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Fantastic student support at both games this weekend. Band, Boone, Cheerleaders, DU Dance Team all did a great job. Awesome to see our hockey team leading by wide margins on both nights and virtually no student fans leaving until the final buzzer. Well played.
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Props to DU for cutting back on the canned music on Saturday night so that the band could be in the spotlight.
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The Saturday night pre-game Taste of DU Event in Gates Fieldhouse was incredible once again. DU doesn't publicize it because they want to keep it for the parents & alumni. Its a sampling from restaurants that are either local or alumni owned. Thanks to the hard-working DU Alumni Office staff that puts on this event annually. Its easily the best pregame event of the hockey season.
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The annual hockey alumni Orange-Lemon Contest had the added bonus of Mark Rycroft, Paul Stastny & Tyler Bozak competing. Wish DU could figure out a way to let the alumni guys do this between periods of the Homecoming game in front of 5,000 fans. And yes, the three DU alums with NHL experience all missed their first shots, so were in the "Lemon" line. Rycroft "won" the Lemon & Petri Gunther the Orange.
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Nice game by DU goaltender Adam Murray on Saturday night. He looked like he was really enjoying himself out there. Great to see.
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Wish I had a dollar for every fan at the game who told me they love the grittiness of this young DU hockey team. Its "Old-time hockey, like Eddie Shore used to play" at Magness Arena.
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Limo ride around campus with Boone and other DU alums on Saturday afternoon was a great experience. Will have to add that to future game day bucket lists.
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TRIVIA QUESTION: When was the last time DU scored five or more goals in four consecutive regular season games? Oct. 25th - Nov. 2nd, 2002. They defeated Alabama-Huntsville 7-2, 7-0 & Wisconsin 5-3, 5-3.
Note: DU did it on two more recent occasions, but needed exhibition games to pull off the feat.
36 comments:
Don’t forget the shock and awe as you worked the pole at Merchants Mile High Saloon (formerly the Border)!
I'll agree with DG - a very good homecoming weekend.
Lot's of events on campus, strong turnouts at events and pretty good weather, too.
Spirit is building, and the hockey team being 4-0 is a great way to get people excited.
Still wasn't listed as a sell out though. I thought by now, we'd have overflow from deprived Avs fans, and every game would be SRO. That was also Eric Bacher's last series....moving to Virginia. Good luck Bach.
The Cutthroats having home games that last two weekends is also likely hurting DU by about 500 fans or so.
Is that the stay puff marsh mellow man in a hockey jersey?
More chins that China town.....
Holy shit who is that fat fuck? Fat dumb and stupid is no way to go through life. Must feel like a loser in the healthiest state in the Union. Lets wait till your team has to play a road game or plays anyone worth a damn at home. If you actually think your team is better then MN, you are sorely mistaken.
@ Anon 9:47-
Chill the eff out you dumb Minnesota fan...you still a little sore that your team lost to Michigan Tech??
I love how these loser fans of other programs come on a Denver blog and take a dump here like it was their own toilet...You don't see Denver fans going on their blogs and taking dumps.
No manners.
Minnesota hasn't done jack against DU in the last decade or so. The series has been completely one-sided in DU's favor.
Yes, it has been utter domination of Minnesota. I look forward to playing them for a pretty easy three or four point weekend. Bozak would just completely toy with that team. Let's see who will step up from this years team. Also taking applications for the next CC killer, now that Zucker is gone. With respect to idiot trolls, too bad their lives are so boring that they come here. Funny, though, that they are the ones that drive a bunch of hits on DG's blog. I'm sure that the irony of that is lost on them.
DG - I think you need to start running or something.
I think the MN fans need to recall what DU did to them last year.
Gotta love DG getting in these trolls heads.
DG can't get into much of anything except a XXXL hockey jersey.
There were DU fans banging on the glass behind the DU bench too, as well as four POS wearing Gopher shirts, it was so bad Gwozdeckey had to complain to security to get the idiots behind to stop. They were spoken to by the cops and then the assualt became verbal towards the coaches, and they were ejected...C'mon man class it up especially if you claim to be a DU fan
DU will smoke MN. Most overrated team in the country this year.
DU is 12-2-1 against Minnesota since 2007.
One thing you can count on is Gopher fans will be talking smack about DU right up until gametime on March 1, 2013.
I always loved Gopher games at Magness. You'd get a number of clowns who went to DU who decided to wear ALL of their Gopher gear to the games. They would chirp and chirp and chirp until they realized that the Gophs were down by 4 goals 25 minutes into the game.
Nice job by Lamian and his crack research staff. The thing about DG is he so badly wants DU to be like MN it is sad. DU painted murals around the rink. Who had it first MN. He wants the DU band to march around the rink before games. Who already does that MN. Think of something original.
I find it really hard to believe that the Gopher Band were the first college band to play the fight song while entering an arena/stadium.
Now I do agree that no program does less with more talent than the Gophers, so if you want to take credit for that ... have at it.
Atleast Denver fans can enjoy a beer in our arena....we're responsible adults who can handle our liquor....unlike the drunks in Min-a-so-lame, who got alcohol sales banned. Now they go into Marri-yucky all drunked up before warmups even begin......that could explain why thier perception of the goofers is skewed; they're wasted.
DG I agree we have not played to our potential for many years. DU on the other hand does. One and done in the NCAA is a great year at DU. Not at the U though.
