Schlossman's Blog: DU vs. UND Drew Strong Ratings

From: Grand Forks Herald Blog
by Brad Elliott Schlossman

Friday night’s game was the highest-rated college game on NBC Sports Network this season, drawing about 86,000 viewers for a game that started at 10 p.m. Eastern. The primetime game — Boston University vs. Vermont — drew 38,000.

Saturday night’s game was broadcasted by Root Sports Rocky Mountain and it also was that network’s highest-rated game of the year in the Denver market.

Photos From The DU vs. Vermont Series

(above) The Vermont student section chanted "F*** You Denver" as the players went through the handshake line after the game on Saturday night

(above) The Vermont Pep Band was great all weekend

(above) John Lee defending while Drew Shore looks on

(above) DU was able to protect goaltender Sam Brittain by keeping a body on Vermont forwards on Saturday evening. DU's Chris Nutini was solid all weekend long.

More Photos from Burlington Free Press

News & Notes From Around PioNation

Mike Chambers of the Denver Post went over to an Avs practice and asked four players who would win in a match-up of the NCAA Hockey Champion and the major junior Memorial Cup Champion from Canada. One of the four players was DU alum Paul Statsny.

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Chamber's Blog last week talked about DU's need to work harder this season. Play away from the puck was mentioned a major point of emphasis in the off season.

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The Burlington Free Press in Vermont had a detailed recap of DU's 1-1 tie with Vermont. Vermont was not disappointed in only coming away with a tie with a more talented Pioneer team.

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Matt Donovan was +5 on the weekend. He had two goals on Friday night. Nine of his cousins and ten other relatives attended the games this weekend from nearby New Hampshire.

DU 1 Vermont 1 Final OT

(above) "DU Sucks" shirts were spied in Gutterson Fieldhouse on Saturday night. Not to worry, just a couple of Colorado College grads from the East Coast who couldn't land jobs in NYC after graduating from CC

The University of Denver hockey team came away with a hard earned 1-1 tie on Saturday evening. Coupled with the 5-3 victory on Friday night, the weekend was a tremendous success for a young Pioneer team searching for an identity.

DU rolled into Vermont with many questions and left with a clearer picture of their potential and destiny. Certainly goaltending was mentioned first and foremost in the offseason, and after the first weekend Adam Murray and Sam Brittain performed brilliantly in a hostile arena.

DU's "young guns" on offense showed poise and grit against a physically bruising Vermont team. DU's blueliners proved that they could protect the goaltenders and showed offensive flair when needed. Finally Drew Shore emerged as a future star that can produce in crucial-must win games.

Kyle Ostrow left the game midway through the 1st period after receiving a big hit at the blue line. He sustained a cut on his chin, was stitched up and returned for the 2nd period. Drew Shore's younger brother Nick injured his wrist on Friday night. He tried to play on Saturday but wasn't comfortable in warm-ups and was scratched from the lineup.

At 3:06 of the 2nd period Drew Shore gave DU the lead on a goal that was assisted by Jason Zucker. That was Shore's 3rd goal of the weekend and Zucker's first point as a Pioneer.

At 18:06 of the 2nd period Lawson tied the game for UVM on goal that was assisted by Nillson and Brickley.

That was all the scoring as neither team could get another goal in the 3rd period or overtime. A loud rancorous crowd greeted the Pioneers each night and DU answered every challenge the Catamounts offered.

Three Stars

First Star: Rob Madore (Vermont)

Second Star: Sam Brittain (Denver)

Third Star: Dan Lawson (Vermont)

Box Score

DU Website Recap With Video Interview

Video Highlights Of DU vs. Vermont (Friday)

(above) Video highlights of DU's 5-3 victory including Adam Murray's glove save with 46 seconds remaining in the game

Vermont Ready To Challenge DU This Weekend

(above) Vermont's goaltender Rob Madore will play both games this weekend

From: Burlington Free Press
by Ted Ryan

A year ago, a season-opening split at Denver University helped the University of Vermont men’s hockey team squeeze into the NCAA Division I hockey tournament several months later.

At the time, the Catamounts had no idea how important the 6-4 second-game victory would be. It was one of six wins in seven nonleague games for UVM and that out-of-conference success offset just enough of a mediocre Hockey East campaign to let Vermont to secure its second consecutive NCAA berth.

The Catamounts don’t plan to cut it quite as closely this year. Still, a strong start against one of the nation’s premier programs at Gutterson Fieldhouse tonight and Saturday would boost UVM’s confidence before embarking on its Hockey East schedule.

