DU's Pro Hockey Camp Begins Today

From: DU Athletics Website

The second annual University of Denver Hockey Alumni Pro Camp will be held Aug. 22-26 at Joy Burns Ice Arena.

The pro camp will allow current professional DU hockey alums and other professional players to train together in preparation for their upcoming 2011-12 seasons. DU Associate Head Coach Steve Miller and former DU assistant coach and current Green Bay Gamblers head coach/general manager Derek Lalonde will provide on-ice instruction for the five-day camp, which runs daily next week from 10:15 AM - PM. The camp is open to the public FREE of charge.

DU hockey professional alumni expected to participate in this year's camp Paul Stastny (Colorado), Rhett Rakhshani (New York Islanders), Joe Colborne (Toronto), Marc Cheverie (Florida), Brock Trotter (Montreal), Patrick Mullen (Los Angeles), J.P. Testwuide (Phoenix), Andrew Thomas (New Jersey), Aaron MacKenzie (Austria), Geoff Paukovich and Matt Glasser.

Other professional players expected to participate in the camp include Peter Mueller (Colorado), Cody McLeod (Colorado), Kyle Quincey (Colorado), Ben Guite (San Jose), Nathan Oystrick (Phoenix) and Steve Oleksy (Colorado).

Matt Glasser Signs With Colorado Eagles

(above) Matt Glasser signed a professional contract on Wednesday

From: Coloradoan.com

The Colorado Eagles (CHL) announced Wednesday that they have signed rookie forward Matthew Glasser, a product of the University of Denver and a 7th-round draft pick of the Edmonton Oilers in 2005.

Glasser joins the CHL’s reigning MVP, Kevin Ulanski, as a former Pioneer on the Eagles’ roster.

In 133 games over four seasons at DU, the 5-foot-10-inch, 185-pound two-way forward collected 21 points (13-8-21) and 60 penalty minutes. Glasser was named an alternate captain last season, adding leadership to a resume that reflects strong academic success as well — highlighted by winning the Dr. Art Mason Award.

The Eagles, founded and owned by former DU coach Ralph Backstrom, have sold out every home game in the Budweiser Events Center (Loveland, CO) since the team was founded in 2003.as DU hockey’s top scholar/athlete the past two years (co-winning last season).

Alumni Pro Camp Underway At DU

(above) Five former collegiate All-Americans were among those on the ice yesterday at DU

The first annual Denver Hockey Alumni Pro Camp started yesterday in Joy Burns Ice Arena. The camp attracted 17 skaters and two goaltenders during day one.

Former Pioneer All-Americans Paul Stastny, Chris Butler, Marc Cheverie, Gabe Gauthier and Rhett Rakhshani were joined on the ice by Peter Mannino, Joe Colborne, Geoff Paukovich, J.D. Corbin, J.P. Testwuide, Ryan Dingle, Tom May, Matt Glasser and Brandon Vossberg. Also participating during the first day of pro camp were current Colorado Avalanche players David Koci, Kyle Quincey and Cody McLeod, and former Toronto Maple Leaf Garnet Exelby and former Av Ben Guite. [read rest of article]

News & Notes From Around PioNation

(above) DU Alum Brandon Vossberg will begin his professional career in Alaska

The Portland Pirates (AHL) announced today that the Buffalo Sabres have re-signed Head Coach and DU Alum Kevin Dineen for the 2010-11 American Hockey League season. Dineen has been a candidate for several NHL head coaching vacancies in recent seasons.

----------

Recent DU graduate Brandon Vossberg has signed a contract with the Alaska Aces (ECHL) for the 2010-11 season.

----------

Defenseman & DU Alum Brett Skinner signed a one-year deal with Amur Khabarovsk of the Russian super league.

