LetsGoDU: October 2015

Happy Halloween to Our LGDU Readers

Denver vs. Boston College Game Preview

Denver at Boston College might be the biggest match-up of the young 2015-16 college hockey season. This game pits two teams that are still in the process of finding their identity against each other.

On Saturday afternoon, the Pios will leave Chestnut Hill and head into the heart of Boston to play Boston University, the other Boston college hockey juggernaut. This will be the second game in the first real weekend test of the year for the Pios.

We know plenty about the Pios so far this year and we will certainly learn even more after the Friday night affair against Boston College. But what about the Terriers? Remember, this team made a run to the NCAA Title game where they lost to Providence (still bitter). Unfortunately, for this preview, we will not be providing any kind of Q&A with someone close to the program.

The final two weeks of the regular season are critical for DU's men's and women's soccer teams. The women's team will be battling for their playoff lives. The men are looking to clinch a conference championship and, as the only remaining undefeated team in the nation, achieve a level of success never seen in DU soccer history.

The women's soccer team sits in fifth place in the Summit League. Only the top four teams make the Summit League playoffs. Teams receive 3 points for a win and 1 point for a tie. Denver has 9 points and trails both fourth place South Dakota State (12 pts.) and third place South Dakota (13 pts.). Denver finishes with Omaha and Oral Roberts on the road. Oral Roberts is second in the Summit and Omaha is celebrating senior day. Both South Dakota and South Dakota State are playing teams in the lower half of the Summit the final two weeks. Realistically, Denver needs to sweep the two games on the road and they will need some help with a Dakotas melt-down.

Alumni and students know what this means.

Ski areas opened this week in Colorado, Denver had its first freeze and the humanities ponds were drained. A great time to get on campus and watch the Pioneers - inside or outside.

Inside Women's Gymnastics

The women’s gymnastics team at DU is an incredibly talented program on campus that has and continues to earn rankings and placements in competitions at the national level. The roster consists of 14 gymnasts from all over the country. Each contribute greatly to the team’s 16th seed national rank in the NCAA. Following the 2015 season, the Pios have qualified for the NCAA Regional Championships for the 17th consecutive year. Additionally, the 16th consecutive year in which at least one gymnast for the team qualified for the NCAA National Championships.

DU's Boston foes, BC and BU were in the news this week. BC had a major defection and BU took it on the chin last night against UConn.

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Jeremy Bracco, freshman forward with Boston College, has left the team. He had 3 assists and played in all 5 games. Bracco was a critical piece in what many consider the best incoming freshman class in collegiate hockey. He left for the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League. Coming out of the recent Colorado College series, the Boston College Hockey Blog said of Bracco, "Jeremy Bracco was off the charts good. He's like a magician with the puck, it's incredible to watch." Now you see him - now you don't.

ICYMI, Coach Mongomery talked about this year's Pioneers on Denver's Fox 31. The interview covers the Pioneers 'relentless style', their eagerness to go farther than last year, and joining the elite programs in recruiting.

We Don't Get a Vote...

but if we did get a vote FIGHTING HAWKS is LetsGoDU's preferred nickname for The University of North Dakota when voting resumes next week. In a spirit of goodwill, we will donate our 'retired' Red-tailed Hawk to UND.

Sasha Kandrach, a contributor to LetsGoDU, did an excellent article on the prospects for DU's ski team this season. They look to be formidable and the coaches are confident. Follow the link below to Sasha's article in the Clarion.

Here

The National Collegiate Hockey Conference continues to deliver on the preseason expectations as the best conference, top to bottom, in the country. The latest USCHO rankings have four of the top ranked six teams in the country from the NCHC. Undefeated North Dakota (4-0-2) and UNO (6-0) sit in first and second, respectively. Denver sits in fifth ((3-1) and Minnesota - Duluth (2-1-2) sits in 6th.

Take away bottom dwelling Colorado College (0-6) and the NCHC is an impressive (24-8-6) overall. Conference play starts this upcoming weekend for a number of conference teams. The top match-up is Miami at St. Cloud State followed by Omaha at Western Michigan. North Dakota travels to Colorado College.

Reality Boosts Denver Boone

Denver Boone responds to the CC 'Be a Tiger' Commercial.

The votes are in and the winner is....

not Sun Dogs or North Stars.

In results announced Sunday, none of the five nickname options for North Dakota received over 50% of the votes so three choices will advance to another round of voting. Originally, only two would advance but there was a 1% difference between second and third places so the decision was made by the school administration to include three choices (%/votes received in the first round shown below) in a runoff:

Fighting Hawks 31%
Roughriders 21%
Nodaks 20%

The re-vote will be held November 2 - November 6.

