Denver 2 - British Columbia 2 FINAL [Exhibition]

David Makowski & Garrett Allen scored goals as the University of Denver and British Columbia skated to a 2-2 tie at the Pepsi Center. DU jumped out to a 2-0 lead before UBC came back to knot the score.

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was there last night the pepsi center was rocking. To almost beat a canadian tells me this team has a ton of potential.

Anonymous said...

I know DU only had one practice and UBC has played four games already, but this DU team did not look like an eighth ranked team nationally. They looked like a semi-interested mid-pack WCHA team at best. While they out shot UBC by a large margin, most of the SOG were straight at the goalie. The team looked a step slower and less-skilled up front than any DU team in a long time. And the goal against Murray was a shot he should have stopped.

The good news, if you can call it that, is that the Rookies all looked reasonably confident with the puck. None of them are standout players as yet, but they all belonged on the ice.

Gwoz has a LOT of work to do...

Anonymous said...

I was honestly a little surprised to see DU ranked so high in the preseason. With like 40% of the offense lost with Zucker, Shore, and Bennett, we're looking a a serious transformation in the character of the team for this year. Strange to have depth at the defensive position. I think having fewer superstar-type forwards might force the team to commit to more of a dedicated offensive system and team-defense oriented mindset, which could be really good for a team that has sometimes too-heavily relied on its skills over the years.

OK, after only 2 practices the power play wasn't going to be great. Transition wasn't too bad, but it was the transition out of the d-zone, let alone through the neutral zone, where the carelessness was really bothersome. That's just discipline. Hopefully that gets worked on over the next couple weeks.

Anonymous said...

Paul Phillips said in a post-game interview that the team lacked conditioning and was "tired" towards the end of the game.

Division I hockey players should be "in condition" by now. They've been on campus for a month and many trained together over the summer.

Come on guys. I expect rusty systems in the first exhibition game, but I don't expect a Canadian team from sea to come in and be in better shape at altitude.

Time to use these next two weeks to get more serious.

Anonymous said...

I was impressed with Allen, #17. Also noticed that Mayfield found the penalty box twice. Doremus had some shots too. Our D will not be an issue.

Anonymous said...

DU publicity continues on SNL: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/snl-debate-big-bird-romney-obama-video-160708050--politics.html

Anonymous said...

The new seats at the Pepsi Center suck! No legroom whatsoever. I think they replaced the old seats with higher backed seats that hit you in the knees. I'm glad I didn't pay $100 for an Avs game for that seat.

Anonymous said...

anon 12:43: Did you just say "With like 40%"? Do you talk to people like hey how are you like?

Anonymous said...

UBC 6 cc 1 wow do they suck

Anonymous said...

Try again loser (anon 10:18 PM). CC won 3 - 1. Pretty much dominated them.

Anonymous said...

Only one concession stand and one restroom open at the Pepsi Center. I guess they weren't expecting much of a crowd. Seating and site lines were miserable. Shows how overpriced the Avs are and how good we have it at Ritchie.

Anonymous said...

They got over 2,200 which is more than I expected - an off campus $18 exhibition game that was not included in anyone's season ticket package.

It wasn't that bad....

Anonymous said...

I hadn't heard an attendance figure yet, but was *like* totally surprised by the number of people that were there. I thought it was a great turnout all things considered.

No marketing, no home stadium, no season ticket holders, exhibition game against a Canadian team, and we still drew that many fans. Maybe I'm being a bit over zealous, but makes me think we could fill the Pepsi Center on a night against the Sioux or CC with the proper marketing strategy and pricing.

Hopefully DU was paying attention.

Anonymous said...

Impressions from one exhibition:

1. Nick Shore, Shawn Ostrow and Chris Knowlton are WCHA level forwards. After that, the talent level drops up front. Someone is going to need to elevate their game. DU is going to need to win games on D, as finishers are just not there. The high offensive skill level is not what we are used to seeing at DU in recent years.

