Showing posts with label BC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BC. Show all posts

Homecoming 2014 Will Feature Hockey Against BC

The University of Denver is already planning for Homecoming next year and the highlight of the weekend is sure to be two ice hockey games against Boston College.
Oct 30–Nov. 2, 2014 Homecoming and Alumni Symposium
The annual Homecoming celebration will be enhanced for DU’s sesquicentennial year, with an all-class reunion, inductions into the Athletics Hall of Fame, lifelong learning opportunities, parent sessions, Taste of DU, campus tours and Pioneers hockey games against powerhouse Boston College.

Gwozdecky Misses Out On UConn Coaching Job

Mike Cavanaugh
From: Bangor Daily News
by Larry Mahoney

Mike Cavanaugh an assistant coach at Boston College for the past 18 seasons, is in final negotiations to become the head hockey coach at the University of Connecticut.

Deposed University of Denver coach George Gwozdecky and former Providence College assistant David Berard, who was the interim head coach at UConn this past season, were the other finalists.

The decision is said to have come down to Cavanaugh and Berard, who would get an offer if, for some unexpected reason, contract negotiations broke down with Cavanaugh. Gwozdecky was the first finalist eliminated from consideration.

UConn did have a non-scholarship Division I Atlantic Hockey team but will add the full complement of 18 scholarships and join Hockey East in 2014-15.

ESPN anchor John Buccigross reported via Twitter last week that UConn and Gwozdecky were in intense discussions and there was an “excellent chance” Gwozdecky was going to get the position.

Gwozdecky could now be a candidate for the Maine job vacated by Tim Whitehead, who was fired after 12 seasons as the head coach.

Gwozdecky, who was fired at Denver when his contract negotiations broke down despite his 443-267-64 record over 19 seasons, said last month he was interested in the Maine job.

BC Assistant Greg Brown To Interview At DU Today

(above) Greg Brown [center] will interview at DU today

Boston College associate head coach Greg Brown will interview for the open head coaching job at the University of Denver on Saturday.

Brown is in his ninth season as a member of the Eagles' coaching staff. He has helped guide BC to five NCAA Frozen Fours, including titles in 2008, 2010 and 2012. Brown was also a pretty good player in his own right -- a two-time U.S. Olympian, Brown played for the both the 1988 and 1992 U.S. Olympic men's ice hockey teams and a two-time Hobey Baker finalist in 1989 and 1990 (finishing as the runner up to Michigan State's Kip Miller).
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Brown was recently named an assistant coach of the 2014 U.S. National Junior Team that will compete in 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship Dec. 26, 2013 - Jan. 5, 2014, in Malmo, Sweden.
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By no means do I want to see Brown leave the Heights, but he has more than earned the right to interview for his own head coaching gig. Brown could also do a lot worse than Denver, consistently one of the top programs in the country. Denver, in turn, could also do a lot worse than hiring Greg Brown. Sometimes you just have to cut your teeth coaching at lesser programs before returning to your alma mater to succeed Coach York behind the Eagles' bench.

DU Coach Will Assist USA World Jr. Team Again

(above) David Lassonde will assist the USA Under-20 team in Sweden next year
Minnesota head coach Don Lucia was named head coach of the 2014 U.S. National Junior Team in an announcement made Saturday.  Boston College assistant coach Greg Brown, Denver assistant coach David Lassonde and St. Cloud State head coach Bob Motzko [a former DU assistant coach] will be Lucia’s assistant coaches with Team USA.

The 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship runs from Dec. 26, 2013 to Jan. 5, 2014, in Malmo, Sweden. The U.S. is seeking its fourth medal in five years, having won gold under Phil Housley in 2013 and under Nebraska-Omaha coach Dean Blais in 2010 and the bronze medal in 2011.

Ferris State Hopes To Rebound Against DU

(above) Ferris State was the CCHA regular season champion
From: MLive.com
by David Drew

Ferris State University enters the NCAA hockey tournament on a sour note in going winless in four of its last five games.

The top-seeded Bulldogs, who won the Central Collegiate Hockey Association regular season title, tied and lost a shootout against Western Michigan University and then lost to WMU in their final regular-season series.

After a bye week, FSU (23-11-5) was ousted in the CCHA Tournament best-of-three quarterfinals series by bottom-seeded Bowling Green.

FSU, which is making the program’s second appearance in the national tournament and the first since 2003, will be a No. 2 seed in the midwest regional in Green Bay and will face Denver (25-13-4) at 5:30 p.m. (EST) on Friday at the Resch Center.

The third-seeded Pioneers lost to North Dakota 4-0 in the WCHA Tournament championship game this past Saturday.

Denver defeated Western Michigan University 3-2 in double overtime in the first round of the NCAA tournament in Green Bay last season before falling to UND 6-1 in the regional championship game the next night.