Amped Home Teams Push Pioneers

Two of DU's best spring sports teams felt the effects of playing on the road against hungry home teams.

The women's volleyball team met a determined UNO Maverick squad and were defeated 3-0. As a team, Omaha hit a season-high .298 to Denver's .219 and outblocked the Pioneers 5-3 in a dominant performance. This loss leaves IUPUI at 8-2, DU at 8-3, and UNO at 7-3 in the Summit League. This was a match that the Pioneers could have solidified their first-place league standing and created some breathing room and signaled to their contenders that they would be fighting for second place. Instead, the Summit League volleyball regular season crown is going to be a dog fight the rest of the way.

Epic Fail in Second "To Be A Tiger" CC Hockey Ad

Another in a series of very weak 'Be a Tiger' ads. This ad attempts to motivate the lethargic masses in the Springs to pull out some benjamins to see an inferior product. In this scintillating 10/15 second spot, the tiger mascot shoots a puck at a North Dakota fan. Of course, he misses, the puck breaks the camera lens, and the guy still has the girl. Then, the final cut shows the ND fan with a forehead injury from the puck? Huh?

Some things never change.

Can't they afford a 30-second spot? Advertising costs in the Springs have to be dirt cheap...massage parlors, pawn shops, and tattoo parlors.

If the Nodaks had TV's - they would really be pissed!

Know Your Foe: Boston Culture

Heading to Boston for the BC-BU hockey games? No trip to Boston would be complete without a little local culture. First on the list? LetsGoDU recommends a visit to Harvard Medical School's Longwood Campus to see Phineas Gage.

Gage was a railroad construction foreman. Unfortunately, he had a metal rod from a tamping iron shot straight thru his skull and his left frontal lobe. He lived for another 10 years but was never quite the same. After he died, his skull was dug up and the skull and the rod are displayed at the Countway Library of Medicine, in a small public gallery - open Mon-Fri 9-5. It's on the top floor of the library.

Channel 9 Denver did a feature on the DU Hockey's Orange-Lemon Competition. The media actually entered the competition and the Denver Post's Mike Chambers, one of LetsGoDU's favorites, took the loss - and the lemon.

Link: Orange-Lemon

Here is a prior story on this DU hockey tradition

Puck Swami - The Call for Fall Ball

As part of his support of the Lets Go DU Blog, longtime DU sports fan Puck Swami provides his periodic in-depth analysis of DU sports. This article focuses on the DU men's soccer program as a potential big-time opportunity for DU athletics.

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I don’t think many of us figured DU would be a top 10 National Men's Soccer Program this season, and while it’s been fun to watch the team run its home unbeaten streak to the nation’s longest at 26 games, there is still a long way to go to elevate the game day experience to anywhere near what DU enjoys for top 10 programs such as hockey or lacrosse.

As soccer grows in America from a primarily a youth participation sport to flourishing TV and spectator sport at both the mens professional level and women’s international level, NCAA college soccer holds some potential to grow into a bigger spectator sport, especially at the University of Denver, where there are a number of favorable conditions for its growth:

There is no doubt that many schools are copying the DU model for success. UNO plans on being nationally relevant in hockey, soccer, and volleyball. Sound familiar? Creighton University has put money on the table to make soccer 'their' sport. And the University of Nebraska staked out women's volleyball in their packed 8,000 seat luxury box stadium as their target sport. There are big-time plans taking shape in the Cornhusker State as all three universities begin to strategically select sports that allow them to compete nationally.

With the hockey Pios grounded for the weekend, what to do with the open time?

-Calm your Pioneer fever at 7:00 p.m. tonight when the DU women's soccer team plays Western Illinois at CIBER Field

-Scotts Lawn says this is the perfect time to aerate, fertilize, and over-seed your lawn.

-Observe CC Co-Eds in action at the Annual Witches Ball - The 24th annual celebration – held on October 24 in the suitably mystical confines of the Highlands Masonic Center Here

-Get some exercise at the Creepy Crawlers Bike Ride - Oct. 25 - Denver - The Creepy Crawlers Bike Ride let's you cruise & dress your best - as a hockey player of course! Link

-Take a short road trip to the Emma Crawford Coffin Races and Parade – Oct. 24 – Manitou Springs - In honor of a former citizen who was buried and became unburied. Here

CC -This all you got?