----------

The first annual University of Denver Hockey Alumni Pro Camp will be held Aug. 16-20 at Joy Burns Ice Arena. The pro camp will allow current professional DU hockey alums the opportunity to train together in preparation for their upcoming seasons this fall. DU hockey alumni expected to participate in this year's inaugural camp are Peter Mannino, Chris Butler, Rhett Rakhshani, Joe Colborne, Marc Cheverie, Geoff Paukovich, Ryan Dingle, J.D. Corbin, Tom May and Matt Glasser. Cody McLeod of the Colorado Avalanche is also expected to participate in the camp.

News & Notes From Around PioNation

One can't help but notice that while Coach Gwozdecky is trying to renegotiate his current contract with DU, his two proteges signed contract extensions with their respective schools. Enrico Blasi at Miami University and Seth Appert at RPI. And one of Enrico's assistants at Miami just named the head coach at Western Michigan. The family tree is growing.

----------

More post season honors for DU skiers. Senior Nordic skier Antje Maempel, and sophomore alpine skiers Leif Kristian Haugen and Lindsay Cone were named Collegiate Skiers of the Year by Ski Racing magazine. DU skiers swept three of the four awards. Maempel, who won the NCAA individual titles in both the classical and freestyle races for the second consecutive year, was named Women’s Nordic Collegiate Skier of the Year. Haugen, who won the 2010 NCAA individual title in men’s giant slalom, was named Men's Collegiate Alpine Skier of the Year. Haugen represented Norway at the Vancouver Olympic Games, finishing 28th in giant slalom. Cone won the Women's Collegiate Skier of the Year award after finishing second in both slalom and giant slalom at the NCAA Championships, earning All-American First Team honors in both events.

----------

Goaltender Marc Cheverie earned his second consecutive Most Valuable Player honor, while senior captain Rhett Rakhshani was named Most Inspirational Player as the University of Denver celebrated its 54th Annual Hockey Awards Evening at the Cable Center. Matt Donovan earned the Barry Sharp Memorial Award as top freshman, while Nate Dewhurst and Chris Nutini shared the Murray Armstrong Award as most improved players. Matt Glasser earned the Dr. Ken Bredesen Award for sportsmanship and shared the Dr. Art Mason Award for top scholar-athlete with Tyler Ruegsegger. Barandon Vossberg earned the Bob Martin Memorial Award for community service for the fourth consecutive season.

DU Today Video Profile: Matt Glasser

(above) Matt Glasser talks about his four years at DU

Last Week DU Today Blog profiled DU Seniors Rhett Rakhshani & Tyler Ruegsegger. This week Matt Glasser, Brian Gifford (tomorrow) and Cody Brookwell (Sunday) are featured. Next week Brandon Vossberg will round out the Senior Class.

Minnesota-Duluth 6 - DU 3 FINAL

DU @ Minnesota Duluth - Saturday Night

DU 3
Goal(s) - Ruegsegger, Glasser, Maiani

UMD 6
Goal(s) - Bordson (2), J. Connolly (2), Oleksuk, Schmidt

The University of Denver fell behind 3-1 early in the first period tonight against the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Despite two 2nd Period goals by Matt Glasser and Anthony Maiani to tie the game, DU was unable to hold on.

UMD scored two quick goals in the middle of the third period to seal the victory. Marc Cheverie suffered his worst defeat of the season giving up six goals.

Tyler Ruegsegger's first period goal gives him 101 career points at DU.

Box Score

Pairwise Rankings

WCHA Standings

Denver Post Game Recap

Duluth News Tribune Game Recap

Minnesota-Duluth

Connolly (Mike) - Connolly (Jack) - Fontaine
Bordson - Oleksuk - Seidel
Fulton - Akins - Schmidt
Danberg - DeLisle - Grun

Kishel - Montgomery
Bergman - Lamb
Olson - Huttel

Hjelle - Reiter - Crandall

Denver

Glasser - Gifford - Dewhurst
Ostrow (Shawn) - Shore - Knowlton
Rakhshani - Martin - Maiani
Ostrow (Kyle) - Ruegsegger - Colborne

Donovan - Nutini
Phillips - Lee
Ryder - Wrenn

Cheverie - Murray

Denver Post: Gold Pan Provides Incentive For DU

(above) Tyler Ruegsegger wants the Gold Pan back

From: Denver Post
by Mike Chambers

Notwithstanding the absence of a valuable piece of local hardware, Lakewood native Tyler Ruegsegger could be the poster boy for successful, homegrown amateur hockey players.

