LetsGoDU

DU Needs To Build Momentum

From: Denver Post
by Mike Chambers

(left) DU's Rhett Rakhshani, looks to clear the puck from deep in the Pioneers' zone as North Dakota's Robbie Bina closes in Saturday night in Denver

The University of Denver hockey team is in good position to qualify for the NCAA Tournament, but a glaring weakness suggests the Pioneers won't advance to the Frozen Four.

Making it to the national semifinals requires two weekend victories at regionals, and DU has not swept a two-game series in its past five weekends - and past six weekends against Western Collegiate Hockey Association foes.

The most recent sweep for the sixth-ranked Pioneers, who are eighth in the all-important Pairwise Rankings, came the weekend before Christmas at Alaska-Anchorage. Their most recent nonconference sweep occurred in the second week of January against Niagara.

"It's a concern," DU captain Adrian Veideman said after last weekend's 4-3 overtime win and 3-0 loss to North Dakota. "We're lacking a little bit of focus from game to game. But I think the freshmen and sophomores realize now that it's time to go six periods over a weekend, and not just four or five."

DU's three major goals are to retain state bragging rights over Colorado College, advance to the WCHA Final Five (March 15-17 in St. Paul, Minn.) and make it to the Frozen Four (April 5-7 in St. Louis).

Meeting each of those requires two weekend wins, beginning with the upcoming home-and-home series against CC to finish the regular season.

The Tigers pinned DU with its only two weekend losses this season, winning 5-1 and 3-2 in early December, and will take ownership of the new Gold Pan traveling trophy with at least a tie this weekend.

"Pretty much for the rest of the year we have to win twice on a weekend," DU's Patrick Mullen said. "That's all we talk about, being more consistent."

DU is assured of hosting a WCHA first-round, best-of- three series March 9-11. At stake will be advancement to the prestigious Final Five at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

The Pioneers, if they qualify, are guaranteed to play at the West Regional on March 24-25 at the Pepsi Center.

CC is still hoping to clinch home ice for the WCHA tournament and rally to make the 16-team NCAA field. The Tigers, on a four-game losing streak and winless in their past six, have fallen to a three-way tie for 13th in the Pairwise.

Footnotes
Colorado natives accounted for each of DU's four goals last weekend. They came from Ryan Dingle (Steamboat Springs), Tyler Ruegsegger (Lakewood), Geoff Paukovich (Englewood) and J.D. Corbin (Littleton)....