Pardon the poor quality, but this commercial was filmed by a CC fan off a TV. Apparently this is the first of a number of lame efforts to 'promote' CC Hockey.

The ad has so little traction that it can only be seen by hand held cam quarter. It apparently ran in the CC market. And the hockey check? No wonder the Denver guy got the girl!

Then, the tiger mascot runs away...Broken nail?

Desperation in the Springs. Who knew that the Scotty Owens 'era' would be the high point?

Teams Face Critical Weekend Trap Game/Matches

Both men's soccer and women's volleyball face critical road trips this weekend.

The men travel to Portland to face the University of Portland. Portland is 3-9-2 so this looks like a 'W'... Well, not so fast. Portland's last home game was against Gonzaga, a team that played the Pios tough in Denver when Denver emerging with a hard fought 2-1 win. Portland lost to the Zags 2-1 in overtime in their most recent home game. After a disappointing season, nothing would be a bigger lift for the Pilots than to take down a 'top ten' team on their home turf. The Pioneers will have to put their stamp on the Pilots early or it could be a long night. The Pioneers are going to have to prove their #7 ranking with a road game win against a team they should beat in Portland. Winning on the road is always going to be difficult and the Pios are now a target.

ESPN continues to get buffeted by the cable headwinds. According to USA Today, up to 300 ESPN employees are facing layoffs by their parent company, Disney. The sports network has been battling rising programming costs, increased licensing fees and sluggish advertising sales as viewers increasingly ditch cable for streaming options. Plus, many viewers are tired of ESPN's on-air shtick.

The under-thirty generation has neither the interest (or ability ) to pay $180 per month for channels they don't use nor the patience to wait for scheduled network programs. As for sports programming, many have an interest in sports but prefer to purchase their entertainment 'on-demand'. They are very practical with their entertainment dollars and cable is one of their highest discretionary expenses - outside the indispensable smartphone. When money is tight, cable goes.

As a reminder, LetsGoDU is on Twitter. Twitter is a great source to provide you with links to articles about DU sports, report emerging news, and live game-day commentary. LetsGoDU.blogspot.com will continue to link some newsworthy articles but we want to provide you with as much original content and opinion as possible on the blog. As always, we want to hear from you.

If you want to contribute an opinion piece(s), contact us at letsgodu@gmail.com. If you want to receive tweets and make tweet music, join us on Twitter @letsgodu.

If you are not on Twitter, you missed a LetsGoDU tweet this morning about a College Hockey News article that came out on DU's Gabe Levin. Link below:

College Hockey News - Gabe Levin

Hockey Alumni in the Pros - By Samantha Rogan

Samantha Rogan (@SamanthaRogan), DU Media Relations, takes a look at how former Pios are doing in North America's top three pro leagues this season. Follow the link below to see the Pioneer Pros. Also, there is a link to The Hockey News 'Dream Teams' - including DU.

Pretty impressive!

Hockey pros

Under the table or On the Table, it's Louisville

In an article in the Kansas City Star, Louisville coach Rick Pitino encourages UMKC’s Andre McGee to discuss sex party allegations at Louisville where McGee is now an assistant. It looks like Pitino is preparing to throw McGee under the bus. Former Cardinals recruit JaQuan Lyle, now an Ohio State freshman, has confirmed the “gist of allegations” detailed during a meeting earlier this month with the NCAA. The bigger question is where did an assistant coach get $10,000 to pay for the services of escorts as claimed by former escort Katina Powell?

The Denver Post issued an article today, Young Pioneers Seek to elevate basketball programs, covering the outlook for men's and women's basketball during the Summit League media day teleconference. We have provided the link below to the Denver Post article and interviews with Coach Joe Scott and women's Coach Kerry Cremeans.

If you have ever talked to anyone from Boston that follows college hockey you will quickly find that they think they invented hockey, skates and ice. They are mostly focused on each other, mostly the BU-BC Rivalry. And they want to beat Harvard, too - makes them look smarter. Three things are clear. They love their college hockey up there. They hate each other. People love to hate both teams, especially in the Hockey East.

Unfortunately, CC has lost their second player to concussion this season - Jordan Berger who has elected to leave the program after suffering the effects of concussions. Earlier this year, CC's Jarod Hanson had to retire from hockey after concussions as well.

All hockey programs are one hit away from potential concussions. The increased awareness of traumatic brain injuries has changed protocols and even rules but there are still ongoing risk to all hockey players.

LGDU wishes them both the best.

