(above) Moments after winning the Broadmoor Trophy Mannino, Mullen & Thomas get together for a "group hug"From: Denver Post
by Mike Chambers
ST. PAUL, Minn. — When hockey's NCAA Tournament pairings are revealed this morning, the University of Denver Pioneers will be flying high, loaded with confidence no matter where they play or who they face.
The Pioneers, who will take a four-game winning streak into the national tournament, are playoff champions of America's toughest amateur conference. DU captured its record 15th WCHA Final Five championship Saturday night, defeating Minnesota 2-1 in the Broadmoor Trophy game before 17,907 partisan fans at the Xcel Energy Center.
An NCAA-record six teams from the Western Collegiate Hockey Association are pegged to make today's 16- team field.
DU coach George Gwozdecky said the victory proved his team can be a factor in the NCAA Tournament. The win proves "our ability to play big games on the big stage," he said. "It doesn't get any bigger than this."
Nothing seems to rattle senior goalie Peter Mannino, who as a freshman was named 2005 Frozen Four MVP. He has allowed just five goals in DU's four conference playoff games, all victories.
Mannino was brilliant Saturday, making 34 saves. Senior Tom May, from nearby Eagan, Minn., scored the winner on a semi-breakaway late in the second period.
In January, DU began a 5-9-1 slide. Now, the Pioneers appear as good as any team in the NCAA.
"We've faced a heck of a lot of adversity since the middle of the season, with injuries and departures and stuff like that, but hopefully we're hitting our stride," DU captain Andrew Thomas said.
The Pioneers (26-13-1) always play well in the Final Five since it moved to the Xcel Energy Center in 2001. And they have won the Broadmoor Trophy in four of the past nine years.
"We've had different type of teams that have won it different ways," said Gwozdecky, who previously guided DU to the 1999, 2002 and 2005 playoff crowns. "It's one of the events in every student-athlete's career that he remembers for a lifetime."
"Different guys, same hardware," Mannino said. "It's just as nice."
Minnesota, which was playing in its sixth playoff game in nine nights, was trying to become the first team to win the Final Five from the Thursday play-in game.
"Almost all weekend, we were running on adrenaline," Gophers forward Ben Gordon said.
DU is #1 in the WCHA with 15 playoff championships, one more than Minnesota.
11 comments:
The DU boys played very smart playoff hockey and got enough goals to get by a very inspired Gopher team playing in front of a very supportive home crowd of 19,000.
Denver seems to be working their way into form to be dangerous in the NCAAs...
This was a huge confidence builder for team that needed to come together...
It's great to see things finally paying off for Tom May. Every weekend it appears that he is one of the hardest working, most reliable players on the team.
Excellent effort by everyone tonight and it paid off with a SOLID victory. I can't wait for Regionals!!!
Lets go guys. Continue to make that playoff push!
Hell ya! Bringing back the action 04/05 style. Keep it going DU! Take no prisoners!!!
CHN is projecting DU to go to Worcester, Mass to play Clarkson, with UNH and Notre Dame filling out the bracket.
http://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2008/03/22_ncaatournament.php
congrats to DU, great playing this weekend. best of luck in ncaa tourney unless we play you of course..hahahahah
great job!!
Great win the PP was looking good too even though it ended up 0-5. They were really moving the puck well. I'm so glad to see them playing with confidence!
Rhett had the best weekend he's had since the WJ's.
All this with Ruegsegger still not quite back to form. If he can get going...
What a brave playoff performance by the boys.
Pioneer Nation is pretty proud of our hockey program tonight.
ARK NOW HERE, DENVER SINGS CC RAN AWAY AND WE WILL FIGHT FOREVER MORE TO BE THE CHAMPS AGAIN!
Awesome win tonight and even bigger we are the WCHA champs.
Now we come to the regionals... keep this up boys, good luck where ever you end up and I hope to be wearing my DU jersey once more at the Pepsi Center for the main show.
WE LOVE YOU DENVER WE DO!
WE LOVE YOU DENVER WE DO!
WE LOVE YOU DENVER WE DO!
OH DENVER WE LOVE YOU!
What a fantastic weekend for Pioneer hockey! Congratulations to the DU team. These guys worked through a ton of adversity and some tough times to get to this point. Winning the Broadmoor is a huge accomplishment. A huge momentum builder going into the regionals.
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