“Much like some of the teams in our league, Denver is a ‘have’ team,” said UVM coach Kevin Sneddon this week. “Tradition, a beautiful building, a great school, a great coach, so when they lose players, they’re replacing them with the top-caliber players in the country.

“They’ll be as skilled and as fast as any team we’ll play this year.”

Denver finished last year at 27-10-4, losing to RIT in the NCAAs. The Pioneers lost six players to graduation and another three left school early for the professional ranks. Among those departures are four of the top five scorers, leaving DU to replenish its front ranks with talented but inexperienced freshmen.

“They’ll have four or five freshmen up front. Similar to us, they have experience on the back end and some youth up front,” said Sneddon.

Three of Denver’s eight freshmen are NHL draft selections.

Denver is also young in goal with sophomore Adam Murray and freshman Sam Brittain starting the Pioneers’ two exhibition games. Denver defeated the USA under-18 team 8-1 and lost 5-2 to the University of Lethbridge in Alberta.

The Catamounts planned to spend the week working on puck movement and possession after the 3-2 exhibition loss to New Brunswick.

“I thought we panicked with the puck,” said Sneddon. “We got to the red line and then dumped it in. As a collective five-man unit, we need to work on coming up the ice, supporting the play, announcing some sort of offensive threat, and if that doesn’t work, then you place the puck into a corner and get into your forecheck. We would just take it to the (center) red line, dump it in and forecheck.”

Two factors that figured into the situation were the presence of five freshman forwards and the need for several veteran forwards to play out of position due to one-game suspensions for Sebastian Stalberg and Chris McCarthy as well as an injury to Tobias Nilsson-Roos.

“We had no experience up the middle,” pointed out Sneddon. “Going into the game, we said this isn’t our lineup. We told them to be physical, work their tails off and have fun and I thought we did that.”

Stalberg and McCarthy have been reinstated and Nilsson-Roos has been cleared to practice and play. All three are expected to be in the lineup tonight.

The Catamounts also planned to stress special teams play. “We’re looking for huge improvement there,” said Sneddon “Special teams are huge early on.”

DU Opens Season Against Vermont On Friday

The 9th ranked University of Denver hockey team travels to the University of Vermont to begin regular-season action on Friday and Saturday night. Puck drop is set for 5:05 p.m. (MST) each night at Gutterson Fieldhouse.

Both games can be heard in Denver on FM 87.7 and online at www.DenverPioneers.com (subscription fee required). The games will be webcast on Catamount TV located on www.UVMAthletics.com.

Pioneer fans can follow the game with a live interactive blog at DenverPioneers.com or on www.CoveritLive.com and on the USCHO.com Scoring Thread.

Bad Boyz: Vermont Player Kicked Off Team

(above) The University of Vermont has kicked David Pacan off the team

From: Burlington Free Press
by Ted Ryan

The University of Vermont opens its regular season at home against Denver on Oct. 10-11, but they will be without one of their best players last season. Sophomore forward David Pacan has been dismissed from the University of Vermont men’s hockey team, head coach Kevin Sneddon announced.

Sneddon confirmed Tuesday that Pacan was cut from the roster for a violation of the UVM student-athlete code of conduct. No details about the violation were released.

According to an e-mail from UVM’s athletic communications office, Pacan had no comment about the disciplinary action.

“We have a clearly defined set of expectations as a hockey program here that the players are very well aware of,” Sneddon said. “On top of that, we have the UVM code of conduct, which the guys sign and are obliged to uphold.

“(Pacan) violated that student-athlete code of conduct to a point where we felt it was in everybody’s best interest to release him from the team,” Sneddon said.

A sixth-round 2009 draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks, Pacan is a 6-foot-3, 205-pound forward from Ottawa, Ontario. He led UVM freshmen with seven goals last year. He also had seven assists and played in all 39 games, amassing 22 penalty minutes.

The highlight of Pacan’s career was the game’s only goal, scored at 5:16 of the third period, in the second game of the Hockey East quarterfinal series at New Hampshire. UVM won the next night to eliminate the top-seeded Wildcats and move into the Hockey East semifinals and eventually into the NCAA tournament.

Asked how Pacan’s departure affects the Catamounts, Sneddon said, “Depth, and hey, he was one of our top young scorers. We already lost a lot of offense; we didn’t need to lose one more, but I’ve always been a firm believer that somebody will step up ... and fill a void.”

Pacan’s departure puts another crimp in UVM’s offensive game. The team’s top four scorers have graduated and Pacan was among the younger players expected to pick up the slack.

Pacan’s case is the second in which a top-scoring forward for the Catamounts has been dismissed from the team this year. Justin Milo, a junior forward, was dismissed in February in what Sneddon said was “the best interests of the team” and not a violation of team or school policy.