Losing to RIT in the 2010 NCAA Tourney as the #2 overall seed was an epic fail for DU.
DU needs to do a better job of spelling guys down the stretch and perhaps placing less importance on the WCHA Tourney in order to reach the Frozen Four.
2:23...what do you consider a great year?? You turds haven't sniffed a title in years.
I don't think there's an answer for whether or not it's better to take the WCHA playoffs seriously or not.
In '04, we took an early exit, rested our guys, and had great results.
In '05, we swept all the WCHA hardware and continued the roll into the NCAAs with great results.
Since '05, for the most part, we've gone after the WCHA hardware with some good success but haven't carried that momentum into the NCAAs.
North Dakota is an example of a team that has carried the momentum from the WCHAs into the NCAAs. Even if only to flounder in the Frozen Four.
I think each team is different and there's no right answer. This year's team might be an example of a team that you want to get on a role in the WCHAs and carry the momentum into the NCAAs. They are young and the confidence of winning (or the empty feeling of failing) could provide great motivation. Although, if we have any injuries with our already slim depth, taking it easy might be the best choice. You can't get it right every year, but in Gwoz we trust.
I think this when I get compelled to tell gopher fans something like.... 7>5
The big difference between DU & almost every other college hockey team is that we have to fly back to Denver after the Conference Finals and then usually fly back East to some obscure city a few days later.
In the 2005 Regionals we almost lost to both Bemidji & UNH playing "flat" for most of both games.
Injuries have been a huge factor for DU as well. Bozak, Bennett, Makowski & Martin all missed the stretch drive and only Bozak limped into the Regionals.
DG:
Sounds good in theory, but that's a tough thing for ANY college coach to sell to his team; particularly when there's the issue of seeding to consider.
DU has GENERALLY been fortunate enough to be in the position of fighting for tourney seeding in February and March, as opposed to fighting to make the NCAAs. As such, Gwoz and Co. frequently have to make the choice between fighting like hell to secure a supposed "easier" route through the tournament and laying back and winding up with a (potentially) brutal draw.
Given what we've seen the last few years, what's the right choice there? Honestly, who knows.
But, do keep in mind that with the vagaries of the PairWise in play, laying back and losing or tying an otherwise winnable game can have ripple ramifications that can REALLY screw up your tourney position...particularly if you're playing a league opponent (which, after February 1st, you almost always are).
Don't get me wrong, here. I'm not saying DU shouldn't more appropriately order its priorities when it comes to what to play for. It's just that it's not quite as simple as just "resting a couple of guys during the Anchorage series."
Injuries have been the killer, don't get me wrong.
But if they get the opportunity this season, rotate the seven Dmen down the stretch. Same with the goalies and perhaps the forwards.
The gophers could only muster up a tie against a team full of high school kids then managed to score one lonely goal against Canisius.
Man, there's no polishing that turd of a weekend...
@ 3:32 I would say the U sniffed a title last year.
I will be glad to see UM gone from our plate, and fade into the Big 10. The only real reason I respect that program is because of Herb Brooks; other than that, previous comments here pretty much nailed it - DU has the upper hand. Can't argue with 4-0 can you?
The description of the Tech coach reminds me of DU fans at Magness when the Sioux are in town.
You have a couple more titles (most of which game a long long time ago) more than the UofM, but beyond that DU has nothing on he UofM and the State of Hockey. Call me when the State of Colorado actually gives a shit about your program. UofM, UND, Wisconsin, BC will always be around during the bad years. DU will barely survive if they have another 35 year drought to keep all nine of your fans excited. Your sports programs are already on the verge of collapse. Bag on the Big 10 all you want. But that is certainly a better alternative to the freaking WAC!
Go ahead and book your tickets to Pitt. Just remember DG has a better chance of looking down and seeing his penis than you do of making the Fozen Four.
Whoah, whoah, whoah!!! Hold up, yo. Good people, please DO NOT turn this into a "we hate Minnesota" thing - I beg you PLEASE! Fact is fact - We don't hate Minnesota; we hate North Dakota! Anyone with half a brain knows that Minnesota TRULY is the State Of Hockey; there's been some great players come from there, and DU itself has had some great Minnesota native guys play for them - reference Johnny Lee, to name just one, on a very long list. Sorry all you Vikings and Wild fans - throw jabs if you may; but we hate that shithole state to the west of you (North Dakota) much more more than we do you. That is the fact of the matter. Any hockey fan who disrespects UM is a retard in my eyes; whereas any hockey fan who disrespects North Dakota, is a brother to me. Mall of America ROCKS!
DU doesn't have nine fans.
DU has a fan base of about 15,000 which is very respectable given our small school size (5K undergrads) private status (few casual city fans) and given the over-saturated sports market we play in and the ski slopes we compete with every weekend.
DU's attendance is top quarter in the NCAA - 5,300 per game last year, outdrawing or comparing quite closely with schools such as BU, UNH, and Michigan State.
Would we do better if we were a flagship state school like UND, Minnesota, Michigan or Wisconsin? Sure we would.
Would we do better if we were the only game in town (UND, CC, UW, UMD)? Or course we would.
Would we do better if we lived in cold winter state with natural ice rinks and a huge built-in youth/High school feeder system? Yes we would.
The point here is that Denver has done fantastically well on the ice, in the classroom, and at the gate when you consider the kind of obstacles we face here that many other programs don't have.
That fact that we've won more NCAA titles than BC, BU, UNH, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Cornell is amazing...
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