Missing arguably two of the its top half dozen or so players, No. 7 Denver played a tight road game and dispatched host Merrimack College, 3-1, in a nonconference game Friday night at North Andover, Mass.

Juniors Michael Davies and Liam Finlay and sophomore Ryan Barrow scored goals and Devin Cooley made 23 saves to help the Pioneers win their first game after the Christmas break.

DU won without top defenseman Ian Mitchell, who is playing for Canada in the World Junior Championships, and center Brett Stapley, who has an undisclosed injury. Stapley was the team’s fourth-leading scorer entering the game (12 points), while Mitchell was tied for fifth (11).

Numbers don’t lie

Denver (9-4-2) led for 59:44 in a game in which it held advantages in every statistical category.

In addition to the final score, the Pioneers held edges in shots on goal (30-24), power-play goals (1-0), face-offs (31-25) and blocks (9-6).

Cooley allowed one goal or fewer for the sixth time in his 13 starts and dropped his GAA to 2.07 and .930. His third shutout of the season was 1:23 away when Merrimack’s Tyler Drevitch scored with an extra attacker on.

Davies gave the Pioneers a lead they wouldn’t relinquish 16 seconds into the game when his left point shot made its way through a maze of bodies and past Craig Pantano (27 saves).

Finlay struck on a power play 3:43 into the second, his eight tally of the season.

“I thought our legs got better as the game went on,” coach David Carle said. “I really liked the way we skated in the second, I know we killed three penalties, but our down ice pressure I thought was great and some of our forwards really skated and took away time and space well.”

One of the time and space eaters was Barrow, who buried his first of the season midway through the third period on a long-distance wrister.

Note

The Tri City Storm of the USHL announced Friday that forward Brendan Budy has joined the Kearney, Neb.-based Junior team. Budy, a freshman, played in six of DU’s first 14 games and did not have a point. Budy, who captained Langley of the BCHL last season and was a point-per-game scorer during his two seasons there, joined the Pioneers this summer after Logan O’Connor signed with the Colorado Avalanche. Budy originally was projected to join DU in 2019, a timetable that was moved up when the Pioneers had a roster spot open up. His departure leaves the Pioneers with just 14 forwards. Denver has not officially announced the move.

Denver’s three stars

1. Devin Cooley. The sophomore made 23 saves, including a highlight reel one in the closing seconds to ice the outcome.
2. Michael Davies. His early goal gave the Pioneers a boost, and his solid defensive play helped keep the Warriors at bay.
3. Liam Finlay. The junior retrieved a loose puck on a power play and beat Merrimack’s goalie on a wraparound for what proved to be the winner.

Up next

Denver will take a fairly short bus trip to take on UMass-Lowell (8-7-1), which will be playing its first game of the second half, at 5 p.m. on Saturday. The teams have not met since 2012, when Denver won, 5-1, at home. The Pioneers hold a 6-2 advantage all-time in the series. The Riverhawks are one of the bigger teams DU will face and boast a healthy offense (2.88 goals per game) and relatively stingy defense (2.44 goals against). Lowell split a non-conference series against NCHC foe Miami earlier this season, and it also has split its past two series, against Boston University and RPI. AM 1600 will carry the radio broadcast.

©First Line Editorial 2017-18