Friday’s first installment of the 2023-24 Gold Pan rivalry was pivotal for No. 2 Denver and Colorado College for a couple of reasons.

For the Pioneers, it was an opportunity to prove last spring’s NCHC semifinal loss to the Tigers was a hiccup, not the beginning of a new trend. For the Tigers, it was an opportunity to build off that win as well as their impressive early-season momentum (their 5-1 start was their best in 12 years) while introducing a talented freshman class to the Gold Pan rivalry.

DU resorted to familiar tactics from a season ago — a second-period blitz and a barrage of shots — to take control of the game and eventually go on to a 6-1 win in the teams’ NCHC opener at Magness Arena.

Jack Devine scored two third-period goals, four others had single tallies and freshman Freddie Halyk (19 saves) won his second consecutive start in place of injured starter Matt Davis. Halyk has allowed one goal in two games.

Pioneers Feast On Seconds

DU (5-1-1) spotted CC (5-2-0) a 1-0 lead on freshman Evan Werner’s goal 6:09 into the game. The Tigers didn’t give the Pioneers a lot of space to operate, reminiscent of March’s NCHC playoff meeting. When DU found room to shoot, sophomore goaltender Kaidan Mbereko was there to shut the door.

That changed in a big way during the second period when DU fired 23 shots on goal. Two of them went past Mbereko in a 2:36 span to put DU in front.

Defenseman Shai Buium evened the score 4:56 in when he found room in the slot to take a pass from his brother Zeev from near the wall to Mbereko’s right. Shai turned and buried it.

Forward Tristan Broz then fired a rocket past the CC goalie from the right circle 7:32 into the second. Freshman Miko Matikka carried the puck into the zone and found defenseman Garrett Brown, who slid the puck to the waiting Broz.

Some slick passing by Miko Matikka and Garrett Brown leads to Tristan Broz's 3rd goal of the season.

Congrats to Miko on his first NCAA point! pic.twitter.com/QRt8N5Q0dX

— Denver Hockey (@DU_Hockey) November 4, 2023

Another hustle play on a penalty kill led to DU’s third goal of the period. Regier Lorenz outdueled three Tigers deep in the CC zone then found Carter King all alone in the slot, and the junior center roofed it over Mbereko.

DU’s Finishing Move

Denver had just a 9-7 shots-on-goal edge after the first period before peppering Mbereko relentlessly until they chased him on Devine’s second third-period goal. DU finished with a 48-20 SOG advantage, including 39-13 in the final 40 minutes. Mbereko made 39 saves.

Devine scored twice in a 2:31 window in the third, the first off a pass from Sean Behrens and the second a play initiated by a Behrens shot block. On the latter, Massimo Rizzo sped into the CC zone, backed off the defense and dropped a pass to a wide-open Devine in the slot.

Sophomore Jared Wright added a sixth goal in the closing seconds off a rush down the left wing. That put an exclamation point on the question of whether or not the Gold Pan would be any different in its first round.

The Pioneers undoubtedly will face a more difficult time at CC’s barn on Saturday, but should they win they will return the trophy, again.

Notes

Rizzo was selected national co-player of the month by the Hockey Commissioners Association. Rizzo also was the NCHC’s player of the month after a massive month of offense. Rizzo had 14 points and five goals in six games. He carried a four-game goal streak into Friday’s game. His 2.33 points per game ranked him third nationally. … Freshman defenseman Boston Buckberger was picked as the NCHC’s rookie of the month. Buckberger had seven points, most among NCHC blue-liners, in six games in October. … Neither team scored on its five power plays.

©First Line Editorial 2023