Giving the Bulldogs even more to think about is Denver’s unbeaten (5-0) record against regular-season conference champions this season. The Pioneers defeated Boston College (Hockey East), Union (ECAC), Air Force (AHA) and were 2-0 against Minnesota (WCHA).

News & Notes From Around PioNation

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The National Post has a very complimentary article about Tyler Bozak and what he has done as the first line center for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season.
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"Thankfully, he is a lot better than where he was when he was lying on that ice," Gwozdecky said of Jason Zucker in the Denver Post today. "It was a dangerous, dangerous hit, and it certainly could have been a lot worse, based on what we saw not only live but on (video)."  Check out the entire article.
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Thanks to Boston College winning the Beanpot Tournament last night, DU is now alone in 7th place in the Pairwise Rankings.

DU Women's Golf Lands Prized 16-y.o. Recruit

(above) Mia Landgren is only a junior in high school but she has already competed in some of the top women's golf tournaments in the U.S.
From: Housatonic Times
by John Torsiello

Connecticut high school golfer Mia Landegren can rest easy now. She’s made her choice as to what college she will take her immense skills as a golfer to.

The 16-year-old announced this week that she will attend the University of Denver in the fall of 2013. Landegren visited a number of schools, including Boston College, Kentucky and Arizona State, but said she felt comfortable at Denver and decided to take her talents to Colorado.

“We went to Denver about a month ago and also made a trip to Arizona State,” she said. “I just loved everything about Denver and they offered me a full scholarship. It’s a great school with great coaches.”

Landegren said the rather small size of the school was also an attraction.

“Coming from a small high school like Shepaug, Denver was appealing. They have small class sizes and it allows you to get to know your professors and that is important for me. Deciding early where I’m going also helps me relax and enjoy the rest of my high school career.”

The University of Denver has one of the top Division I women’s golf programs in the nation and has been ranked in the top 10 the last several years.

“By the time I get there I think we will have the potential to win a national title. They are building a brand new indoor golf practice facility.”

Landegren said Denver’s coaches intimated that they look at her as being an integral part of their program once she arrives on campus.

Despite being located in the center of Western snow country, one thing Landegren won’t be doing is heading to the slopes while attending the University of Denver.

“They don’t allow us to ski because of the danger of injury. But that’s all right because I don’t ski anyways.”

Landegren has enjoyed a stellar career in high school. She has earned All-State honors at the CIAC Boys Division IV golf tournament and qualified to play in the U.S. Women’s Public Links Championships at the acclaimed Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon last summer.

The Bridgewater resident, after finishing off the 2011 Berkshire League season in strong fashion with four straight rounds of nine holes in the 30’s, also attempted to qualify for the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open at Crestview Country Club in Agawam, Ma., missing the cut.

Landegren competed in the 2011 Connecticut Women’s Open, where she finished tied for 11th. She shot rounds of 79 and 78 at the Golf Club at Oxford Greens, to finish 13 shots behind winner Jordan Lintz of Milford. She finished third at the Connecticut Women’s Amateur.

She spent the summer playing with the junior national team in Sweden and returned there in September for a major international tournament.

Landegren said she is looking forward to competing with her high school team this spring and plans to play a comprehensive schedule of high profile tournaments throughout 2012.

Weekly Hockey Poll Released

(above) Click on photo to enlarge
The University of Denver remained at #3 in the weekly USCHO.com college hockey poll. Despite handily defeating Boston College on Friday night in Conte Forum, DU was unable to leapfrog the Eagles.

Photos: Boone Invades Boston College

(above) The Battle of Boston spilled over into the stands
(above) Boone is mobbed by street urchins who are bused in from local orphanages
(above) Boone tries to hijack the BC Pep Band

DU Throws A TEAm PARTY At Boston College

(above) DU was led by Adam Murray's stellar play on Friday night
photo credit: Andrew Fielding

The third-ranked University of Denver hockey team traveled across the country to face #1 Boston College on Friday night.   In front of a packed house and a national television audience, the Pioneers displayed moxie and came away with a hard fought 4-2 victory.

The Pioneers took the lead on Jason Zucker's early goal in the first period. Beau Bennett, Drew Shore and David Makowski had DU's other three goals.

Eagles head coach Jerry York commended the Boston College fans for the raucous atmosphere inside the Conte Forum.

"The atmosphere was as loud and as [good of a] college hockey atmospheres that we've had here in a long time," York said in his postgame press conference. "It was a terrific place to play."

Adam Murray had an outstanding game in goal.

DU To Be Televised On CBS Sports Network Tonight

CBS Sports Network website  has Jascon Zucker's photo on its front page today
 Find CBS Sports Network In Your Area

DU vs Boston College @ 5:30 PM MT

The University of Denver hockey game against Boston College [Friday, Oct. 14th] will be televised nationally on the CBS Sports Network at 5:30 PM MT.