Details Here

Replay Wednesday - 2004 Championship 6 on 3 Nail Biter

This was one of the most tense championship games ever as the Pioneers took penalty after penalty in the final minutes against the Maine Blackbears in the 2004 title game. This still makes any Pioneer fan nervous! The off-ice players can't watch and Maine hammers two cross bar shots.

2004 Final Two Minutes - Maine - Denver

World Champs Ink Udofia

The defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors signed Chris Udofia and Xavier Henry to deals. Prior to his signing, Udofia, 23, appeared in 28 games with Elitzur Yavne in Israel last season, compiling averages of 10.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.68 blocks in 27.8 minutes.

He will be competing against 19 current players signed to the Golden State roster.

ND students show their preference for Nodaks Saturday night in Grand Rapids

After a flurry of lawsuits and campaigning, the University of North Dakota nickname voting started yesterday, Monday, and will continue until Friday the 23rd. Alumni, staff and ticket holders are voting. Participants will vote for one of the following options:

Fighting Hawks
Nodaks
North Stars
Roughriders
Sundogs

The winner will be announced the following week. If none of the options receive 50% of the vote, there will be a run-off vote between the top two vote-getters.

At last Saturday night's hockey game, the student section showed their support for Nodaks by flying a Nodak flag, a desecrated version of the American flag, and were supported in a tweet from the hockey coach, Brad Berry. The ND hockey blog, Goons World, made a furious effort in the final days to stop surging Sundogs nickname as an option.

70% of students preferred the option to have 'North Dakota' added as an option but it was turned down by the school president. Nodaks is apparently the next best thing. LetsGoDU looked earlier at what the Nodak graphics might look like:

Source: Goons World

Replay Tuesday - 2015 - Berg Semi-Winner vs ND in OT

By popular request, we take you to lacrosse overtime vs. ND. After a furious comeback from the Irish in regulation, Denver delivers the knockout blow in OT. If you are a Pioneer sports fan, this is an unforgettable moment in Pioneer sports history. Enjoy.

Replay 2015 - Lax Semi OT Win vs. ND - Wes Berg

Bad Boyz - North Dakota Theft - with Jersey On!

It was only a matter of time.

North Dakota athletics junior full back Dustin Iverson was removed from the football team Monday after being charged with theft of property on Friday. Iverson allegedly stole $16 worth of Nike Dri-fit bicep bands from Scheels Store in Grand Forks.

He wore his North Dakota jersey during the heist and at 6'3" and 250 lbs., he was not exactly stealth. He was captured when he returned to the store later that day.

Full Story Here

To the Victor Go the Spoils

Homecoming treats for the National Championship Lacrosse team. Bling and a completed locker room. Congratulations from LetsGoDU. Can we do it again???

Photos: https://twitter.com/DU_MLAX

Crimson & Gold Show: Episode #3 - Homecoming/Franks

Student and LetsGoDU editor Nick Tremaroli takes you through a hugely successful Homecoming Week of DU sports. If you missed it, the week was magical. Magness Arena felt like old times - thanks to a GREAT student section!

The Podcast is dedicated to Homecoming & Jamie Franks
This week's Pio highlights
Jamie Franks Interview - Soccer head coach of the undefeated & nationally ranked soccer Pioneers! Learn the secrets to their success.
A look ahead for DU sports

*Bonus feature: Nick works solo without a net and after 38 minutes of podcast excellence remains unscathed

Listen in your car, at your office or in your cell.

On home computers: Look up at the Crimson & Gold tab for Podcast #3
On mobile devices, follow the link below:
Podcast #3: Homecoming & Franks

Comeback Replay 2007: DU Hockey Ignites in Final Six Minutes

As we watched the No. 7 Michigan State Spartans stun No. 12 Michigan Wolverines 27-23 on the final play of a football game this past Saturday, we had to think of some of DU's greatest comebacks. Of course, Gwozdecky's hockey teams made a practice of coming back late so it is almost impossible to pick one game. We looked back into the LetsGoDU vaults and found a true gem from December 9, 2007. This is not a last second win - it is a come-from-behind six minute demolition of St. Cloud State on the road with a super-star effort from Rhett Rakhshani:

Ladies and gentlemen, college hockey is BACK. After a long, boring, hockey-less summer, our Pioneers are about to hit the ice in Colorado Springs to get the best season in sports going. Magness Arena is about to get rocking again and the NCHC is poised to have another dominating season after putting 6 teams in the NCAA tournament last year.

