A former Denver hockey player told me a few years ago that the first qualification for a rivalry is one team can’t win all the time. He was speaking of the Gold Pan, and specifically taking a shot at DU’s neighbor to the south, Colorado College.

Suffice to say, the Tigers are doing their part to change that this season. Friday’s 4-3 victory over the Pioneers in front of a standing-room-only crowd at Robson Arena was only further reinforcement of that. It was CC’s second victory in the past 15 meetings and third in 21.

Friday’s loss didn’t hurt DU, which retained the Gold Pan earlier this season after two convincing wins, so much as it helped CC.

Both Could Reach NCAAs For First Time Since 2011

The Pioneers (23-9-4) are ensconced in fourth in the Pairwise Ratings. That should translate to a top seed in the NCAA Tournament if they can hold serve.

The Tigers gained their 20th win on Friday for the first time since 2011. They sit at 20-10-3 and in 11th in the Pairwise. They’re a good bet to return to the NCAAs for the first time since 2011.

The programs have taken what’s now a counter-cultural approach to team building: they grow their own. Neither school dipped into the transfer portal this past offseason, and when coaches David Carle and Kris Mayotte have done so, it’s sparingly.

That is a recipe for sustained success. DU has proven that, and CC is well on its way to doing so.

The key is recruiting talented players and developing them until they’re fully prepared for the pro ranks. Again, DU has been masterful at that. CC is getting better at it.

What’s At Stake

Turning to the more immediate. The teams wrap up the regular season on Saturday night. Each will host an NCHC quarterfinal series next weekend. What’s at stake is the opponent.

If Denver wins, it will draw injury-decimated Minnesota Duluth. Never a tough out, but also not what it usually is. If it loses, not only will CC finish ahead of it but DU could drop to fourth. That means a visit from Western Michigan or Omaha, each of whom has won at Magness Arena this season. DU split four games with WMU and went 3-1 vs. Omaha.

Any of those options are on the table for the Tigers. They split with Western, each sweeping at the other’s building. They were swept at Omaha and split four games with UMD.

Would either DU or CC be in jeopardy of missing the NCAAs if they drop a quarterfinal series? Probably not in the Pioneers’ case, but maybe, just maybe, in the Tigers’ case.

Yes, this is a rivalry again, and Saturday’s game is not an end-of-the-season throwaway. That’s good for college hockey in Colorado, and it’s good for NCAA hockey fans.

©First Line Editorial 2024