CBS Sports Network, a division of CBS Sports, is a 24-hour cable network dedicated to college sports. It can be seen on DirecTV #613, Dish Network #152 & Denver Comcast #412.

Use the "Channel Finder" on the front page of the CBS Sports Network Website to see the channel listing in your zip code and cable system.

DU Alumni Event In Boston Tonight


Don't forget the pregame event in Boston tonight for alums in New England who are attending the DU hockey games this weekend. The DU Alumni Association is hosting pregame drinks & hors d'oeuvres on October 14. Almost 100 people have already signed up.

Game ticket info is also available on the DU Alumni website.

DU Alumni Event In Boston
Friday, October 14 
Union Street Restaurant [5:00 to 7:30 pm]
107 Rear Union Street

Boston College Gears Up For Pioneers

by A.J. Black

There are three things you can count on in life: death, taxes, and Boston College hockey kicking butt. That's exactly what BC did last weekend. Forget the fact that the Eagles are without 6 of their starters from last year, and forget the fact that John Muse is no longer with the team. This team is already showing they are ready to to contend again. This time led by Chris Kreider, Tommy Cross, Steven Whitney and a whole new cast of characters.

Friday's game against the Michigan State Spartans was dominated by Boston College 5-2. Early goals by Patrick Brown and Chris Kreider gave them the early edge, and was finished off by goals by Steven Whitney and Barry Almeida. In between the pipes Parker Milner did a fantastic job saving 22 of the 24 shots he faced.

On Saturday freshman Johnny Gaudreau, Steven Whitney and Pat Mullane accounted for 9 points in Eagles' 6-2 win against third ranked North Dakota.

BC Coach Jerry York was very happy about the play of his line, "That line in particular was really dominant on the ice," York said. "Earlier in the season we were trying different combinations and they all seem to move pucks very well. There are a lot of similarities in the way they play."

It was a big win for the Eagles on the road against a very good Fighting Sioux team. BC again looked fast and quick, and continue to bring the speed game to college hockey. It's only two games into the season, but it is pretty clear that Boston College is going to put an excellent product on the ice.

Jerry York of course was his usual cool, calm self, "There are six trophies available to us this year." "We got the first one. It's kind of a steppingstone - they all get bigger as the year goes on."

Boston College will return to the Heights with a bevy of hardware both individually and collectively as a team. Goalie Parker Milner, Patch Alber, Bill Arnold,Tommy Cross and Chris Kreider were all named to the Ice Breaker All-Tournament team, while Kreider will be returning with the Ice Breaker MVP. Freshman Johnny Gaudreau was named Hockey East rookie of the week for his 4 point performance against North Dakota.

BC was rewarded with #1 rankings in both major weekly polls - USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine. They climbed above North Dakota who they defeated, Notre Dame and Miami (Ohio) who both lost their opening games, and Denver who hadn't played yet. Nothing to get too excited over, but any good BC news at this point is more than welcome.

BC very difficult schedule continues this Friday as they host Denver this Friday at Conte Forum. Hopefully unlike football, this will be a rocking crowd and another BC victory.

DU #3 In Latest Hockey Poll

Click on image to enlarge
The University of Denver hockey team is ranked third in Monday's USCHO.com's Division I Ice Hockey Poll. 

Boston College is ranked #1 on the eve of Friday night's showdown against DU in Boston.  The game  will be televised nationally on the CBS Sports Network at 5:30 PM MT [Friday, Oct. 14th].

On Saturday night the Pioneers will face #8 Boston University.

DU @ Boston College Game On CBS Sports Network

The University of Denver hockey game against Boston College [Friday, Oct. 14th] will be televised nationally on the CBS Sports Network.  

CBS Sports Network, a division of CBS Sports, is a 24-hour cable network dedicated to college sports. It can be seen on DirecTV #613, Dish Network #152 & Denver Comcast #412.

News & Notes From Around PioNation

DenverPioneers.com has a complete wrap-up and videos of the first day of the Pro Camp held in Joy Burns Arena.  After the pros completed the drills they were joined on the ice by several current Pioneer players.  The performances of Drew Shore, Nick Shore and Adam Murray caught the attention of the former DU stars.
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The Hockey News' 2011-12 Yearbook recently rated the Top 10 prospects of every NHL team.  Of the 78 players with current, former or future college ties, DU had the most number of players listed with 10.  Tied for second were the Minnesota Gophers and Boston College with seven apiece.
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The University of Colorado's starting punter this Fall was offered a opportunity to walk-on DU's basketball team, but choose to go to CU instead.  Keep an eye on Darragh O'Neill, he sounds like a heck of an athlete.
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The University of Denver's men's basketball team was bolstered with the announcement that forward Rob Lewis has been granted an extra year of eligibility because of a back injury last season. Lewis is in a master's degree program at DU.

DU Misses Out On Last-Minute Defensive Recruit

Garrett Harr
From: MLive.com

When Northeastern University head hockey coach Greg Cronin left the school for an NHL coaching position with the Toronto Maple Leafs this summer, it set off a chain reaction. Several players looked into transfering, one star defected to major juniors and recruits considered decommitting. Prized blueline recruit Garrett Haar weighed his options, and with his stock on the rise, decided to see what schools might be interested.

In no time Haar had offers from Western Michigan, Boston College, Boston University, Denver and Minnesota-Duluth. On Monday he decided to attend Western Michigan.

Haar, an offensive defenseman, played for the USHL’s Fargo Force last season tallying 23 points (7 goals, 16 assists) and a plus/minus rating of plus nine in 51 games before being drafted by the Washington Capitals in the seventh round (207th overall).

Capitals’ General Manager George McPhee called Haar “the biggest surprise of the camp,” in a July 16 Washington Post story on the team’s development camp. “For a young man that was four picks away from not being drafted, he really played well here,” McPhee continued. “Liked his hockey sense, the way he competed I like the way he defends and he looks real strong on his skates.”

Clarion Asks Beau Bennett 14 Questions

by Tyler Perimutter

The Clarion (DU's student newspaper) sat down with Beau Bennett to discuss Bennett's first year on campus and some of the things he enjoys.

What made you decide to come to the University of Denver?
BB: I was visiting schools and I narrowed it down to BC (Boston College) and DU. When I came out to Denver I really liked the city, the coaches and the players [read entire article].

News & Notes From Around PioNation.

Mark it on your calender.  The University of Denver hockey team will be playing in Boston early next season and it will be an epic road trip you won't want to miss.  On October 14th DU will play Boston College.  The following night they will face off against Boston University in Agganis Arena.
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Anthony Maiani scored a goal in his first professional game for the ECHL Wheeling Nailers. It was an important goal because the team has to finalize its playoff roster today, so Maiani only had one opportunity to show the team what he could do.  Wheeling defeated the Toledo Walleye 4-3 and clinched a playoff berth.
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Mandi Schwartz, the Yale hockey player and sister of Colorado College players Jaden and Rylan, passed away Sunday in Regina, Saskatchewan. She was 23. Schwartz learned in December 2008 that she had acute myeloid leukemia.  Best wishes to her family, fans and friends.
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Colorado Avalanche center and DU Alum Paul Stastny won't play again this season because of a stress fracture in his leg discovered in a weekend examination.
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DU alum Chris Butler gave the Buffalo Sabres an early lead midway through the first by finishing a 3-on-2 rush with his first goal in 15 months. Trailing the play, he took a cross-ice feed from Stafford and snapped the puck high past Ward from the right circle.  Buffalo defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 in overtime.
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Former DU players Matt Donovan and Kyle Ostrow recorded assists for their first points in AHL games over the weekend.
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The Junior Pioneers ended up collecting Bronze Medals at the PeeWee Under-12 National Championships (Tier II).  They defeated host San Jose Jr. Sharks 3-2 before falling to the Red Bank Generals 2-1 in overtime in the Semi-Finals.  Congrats to all the Junior Pioneer players for representing Colorado so well.
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Don't forget to register online for the 55th DU Hockey Banquet on Friday April 22nd..  We will have several LetsGoDU tables set up.

Boston College 6 - DU 2 Final

Boston College jumped out to a 5-0 lead and cruised the rest of the way to a convincing 6-2 victory in Magness Arena in front of a stunned sold out crowd.

BC scored the lone goal in a highly contested 1st period. Joe Whitney scored BC's goal at 16:33 of the period with assists to Cam Atkinson and Philip Samuelsson. DU had some good chances that BC goaltender John Muse made some nice saves on.

The Eagles exploded with four goals in the 2nd period to make it 5-0 before DU could get on the board late in the period. Turnovers cost DU many of the Boston College goals. Luke Salazar scored DU's lone goal of the period at 15:35 with assists from Jesse Martin and Kyle Ostrow.

The third period saw DU close within three goals when Luke Salazar scored his second of the night at the 4:50 mark. The assists went to David Makowski and Paul Phillips. BC iced the game with a shorthanded goal at the 7:48 mark when Brian Gibbons skated the puck around a falling down DU d-man and raced in unscathed on Adam Murray. The final shots were DU 29 BC 34.

DU and BC face each other again on Saturday night to close out this two game series.

Box Score

Denver Post game recap

DenverPioneers.com video highlights