At age 12 in 1999, he played on the Littleton peewee team that captured Colorado's first youth national championship at any level. He went on to star for Minnesota's renowned Shattuck-St. Mary's High School before being drafted by the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs in 2006.

He made an immediate impact for the University of Denver as a freshman in 2006-07, and he represented his country at the prestigious 2008 World Junior Championship. (read rest of article)

Photo Gallery Of Friday Nights DU Game

(above) Chevy & Nutini

photo credit: Leanna Lofte

(above) Matt Glasser (#17) provided a much needed spark

photo credit: Leanna Lofte

(above) Patrick Wiercioch is back to last year's form

photo credit: Leanna Lofte

(above) Kyle Ostrow defies gravity

photo credit: Leanna Lofte

(above) The puck now belongs to Freshman goaltender Adam Murray

photo credit: Leanna Lofte

See Entire Photo Gallery

DU's Projected Lineup On Opening Night

The exhibition game on Sunday night should clear up some of the offseason questions about DU's lineup. There certainly hasn't been a lot of scuttlebutt coming out of the Captain's practices and with only a couple of practices under the watchful eyes of the full coaching staff, nobody may have all the answers yet.

We'll take a stab at the five biggest questions surrounding DU's upcoming campaign.

DU has four front-line centers that figure to play on the Top three lines. Does incoming Freshman Drew Shore move to wing, to play on Colborne's line?

Who grabs the elusive sixth defenseman spot between Ryder, Nutini and incoming Freshman Paul Phillips? Traditionally Gwozdecky has gone with the scholarship athlete early in the season, in this case Phillips, but Nutini & Ryder are experienced WCHA performers. It will probably be by committee until further notice.

Can Nate Dewhurst supplant Brandon Vossberg in the lineup? Vossberg has proven to be the ultimate warrior for DU and won't go quietly into the night. Dewhurst brings speed and ability, Vossberg brings heart and determination.

How effective and how many starts will incoming Freshman Adam Murray get in goal? A clue might be the playing time on Sunday night. If Chevy & Murray get close to 30 minutes each, Murray might be in line to get 10 starts as a Freshman. If it goes 40-20 to Cheverie, Gwozdecky may be planning on riding the Chevy most of the season.

Who will be the biggest surprise this season? The candidates appear to be Shawn Ostrow, Adam Murray, Nate Dewhurst, Paul Phillips and perhaps Brian Gifford or Matt Glasser having a "breakout season." We'll go with Shawn Ostrow, but we picked Lars Paulgaard last season and he only appeared in a couple of games.

Forwards
Rakhshani (15g, 22a) - Ruegsegger (15g, 11a) - Maiani (11g, 30a)
K. Ostrow (14g, 14a) - Colborne (10g, 21a) - Shore (Fr.)
Salazar (15g, 10a) - Martin (10g, 13a) - S. Ostrow (Fr.)
Gifford (4g, 8a) - Glasser (4g, 3a) - Vossberg (4g, 2a)
[Dewhurst (0g, 1a), Knowlton (Fr.)]
Jackson (3g, 9a) Injured

Defensemen
Wiercioch (12g, 23a) - Lee (0g, 5a)
Donovan (Fr.) - Brookwell (0g, 3a)
Ryder (0g, 6a) - Wrenn (Fr.)
[Nutini (0g, 3a), Phillips (Fr.), Cook (0g, 0a), Brehm (0g, 0a)]

Goaltenders
Chevy (2.34 gaa, .921 sv%)
[Murray (Fr.), Paulgaard (1.61, .917 sv%)]

1st PP
Rakhshani, Colborne, Maiani
Wiercioch, Ruegsegger

2nd PP
K. Ostrow, Shore, Salazar
Donovan, Martin

1st PK
Colborne, K. Ostrow
Wiercioch, Lee

2nd PK
Martin, Vossberg
Donovan, Wrenn

DU Roster Littered With NHL Draftees

DU's 2009-10 Roster will feature a program record 13 players that have been drafted by NHL teams. DU players have been drafted in every round of the NHL Draft.