The Catamounts begin official practice Friday and face their first competition with an exhibition game Sunday against New Brunswick at Gutterson Fieldhouse at 4 p.m. UVM opens its regular season at home against Denver on Oct. 10-11.

Drew Shore Injures Shoulder In USA Camp

Not too many details available, but Drew Shore injured his shoulder during the 2nd USA Scrimmage and will miss the remainder of the USA Evaluation Camp. No word how serious the injury is or if it will impact his Sophomore season at the University of Denver.

DU opens the regular season a little over two months from now against the University of Vermont.

News & Notes From Around Pioneer Nation

(above) The Denver Post features an interview today with 93 year-old coaching legend Murray Armstrong, who is still going strong in Florida

In case you haven't seen it, check out our new website www.LetsGoDU.com.

The Denver Post has a fantastic article about Murray Armstrong and playing the Soviet & US national teams in 1960. Its a must read. The Chambers kid is finally hitting his mark as a reporter.

High school basketball player Claire Colborne has scholarship offers from 40 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. You guessed it. She's the little sister of DU star forward Joe Colborne. Its a good article. Check it out.

The Burlington Free Press has a good article on what the 14th ranked University of Vermont has to do to defeat DU this weekend.

“I think we can be even better; I think we’re more of a complete team,” he said. “I know we lost some big names and we’ll certainly miss them, but we’ve got a lot of talent in that locker room. We’re not going to change the way we play just because we’re playing a team that’s ranked higher. We feel we’re one of the best teams in the country and we’re not afraid of anybody.”

-Vermont Head Coach Kevin Sneddon

Vermont's Defense Ready To Stand Up To DU

(above) Kyle Medvec, Lance Herrington, Josh Burrows, Patrick Cullity, Kevan Miller, Drew MacKenzie, Anders Franzon and Dan Lawson form an experienced, talented and physically imposing group of defensemen for Vermont

From: Burlington Free Press
by Ted Ryan

This corps of University of Vermont defensemen might be the biggest, most skilled group in the program’s history, and they’ll need to use every bit of their ability if the Catamounts are to continue their steady climb into national prominence, starting with this weekend’s series at #1-ranked Denver.

It is, simply, a defensive unit with no negatives and plenty of positives.

Size? These eight guys average 6-foot-3 and 208 pounds. None is shorter than 6-2. Dan Lawson goes a hard 245 pounds. Kyle Medvec stands 6-6.

Experience? Patrick Cullity, Lawson, Medvec, Josh Burrows and Kevan Miller started every one of UVM’s 39 games in last year’s NCAA Frozen Four season. Drew MacKenzie missed just eight games. Between them, last year’s starting six have played 413 of a possible 468 games over the last three seasons.

Offense? Last winter, the six contributed 18 goals and 52 assists while not seeing anywhere near as much power-play time as they should this year. In 2007-08, the defense provided 11 goals and 31 assists when four freshmen started.

Depth? That was the one flaw a year ago, when Kyle Kuk was injured for nearly the whole season and freshman Lance Herrington needed seasoning before he could contribute. Now, Herrington is bigger and better, and freshman Anders Franzon has already impressed his teammates with his strength and skill.

This group might not have the blue-chip aura of Boston College or Boston University (each has five NHL draft picks to UVM’s has two) or the offensive cache of Lowell (20 goals, 98 points), but, said head coach Kevin Sneddon, “I like our eight against anybody.

“They’ve got size; they’ve got toughness; they’re capable defensively, so it’s not like we’re run-and-gun and we’re high-risk for minimal reward. They’re good at both ends of the rink. We really excited about what they can bring to the table this year,” Sneddon said. “Each of them has gotten better in terms of their strength and conditioning in the offseason. They’re pretty big and strong right now and still maintaining their quickness.”

“They’re huge. They’re all big kids and they’ve only gotten stronger, and they all have very good skills,” said junior captain Brian Roloff.

“I compare them to some really good teams, BC, whoever. Those teams, they always have a couple of defensemen you can pick on. Our guys are not like that. They’re all very solid defensively.”

Each year, Sneddon and his staff have slowly upgraded the defensive corps, but the big step came in the Class of ’11 with Burrows, Lawson, Miller and Medvec immediately starting. They made mistakes of inexperience but the group’s learning curve and ability was enormous. They received their lessons under fire and responded, adapting quickly to the challenges of Hockey East.

“It’s great to have skill forwards but the only way you can utilize your skill forwards is if you can get defensemen who can get them the puck,” Sneddon said. “The transformation’s taken time to find the right defensive corps but we feel we’ve got a blend of guys that are gritty, will block shots, finish checks, play tough in front of the net but also have the touch to make the first pass to get us out of the zone clean and to jump up in the play.”