As exciting as it is that DU is about to show its fans what is has in store to follow up its impressive 2014-15 campaign that ended with a loss in the second round of the NCAA tournament to eventual National Champion, Providence, there are definitely some specific things to watch for this year.

The Pioneers finally played a full 60 minutes of hockey. On this night, there were no quick goals given up by the opposition. There were no periodic defensive breakdowns. There was only a solid, dominating effort for 3 full periods.

The previous three games for the Pioneers were marked by early goals by the opposition. Tonight, it was the complete opposite. Even though Michigan State won the opening face-off, it only took 1:19 for the Pios to notch the game's first marker. On a Blake Hillman slap shot from above the left circle, Matt Marcinew successfully deflected the puck past Spartan goalie Jake Hildebrand to give the Pioneers an early lead.

Denver - It took until 55 seconds into the second overtime by DU to break a 0-0 deadlock. Karsten Hanlin got the game winner from 12 yards out with an assist from Reagan Dunk to end the match 1-0. Hanlin's golden goal was his first goal of the season. DU outshot the Mavs 9-4 during regulation but could not find the back of the net. Denver's record moves to 11-0-2 and 3-0-1 in the Summit League. A solid homecoming crowd watched the match at a packed Ritchie Center complex where DU crowds celebrated soccer and hockey team victories to cap homecoming weekend.

“It was a great college soccer match tonight,” commented UNO Head Coach Jason Mims, “We were very patient and that created some good looks at goal in the first half, which allowed us to take the game to them.”

Volleyball Team On Record Pace

Women's volleyball defeated Oral Roberts (3-1) last night to move to 19-4 and a perfect 13-0 at Hamilton Gym. The best record ever for the women's team was 2014 when they went 27-7. Before that, their season best was 2008 with 25 wins and seven losses.

This year's team has eight games remaining with five on the road and three at home. It is reasonable to believe they could eclipse the best record ever for a DU Volleyball season. Additional wins are likely to come in Summit League conference playoffs in Denver 11/20 - 11/22 and potential NCAA playoffs put them on pace for the record.

Homecoming 2015 started with a bang as Pioneers hockey team took advantage of a defensive breakdown by Michigan State late in the third period as Gabe Levin scored the game winning goal on a great wrist shot from the low slot.

The game started as both games against Air Force did: an early goal from Michigan State. At the 1:03 mark of the first period, JT Stenglein was the beneficiary of a lucky bounce as the puck barely made it past DU goalie Evan Cowley.

A UNO player, after arriving in Denver, dreams how "great" it would be to "steal some points this weekend". UNO sees Denver visit as a great opportunity to get some rest.

Women's Soccer - DU's 111 Year Old Athletic Team Record In-Tact

DU soccer women (1-11-1) stopped their losing streak tonight with a 1-0 victory over IPFW. The victory ensured that Denver would extend DU's 111 year old streak of no zero-win seasons for any DU athletic team.

Women's soccer has been a flagship program for DU. Over the preceding five years their record is an impressive 80-20-8. In 35 years of women's soccer, even before the superlative recent seasons from Head Coach Jeff Hooker, the team only suffered four losing seasons - '83, '85, '04, & '05. So, there is little doubt that this season is an aberration.

LetsGoDU went back and looked at the records for DU's sports teams to see how many DU teams have faced winless seasons. We looked at men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's lacrosse. In the history of team records, we cannot find a team that suffered an entire season with no wins. Men's basketball had four one-win seasons 1905 (played 5), 1908 (played 1), 1913 (played 5), and 1920 (played 9). Men's lacrosse had one win in 1984 against Farleigh Dickinson. All the other teams had two or more wins during their worst seasons.

According to an MSU blog on SB Nation, the injury bug to four forwards puts MSU at a disadvantage vs. the high-flying Pioneer offense. There are three keys for them: 1. Get scoring from defenders with shorthanded offense. 2. Play strong special teams. 3. Slow the game down to reduce Pioneer scoring opportunities.

A boastful Coach Mims can't wait to get his boys to Denver because it should be easier than home field and DU doesen't get tested much.

“All the pressure is on them,” Maverick coach Jason Mims said. “For us, it may not be as stressful as being at home. The guys had midterms this week, so we can get out of town and get some rest.”

"They (DU) don't get tested a lot"
Mavericks are relaxed heading into match with unbeaten foe
Denver is one of three unbeaten Division I teams left in the country, has a 25-match streak without a loss at home and is celebrating homecoming this weekend.That could all work in UNO’s favor Saturday night when the teams meet in Denver in a match with huge Summit League implications.