The University of North Dakota will have 15 players on its Roster next season who have been drafted, but none in the 1st Round.

1st Round - Colborne (BOS)

2nd Round - Wrenn (SJS), Shore (FLA), Wiercioch (OTT)

3rd Round - Gifford (PIT)

4th Round - Donovan (NYI), Rakhshani (NYI)

5th Round - Lee (FLA)

6th Round - Ruegsegger (TOR)

7th Round - Glasser (EDM), Martin (ATL), Cheverie (FLA), Phillips (CHI)

DU Names Assistant Captains

(above) Matt Glasser will be one of DU's Assistant Captains next season

We already knew that Rhett Rakhshani was named captain of DU's hockey team in April, but today's Denver Post notes that fellow seniors Tyler Ruegsegger and Matt Glasser and junior Kyle Ostrow will be the assistant captains.

"Matt Trick" Video To Be Released At Sundance

Strength and Honor - The Matt Trick
Uploaded by TheBooneUnderground

LetsGoDU Video Distribution and The Boone Underground Productions are proud to present "Strength & Honor: The Matt Trick" Indie Film. This short film captures DU's trials and tribulations in Mankato against Minnesota State University.

A plucky hockey player named Matt Glasser from Calgary, Alberta records his first collegiate hat trick.

Make sure you click the "HQ" button to watch the video in "high-quality" mode to capture the true essence of the film.

"Matt-Trick" Picks Up WCHA Defensive Honors

(above) Matt Glasser did it all last weekend for DU

University of Denver junior forward Matt Glasser has been named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week for Dec. 16-22 as a result of his two-way efforts in a two-game conference road sweep over No. 14-ranked Minnesota State last weekend.

Glasser’s first career hat trick led DU to the 5-2 win on Saturday night at Alltel Center in Mankato. On the season, Glasser has four goals, two assists and six points while playing in all 19 games for Denver.

Get Your Matt "Trick" Glasser Wallpaper

Click picture to enlarge

Protect you computer desktop against evil spirits from Colorado College and other annoying WCHA foes with DU's newest goalscoring sensation Matt "Trick" Glasser Wallpaper. Just grab the picture above or right click on it and "set as desktop background" and have the sharpest computer in the office.

Glasser's Hat Trick Leads DU To Promised Land

(above) Matt Glasser's hat trick propelled DU to a 5-2 victory

“Our defensemen were tremendous, and obviously, Matt Glasser was a one-man show out there,” DU head coach George Gwozdecky said.

The University of Denver may have been missing Tyler Bozak & Patrick Wiercioch tonight, but that didn't bother DU Junior Matt Glasser. He calmly recorded a hat trick while DU rolled to a 5-2 victory over Minnesota State-Mankato.

DU has now won seven games in a row and have outscored their opponents 34-7 during "The Streak." During the winning streak DU has sent three vanquished goaltenders to the showers early.

According to Bacher's Blog, DU standout Tyler Bozak missed last night's game after suffering a left knee injury during the second period in Friday's 3-2 win. Gwozdecky said in pregame show that Bozak worked hard to rehab his knee to play Saturday, but they decided to take every precaution to protect their star.

DU will take three weeks off and return against Holy Cross in the Denver Cup on Jan. 2. RPI and Boston University will also participate in the Denver Cup.

Box Score

Pairwise Rankings

WCHA Standings

DenverPioneers.com game recap

USCHO.com game recap

Mankato Free Press game recap

DU Rolls To Series Sweep Over Michigan Tech

(above) J.P. Testwuide defends on Saturday night against Tech

“You have to give Denver credit,” said MTU coach Jamie Russell. “That is one talented hockey team.”

