The fireworks were ready to launch and Denver still had two spots to fill on its hockey roster. The Pioneers went in opposite directions to do so during the past week.

While goaltender Michael Corson officially signed his National Letter of Intent last week, he had tweeted weeks ago about his intentions.

The real surprise came late Monday when the Pioneers announced former Mercyhurst defenseman Les Lancaster will play his final season of college hockey at Denver.

Lancaster, who will wear No. 5, is in a unique situation as he’s about to complete his degree at the Atlantic Hockey Conference school and thus will be eligible to transfer and play immediately should he so choose to, which he obviously did.

The Pioneers are getting one of the top defensemen out of the AHC, and one that I’ve watched play in person against Air Force. The Lakers favor an uptempo style, and Lancaster’s hands, skating and intelligence make him a good match for what DU requires in its blue liners (as detailed here).

And he brings an impressive resume. In three seasons at “the Hurst”, Lancaster was selected the AHC’s top rookie, top defenseman and made its all-conference first team twice. He has 81 points in 111 games, including 26 points a season ago.

Denver was looking at a scenario in which it had no senior defensemen and just two juniors – Michael Davies and Erich Fear – after the graduations of Tariq Hammond and Adam Plant and the early departure to the NHL by junior Blake Hillman.

Michael Corson played in the NOJHL and BCHL last season.

Corson, who will wear No. 31, lands at DU after a season spent playing juniors on both ends of Canada. He went 12-4-1 for the Blind River Beavers of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League with a 2.00 GAA and a .949 save percentage and 4-10-0 with a 3.58 and .909 numbers for the Cowichan Valley Capitals of the British Columbia Hockey League, a league long known as a DU recruiting hot spot.

The irony in Corson’s Canadian adventure is he’s from Illinois.

The Pioneers needed a third goalie after the graduation of Tanner Jaillet, who tied Athletic Director Ron Grahame for the school’s career wins mark, and the parting of ways with rising sophomore Dayton Rasmussen, a one-time Colorado Thunderbirds netminder. Rasmussen has told Magness Mayhem that he plans to return to the United States Hockey League, where Chicago holds his rights.

Notable

Another former Pioneer resurfaced on Tuesday. Forward Kevin Conley, who played his freshman season for DU in 2016-17, signed with NCHC member Omaha. Conley played for Sioux Falls of the USHL this past season, putting up 36 points in 59 games. … A DU classmate of Conley’s, Justin Cole, who left midway through the 2016-17 season, played at American International last season.

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