“We’re expected to be a shut-down defensive unit,” Cullity said. “There is pressure to establish the defense right away.”

As good as this defense is, said Miller, “We can always get better ... on the penalty kill, on the power play, making smart decisions with the puck.

“Sure, we can do a lot of things, but there’s a lot of things we need to work on as well.”

Attitude isn’t one of those things.

Clarion Kicks Off School Year With Boone Coverage

(above) A Special Edition of the Clarion was delivered to Freshmen Dorms last night and Boone received a full page spread

Any hope that University of Denver's "Mascot Controversy" would die over the summer were quickly dashed, as The Clarion, DU's school newspaper, devoted a full page spread to our favorite mascot. The newly updated mascot has already been spotted around campus and attended a DU Pep Rally last night (photo left).

Boone will make his first appearance at a DU hockey game in 31 days as the University of Denver will open the season against the University of Vermont on October 9th. Fans will be able to greet Boone, pose for pictures and be entertained by the "unofficial mascot."

Last year LetsGoDU readers contributed $8,000 to bring Boone back to life, despite Chancellor Coombe's decision to keep the mascot "retired."

To read more about Boone, check out his Wikipedia Page

Vermont Coach Thinks DU Will Be Preseason #1

(left) Vermont Head Coach Kevin Sneddon guided the Catamounts to the Frozen Four last season

The University of Vermont men’s hockey team announced its 2009-10 schedule today. The schedule is highlighted by a two-game series at Denver.

“The trend of having one of college hockey's most challenging schedules continues this year for our program,” Vermont head coach Kevin Sneddon said. “Not only will our team be challenged every night during Hockey East conference games, but our non-conference line up is extremely exciting for our fans and our team.”

“We start with Denver, who could be the unanimous preseason number one team in the polls. This trip will allow us to see how we stack up against one of the best programs in college hockey as well as serving as a great team builder.”

Denver Hockey Alumni Plan Hockey Reunion

The University of Denver Hockey Alumni Association will be busy all summer planning the biggest celebration of DU hockey ever. Players, coaches and support staff are being contacted to return Oct. 9-11, 2009.

The events will celebrate DU's 60th Anniversary of playing Division I hockey. The Pioneers hockey team will host Frozen Four semi-finalist the University of Vermont that weekend in Magness Arena.

The Denver Hockey Alumni Association website has all the details.

DU Supporters Head To DC For Mascot Inauguration

(above) President Abraham Lincoln was re-elected in 1864 the year that John Evans founded the University of Denver

LetsGoDU and our alumni donors will introduce our new mascot in a ceremony at 10 AM on Friday, April 10th at the Lincoln Memorial. Many DU alums, students & hockey fans will be in Washington D.C. for the Frozen Four hockey national championships featuring Boston University, Vermont, Miami (Ohio) & Bemidji State.

The University of Denver was founded in 1864 the year that President Lincoln was re-elected for his 2nd term as president. What better place to introduce our Baby Boone to the world?

Schedule of Events
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Thursday, April 9th

10 AM - Mascot Dress Rehearsal with Scott Fuson @ Sofitel Hotel

1 PM - Lunch @ The Bombay Club. We're going to kick things off with a great Indian lunch. (all are welcome)

5 PM - NCAA Hockey Semi-Final @ Verizon Center. Bemidji State vs. Miami (Ohio)

8:30 PM - NCAA Hockey Semi-Final @ Verizon Center. BU vs. Vermont

Friday, April 10th

10 AM - Pioneer Mascot Ceremony @ Lincoln Memorial. We'll introduce our new mascot & take photos. Honored guest Harold Beier (DU '47) will speak. (all are welcome)

Noon Lunch - If weather cooperates will probably do a picnic lunch at one of the parks/historical sites in the area (all are welcome)

Afternoon Sightseeing - The masses rule on this tour of DC. (all are welcome)

6 PM - Scott Fuson & Pioneer Mascot depart Baltimore for Denver.

7-9 PM Dinner @ Old Ebitt Grill. Classic American food, great bar. (all are welcome)

Saturday, April 11

DENVER - 9 AM DU Tennis @ Stapleton Tennis Pavilion. The mascot will be attending the women's tennis match against Northern Colorado.

DENVER - 1:30 PM DU Lax @ Invesco Field. The mascot will attend the DU men's lacrosse game against Notre Dame at the home of the Denver Broncos.

WASHINGTON - 8:30 PM EST. NCAA National Championship Game