The University of Denver rolled to a 6-1 victory on Saturday night in Houghton, Michigan. Every line scored for DU tonight for the first time this season. The numbers are just mind blowing. DU outscored Michigan Tech 12-1 on the weekend.

Joe Colborne had a shorthanded goal and two assists for his first three point night in college hockey. Colborne has 10 points during DU's five-game winning streak.

DU has outscored their last five opponents 26-3 in this era of defensive hockey. The five-game winning streak is taking on epic proportions.

Box Score

WCHA Standings

DenverPioneers.com game recap

USCHO.com game recap

Rocky Mountain News game recap

DU 4 - Air Force 1

(above) Matt Glasser & Rhett Rakhshani look for a rebound

(above) Brian Gifford introduces himself to Air Force's Blake Page

(above) Rhett Rakhshani scored two goals against Air Force

We want to put ourselves in position to make up ground on the conference leaders with two difficult road trips in the next two weekends.

- Coach Gwozdecky

There are no unbeaten teams left in college hockey this season. DU put the Air Force Academy to the sword with a 4-1 victory in Magness Arena on Saturday night.

DU blew open a tightly fought contest, after Air Force tied the game 1-1 with less than 18 minutes to go in the game. Kyle Ostrow's goal less than a minute after Air Force had knotted the score, turned the tide.

Rhett Rakhshani added two goals for the Pioneers and Brandon Vossberg added an empty netter. Air Force coach Frank Serratore called Rakhshani's second goal, "A sick, skilled goal. That was a tough one to swallow."

Air Force played a great game and was an even match for DU throughout the night.

Marc Cheverie made 38 saves to earn player of the game honors.

Box Score

DenverPioneers.com Game Recap

Denver Post game recap by Mike Chambers

Theresa Spisak's game recap for USCHO.com

GoAirForceFalcons.com Game Recap

First Star: Marc Cheverie (Denver)

Second Star: Rhett Rakhshani (Denver)
Third Star: Andrew Volkening (Air Force)

Hockey Players Recognized At Awards Ceremony

From: DU Athletics Website

(left) Peter Mannino picked up one final award to cap off his collegiate career by being named "A Pioneer" by the University of Denver

Eleven Pioneer student-athletes, including several hockey players, were honored at the University of Denver’s 83rd annual Pioneer Awards Ceremony held in the Governor’s Ballroom in the Driscoll Student Center on May 15.

The highlight of the annual awards ceremony is the naming of “The Pioneers” – individuals whose dedication to the University of Denver and its students is beyond measure. Ten students, one faculty and one staff member were selected as Pioneer Award recipients this year, including a trio of senior student-athletes. Volleyball’s Alyssa Hampton, hockey’s Peter Mannino and Nordic skier John Stene received Pioneer Awards this year.

Outstanding Student Awards 

Students were nominated for these awards based on their contributions to academic excellence, the campus and university, and community involvement. Hockey player Zach Blom was named the Outstanding Senior. Matt Glasser and co-captain Tyler Ruegsegger were nominated for the Outstanding Sophomore awards.

Hockey senior captain Andrew Thomas received the Managerial Leadership Award from the Daniels College of Business.

Edmonton Oilers Scout Colborne At RBC Cup

From: Edmonton Sun

The Edmonton Oilers had two scouts sitting high in the stands yesterday trying to determine if Camrose's Joe Colborne deserves to be a first-round pick in this spring's NHL draft.

"That's why we are here," quipped one scout.

The scouts will also watch Camrose today before leaving Cornwall. Another Oilers scout is due to arrive later this week.

Edmonton has the 24th pick in the upcoming NHL draft to be held in June. Former DU players Geoff Paukovich and Glenn Fisher play in the Oilers minor league system and current DU player Matt Glasser was drafted by the Oilers in the 7th round of the 2005 draft.