points on 14 goals and 22 assists. Bentivoglio is tied for ninth with 33 points.
That combination also has made the Purple Eagles a force on the power play. Niagara typically moves Chris Moran, a freshman forward who has collected 27 points, to the point when it has a man advantage, giving Niagara four players with at least 27 points on its top power-play unit.
Niagara is ranked ninth in the nation in scoring and its power-play is eighth, with a success rate of 21.7 percent.
Led by goaltenders Glenn Fisher and Peter Mannino, the Pioneers are ranked 13th in penalty kills.
"It should be a great test for us," DU coach George Gwozdecky said. "Their top line, I think, is as good as any line as there is in the country. It's going to provide not only a great test, but a great gauge to where we're at right now and how much we have to improve to get where we want to be by the end of the regular season."
The Cook-led line will challenge DU during a time of transition along the Pioneers blue line after the departure of sophomore defenseman T.J. Fast, a regular in the lineup who left the program earlier this week.
Fast's spot likely will be filled by sophomore Julian Marcuzzi or junior Zach Blom.
Marcuzzi probably is the better defender but has not produced a point in 37 games during his career. Blom, the son of former DU goaltender Buddy Blom, has displayed an offensive touch in limited opportunities.
Gwozdecky also will continue to use forward J.P. Testwuide, a converted defenseman, on defense during penalty-kill situations.
"We're fortunate enough to have the numbers that we can throw somebody in or we can move somebody back from forward if we have to," said defenseman Andrew Thomas, who had been paired with Fast much of the season.
"I don't think we'll have a problem adjusting."
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