At this rate Denver equipment manager Nick Meldrum will run out of pucks before November.

The second night in a row there were plenty of commemorative biscuits to pass out in the locker room post game. Senior transfer Les Lancaster and freshman Brett Stapley scored their first goals with the Pioneers (2-0) one night after Emilio Pettersen and Cole Guttman did likewise while helping Devin Cooley, whose Saturday evening could have passed for study hall, gain his first college win.

For good measure, junior Liam Finlay deserves another puck, too, after he completed his second collegiate hat trick in the closing minutes.

Cooley’s second win was a 16-save shutout. That’s worth a puck, too.

The Pioneers, meanwhile unloaded 49 shots against visiting Alabama Huntsville in a 6-0 non-conference victory at Magness Arena.

A dynamic duo emerges

Yes, DU clearly displayed more speed and skill, but what has been as impressive this weekend is the Pioneers’ decision-making. Part of the reason they’re winning races to pucks and finding openings has been fantastic passing and patience with the puck. Players are hit in stride and gaps in the defense are exploited.

It was only a matter of time Saturday until that caught up with the road-weary Chargers (0-4). As a result, they began taking more penalties, which the Pioneers began capitalizing on in short order thanks to Stapley and junior Liam Finlay, who scored his first, second and third goals of the season.

“You can see our D, they always have good gaps and any loose puck they’re there to move it back up to the forwards so we can transition it,” Stapley said. “It makes it harder on their D men.”

Already up 2-0 after Lancaster scored on a blast from the right point on the first shot of the game just 25 seconds in and senior Jarid Lukosevicius followed his own shot for a goal-mouth tally, Stapley, Finlay and power-play unit No. 2 went to work in the final six minutes of the second period.

With a UAH high sticking penalty winding down, the duo executed a nice high-low-high play from the circle to Jake Theut‘s left. Finlay, stationed just inside the top of the circle passed to Stapley on the goal line. Stapley, a seventh-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in June’s NHL Entry Draft, sent it right back to Finlay, who sent it past Theut (43 saves).

Just 2:30 later and 7 seconds into another power play, Finlay fed the puck from left to right across the slot to a wide-open Stapley, who wasted no time finishing.

The tag team was at it again just 1:18 into the third. As a DU penalty expired, Stapley broke into the Chargers zone on the left wing and threaded a seeing eye pass to Finlay, who tipped it through Theut’s five-hole for a 5-0 lead.

“It was communication. I knew he was there,” Stapley said. “The first two goals, same thing. I was yelling at him, he was yelling at me.”

For good measure, Finlay added his third goal with 1:30 to play. He previously completed the feat during his freshman season, on Feb. 25, 2017 at St. Cloud State.

“We read off each other well, we’re similar players,” Finlay said. “We have the same mindset going in, and I guess it showed tonight.

“Let’s not forget (Colin Staub, the third member of the line), he didn’t get all the glory tonight but he should, honestly. He works his butt off. He plays such a big role. We don’t get all those goals without him.”

Keeping cool

The Pioneers did an excellent job keeping the Chargers on the perimeter, allowing no more than a half dozen shots in prime scoring areas. Slowing the Chargers was a team effort, Carle said.

“Our D gaps were very good for the most part all weekend, but then our forward reload getting back on the defensive side of pucks (was strong),” he said. “We created a lot of turnovers in the neutral zone, them trying to throw pucks through the middle of the ice. Our forwards worked away from the puck to create turnovers.”

As a result, Cooley rarely was challenged and even more rarely had to make a second save.

“It’s not easy as people think (facing so few shots),” Carle said. “He deflected a lot of pucks up into the nets. He played the puck well when he needed. I’m excited for him to have the weekend that he did with one goal last night and a shutout tonight.”

UAH co-captain Hans Gorowsky had the best chance with 8:25 to go in the game when he broke into the zone and made a nice move to get a shot off on the doorstep before a four-car pileup ensued in the crease. After a lengthy review, the Chargers’ best quest for a goal was denied.

Notes

The Pioneers made a few switches to their lineup for Saturday’s game. Sophomore Jake Durflinger moved to a line with classmates Kohen Olischefski and Ryan Barrow, and freshman Jared Resseguie moved into Durflinger’s Friday spot next to Tyson McLellan and Jaakko Heikkinen. Freshman Tyler Ward sat out. Fellow newcomer Sean Comrie dressed as the seventh defenseman to make his NCAA debut. A new NCAA rule allows teams to dress 19 skaters this season.

Denver’s three stars

1. Liam Finlay. The junior was at his electric best, with three goals among his four points.
2. Brett Stapley. The freshman had three points, including his first NCAA goal.
3. Les Lancaster. The senior D scored on the first shot of the game and kept shooting, piling up six shots and just as many hits.

Up next

The Pioneers play host to Alaska Fairbanks next Friday and Saturday. Both games begin at 7:07 p.m. at Magness Arena.