A mark of a good team is it’s able to find ways to win uncomfortable games.
Top-ranked Denver’s 4-2 victory over No. 20 Wisconsin fell into that category on Friday night at Magness Arena. The Pioneers (5-0) had to overcome two deficits (their first two of the season) while spending nearly half of the game on special teams.
It also was the rare game in which DU was outshot both on goal (33-25) and in total (68-48). Sophomore defenseman Cale Ashcroft netted the winner 7:35 into the third period.
“It’s a great win for the guys,” senior goaltender Matt Davis said. “We faced a lot of adversity tonight and had to play a different game than we played the last four so it’s good to see the guys adapt and battle out there. It was huge.
Davis Kept Game From Getting Away From Denver
So how’d they win? Well, for one, Davis made 31 saves, 24 of them after giving up two goals in the first period. Many of the saves came through traffic.
Denver had to kill four second-period penalties, and Davis was exceptional, often making stops through a congested slot.
“I thought Matty was excellent on the kill, and we got a big power-play goal in the first,” DU coach David Carle said. “We were able to keep them off the scoreboard on the power play. They were dangerous, 10 shots on the power play. We got better as it went on.”
The 14 penalties — seven per side — were the most in DU’s first five games. Denver went 1-for-6 with the man advantage and its kill went 6-for-6.
“(There was) a lot of PK tonight, and your goalie’s always got to be your best killer, and Matty was tonight,” assistant captain Aidan Thompson said. “We’re always confident in him. He was great tonight.”
There may also be a future payoff for enduring such a game.
“It’s a clunky game for sure,” Carle added. “Both teams were taking penalties, so that will be a message for both coaches tonight and tomorrow and try to stay out of the box and play a five-on-five game. It doesn’t make it easy, but you don’t get to make the script. It’s good to play in a game like that.”
The Game Settled Down after a Wild Start
The teams twice traded goals in the first period. Badgers freshman Gavin Morrissey got loose in the left circle when a DU defenseman elected (correctly) to take away the passing lane and beat Davis short side 4:12 in.
Defenseman Eric Pohlkamp scored his second goal in two games to even it three minutes later. Thompson and Jack Devine kept the play alive by skating around multiple UW defenders before Devine found Pohlkamp at the left point.
Three minutes, later the Badgers retook the lead when Ryland Mosely found Quinn Finley largely alone in front of Davis and the New York Islanders draft pick roofed a backhand.
Harris’ goal, his team-high fifth, came when Devine’s pass found his stick at the back door of Tommy Scarfone (21 saves) with 2:38 to go.
Ashcroft’s goal came after Harris made a pass to him between the circles.
“(It was) just a battle in the corner, I tried to have a tight gap, and the puck slipped through a couple guys’ legs and was right my tape,” he said. “Just a quick release and the rest was just a blur.”
Denver then battened down the hatches that goal.
“I liked how we played after we made it 3-2,” Carle said. “I liked our response to make it 1-1, then 2-2 in the first. We found a way to win the special teams battle.”
Pioneers Were Forced to Be Resilient
What the victory lacked in style points, it made up in resiliency against a Badgers team that came out breathing fire.
“They came out with a hard start,” Ashcroft said. “They were throwing pucks to the net, so that really challenged us to get into our guys and be more physical. This is more of a physical series than last weekend.
“It wasn’t going to be a skilled game so we tried to keep it simple, moving pucks north, using the window to put it to space and beat guys up the ice.”
Wisconsin endured a series of close losses, including one at home to upstart Lindenwood on opening night and two 2-1 losses against Ohio State last weekend.
“It’s a firm game and they’re really desperate,” Carle said. “I don’t think they’re a team that should be 1-4 by any stretch.
“They’re in a tight hockey game and they’re really desperate. I thought we struggled at times to match that intensity and desperation through our lineup, so our battle level in winning some of those wall plays wasn’t as good as it’s been here early. But it’s a great game to go through for a young team. It’s good to play a team like that. We’re excited to get the result, but I don’t think we were at our best.”
Notes: Devine’s two assists gave him 11. He also had a team-high seven shots on goal. Remarkably, he has yet to score a goal after bagging 27 last season. … Denver had not played Wisconsin since January 2019, but the Pioneers played against a Mike Hastings-coached team more recently (and memorably) in 2022. DU defeated Hastings’ Minnesota State team for the 2022 NCAA championship. … Speaking of coaching connections, Denver owes one of its all-time best coaches to the Badgers. George Gwozdecky, who coached the Pioneers from 1994-2013 and won back-to-back titles in 2004-05, was a left wing for Wisconsin from 1974-77.
©First Line Editorial 2024
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