2. Defense looked pretty good. Talent is there - Phillips plays solid, LaLaggia and Makwoski are great puck handlers and can jump in on offense. Mayfield and Didier can pop people for sure. D Mermis and Zajac are going to need some practice time to fit in, but the talent level will be fine.

3. Brittain is still our best goalie. Murray is a #3 goalie. Juho is is #2.

4. Power Play needs work.

5. Team speed is down from last year. DU is going to need to score up front by playing physical and getting dirty goals. There are no gambreakers on this team.

Anonymous said...

DU and CC did sell out old McNichols Arena back in 1995 - 16,000+.

DU and CC could certainly sell out Pepsi Center if that was something that DU really wanted to do, but DU still makes more money selling out Magness, where they can keep all revenues. If they went to Pepsi Center, the extra rent, parking and concession revenue splits would probably not offset the extra ticket revenue...

Anonymous said...

And the seating is so much better at Magness!

Anonymous said...

It was great to see the former Avalanche Captains at the game. (They were standing in the back. I guess they can’t fit into those expensive new leather seats either.)

Anonymous said...

I don't like this; having only one pre-season game. Can we maybe bring in some Avs players for practice this week, to scrimmage against? Pauly Stasny, O'Brien, O' Reiley.... what are ya'll doing this week? Come to DU and bring your pads. Brittain and the Defense need some fresh faces to try and infiltrate the blue line and crash the net, so they can be ready for UML. Please God, don't let us fall to a non-conf opponent in our home opener. CAN we beat them? Without a doubt. Will we ????

Anonymous said...

Could fill the Pepsi Center against CC or UND? Nope. You may sell out Magness, but there are a lot of empty seats. No way in hell you could seel our Pepsi against any team. Keep dreamin ladies.

Anonymous said...

sell out

Anonymous said...

DU drew 16,000+ for CC in 1995, before the national title years.

DU has about 8,000 season holders (most of them have either Friday night or Saturday night packages and a total local fan base of about 15-20,000 people.

There is no question that DU could sell out Pepsi Center (18,000) vs CC at a $20 ticket average if they wanted to do it. Could probably get 15,000 + for UND, too since half the state of North Dakota escaped and lives here now.

DU makes more money selling 6,000 out at Magness and keeping the parking, concessions and not having to pay rent.

Anonymous said...

Why would DU want to provide more seats to fans from other teams? Or for lazy DU “fans” that don’t show up for anything other than the CC or ND games?

Anonymous said...

I think it's great that Sioux fans help line DU's athletic dept's pockets.

Anonymous said...

I’d rather sit next to a fan from another team than some idiot that shows up once a season and regales everyone around him with stories about the “old barn”.

Anonymous said...

11:56, curious, who are you? current student? alumni? denver resident? troll fan from another fanbase?

I'm an alumni that wasn't around during the old days and love to hear stories about the old barn. Seemed like a great place with lots of great memories. I'm curious why you would make such a statement. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

It’s like listening to grandpa tell the same story over and over. The CC Sucks banner in the rafters was so funny, there was streaking in the 70s, I was there in ‘57 when CC won their last NCAA title, the Bleacher Creatures were keen, they didn’t wear helmets in my day, we used to pee on photos the other teams coach at my fraternity, the 4 piece jazz band on the far wall was more fun than pep band of today, we had to make our own bathtub gin during prohibition, they used to allow fighting … yada, yada, yada. The problem is that it isn’t your grandpa, it’s just a drunk old fop with memory problems telling the same stories over and over.

Shut the hell up and watch the game!

Anonymous said...

I wont argue with you, but I still like Grandpa Simpson and Old Pio....

We can't bust heads like we used to, but we have our ways. One trick is to tell 'em stories that don't go anywhere - like the time I caught the ferry over to Shelbyville. I needed a new heel for my shoe, so, I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em. Give me five bees for a quarter, you'd say.

Now where were we? Oh yeah: the important thing was I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. They didn't have white onions because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones...