Make one big mistake against No. 2 Denver and it can cost you.

Omaha learned that the hard way Friday night after taking a five-minute major penalty that flipped an NCHC contest at Magness Arena. The Pioneers ran away with an 8-4 victory that was sparked by sophomore forward Rieger Lorenz absorbing a high hit just 22 seconds into the second period.

DU (8-2-1, 3-0-0 NCHC) got two goals from Lorenz and one each from six others. Boston Buckberger, Carter King and Massimo Rizzo each had two assists and freshman Freddie Halyk made 16 saves.

DU’s Offense Rolls On

The Pioneers trailed 2-1 entering the second after Ty Mueller drove down Main Street and scored a highlight-reel goal for the Mavericks (5-3-1, 1-2-0). Denver outshot Omaha 16-7 in the first but only had a Sean Behrens goal to show for it.

Matt Miller was assessed a major for head contact on Lorenz. Brothers Zeev and Shai Buium tallied on the all-you-can-eat power play to give DU the lead for good. Lorenz, captain McKade Webster and freshman Miko Matikka added goals in the next 10 minutes and just like that Denver led 6-2. Matikka’s tally gave him goals in four consecutive games.

The run also marked the fastest four, and then five goals the Pioneers have scored all season.

The eruption offered a reminder of why DU has Division I hockey’s top offense at more than five goals per game. It hit eight goals for the second game in a row as well. Senior Connor Caponi followed Lorenz’s second goal with one late in the third period.

Causes for Concern

In the big picture, these didn’t matter Friday, but they’re trends worth watching.

For starters, DU gave up the first goal for the eighth time in 11 games. Its second periods have been strong, but chasing the scoreboard can be a bad habit to fall into.

After a sparkling start, Halyk has been OK. Not lights out, but solid enough. UNO twice scored to cut leads to three but that was as close it got. An .800 save percentage game-in, game-out won’t get it done in the NCHC even when DU is outshooting opponents by the margin it did Friday (41-20).

Still, the Pioneers did what they needed to, get an NCHC win at home against a team that got pretty good goaltending at times. Starter Simon Latkoczy was solid until the roof caved in during the second period. Still, he stopped 26 of the 32 shots he faced.

Notes

A trio of Denver commits will play in the 2023 World Junior A Challenge on Dec. 10-17 at Truro, Nova Scotia. All three play in the United States Hockey League: defenseman Will Felicio of Madison, defenseman Tory Pitner of Youngstown and right wing James Reeder of Dubuque. All three appeared on NHL Central Scouting’s Preliminary Players to Watch list. All three are projected to be sixth- or seventh-round picks in next summer’s NHL Entry Draft. Pitner is a 2025 commit for the Pioneers, while Felicio and Reeder are scheduled to join DU next fall. … The NCHC selected Matikka its rookie of the week after his three-goal weekend at Arizona State last week.

©First Line Editorial 2023