As games against Arizona State go, No. 12 Denver’s victory Saturday was above average.

The Pioneers entered the second game of the series having scored an average of six goals per game against the Sun Devils. On Saturday, they scored seven in a 7-1 rout that capped cumulative 13-3 weekend in the desert.

The above average part, obviously, was typed tongue in cheek. Denver won its sixth consecutive game much like it had many of its previous five – in convincing fashion.

If there was any doubt about the outcome with DU leading 3-0 after two periods, that quickly vanished in the first three minutes of the third, when the Pioneers struck two more times.

Denver (10-4) also turned the tables on Arizona State from the teams’ earlier series, when the Sun Devils (7-9) scored six power-play goals. DU notched four on Saturday, including two by freshman Massimo Rizzo, who now has nine goals. Freshman defenseman Sean Behrens and assistant captain Bobby Brink also struck with the man advantage in what descended into a chippy game. The teams combined for 74 penalty minutes, including 50 by the hosts.

Goaltender Magnus Chrona was superlative in stopping a season-high 34 shots, while his teammates fired 41 shots on ASU’s Cole Brady. Chrona has been in net for all six DU wins on this run.

Fourteen Pioneers notched points, including senior Brett Stapley, who got his fourth goal in two games. Others with goals included captain Cole Guttman and freshman Carter Mazur, who notched his eighth. Mazur and Behrens were invited to Team USA’s pre-World Junior Championships camp, and with the two averaging a point per game as college freshmen, don’t bet against them making the squad.

Carter Savoie and Jack Devine each had two assists for Denver, which travels to No. 1 Minnesota Duluth for an NCHC series next weekend.

©First Line Editorial 2021