The No. 8 Pioneers (10-0-2) are 2-0-1 and lead the league with seven points. UNO (7-3-1) is 1-1-1 and in third place with four points and two league matches left after Saturday.

Mike chambers gives a run-down for the DU vs. Michigan State series and gives us the lineups for DU. - Oct. 15, 2015 Denver Post

College hockey: Michigan State at Denver series should be a dandy

Coach Jim Montgomery and his University of Denver Pioneers (1-1) host the Michigan State Spartans (1-0-1) in a nonconference hockey series Friday and Saturday at Magness Arena.

DU is coming off a home-and-home series split with Air Force, losing 5-4 in overtime on opening night at the Academy before winning 3-1 in its home opener in Denver. Michigan State tied Maine 3-3 and beat Lake Superior State 4-1 last weekend in Portland, Maine.

“The focus is getting better, guys getting more comfortable playing Denver hockey and players asserting themselves in new roles,” said Pioneers coach Jim Montgomery, who is beginning his third season. “With exception of about seven players on our team, everyone else is trying to find roles this year.”

Tickets are still available for Homecoming but time is running out. Make your plans to attend the scheduled events: With over 40,000 alumni on the front range, it is an easy trip.

Live out of town? It is going to be great weekend. Get in a plane and get out here (Links below)

Southwest Get Away Fares
Frontier Airlines
United Airlines

Many casual observers do not realize that our visitors for Homecoming are hiding a dark secret.

According to Michigan State University Museum Curator of History, Val Berryman, the Worlds Largest Hairball is no longer on display.

The “World’s Largest Hairball” has inspired numerous pilgrimages to the museum’s storage facility to view this natural phenomenon retrieved from the stomach of a cow. Originally displayed by the Animal Science Department in MSU’s Anthony Hall, it was transferred to the museum collections in 1985 but has been on display only a few times since. Visitors can learn why hairballs form and to discover why it is no longer the world’s largest.

Because there are limits to how often museum staff members can give individual tours (and how much visitors can actually stomach) the hairball may not be seen again for some time.

Low Expectations Greet Basketball Programs

In a vote of league coaches, sports information directors and media members, DU was tabbed to finish 8th in The Summit League for the 2015-2016 season. South Dakota State was selected as the pre-season favorite. No DU players were selected as pre-season players of the year first or second teams. The prior two seasons the Pioneers were a pre-season number two selection. The Pioneers are heavy on under-classmen and lost their starting point guard, Jalen Love, to transfer. Last year, South Dakota State was selected as the pre-season favorite but was toppled by North Dakota State.

Michigan State recently underwent the first phase of renovating their home Ice - Munn Arena. As part of the renovations, the blue lines were painted Spartan-green when the ice was flooded over the summer. It was Michigan State AD Mark Hollis' idea, according to the Detroit Free Press, saying "it is about the heritage and the color of the school without taking any of the integrity of the game away."

The NCAA, and likely over a century of history, disagreed. Instead the Spartans will have to repaint the lines blue and maintain the integrity of the rules.

Does this mean DU can't use the crimson and gold pucks at Homecoming?

NCAA Says No to MSU

Basketball Fan Jam Tonight

The University of Denver men’s and women’s Basketball Fan Jam is slated for tonight inside Magness Arena at 6 p.m.

Events scheduled for the evening will include a 3-point challenge between the men’s and women’s teams, a slam dunk contest, player and coaches introductions, team warmups and cheer and dance performances. The pep band will also be in attendance.

The event is free to the public and concession stands will be open and will have free food. Fans can stick around after the event and shoot on the court, meet the players, coaches and cheer teams.

Two students will be selected for a chance to shoot a half-court shot to win $500 each.

UNO Leaps DU in Week One Polls

UNO hockey jumps seven spots, reaches highest ranking in school history

University Nebraska - Omaha, ranked 10th in the preseason hockey rankings, was the only team in the USCHO.com's top 10 to win both its games in the opening week. New No. 1 North Dakota and reigning national champion Providence, which is now No. 2, both went 1-0-1 while every other team — except Harvard, which did not play — lost at least once. The Mavs moved ahead of 5th place DU and into 3rd place.

Mavs coach Dean Blais said he was just proud that his program has reached this point.

“The new arena is certainly exciting, but the players that are here really make it go,” he said. “The arena helps. The fan base — to have 7,800 to 8,000 in the arena every night — is going to be a big shot in the arm, but it’s a real compliment as a program, going on 20 years, that we’ve come along this fast.

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