A few observations from the Pioneers’ 3-1 non-conference victory over Air Force on Saturday night:

Turning Point: Evan Cowley shook off a goal against in the first two minutes to play well the rest of the way, and he was at his finest in the second period. Two minutes in (again) he made a point-blank stop on Air Force to keep the score 1-1. Then with four minutes to go, he stoned the Falcons again on a power play. Upon expiration of that penalty, freshman defenseman Blake Hillman hit Nolan Zajac with a stretch pass as Zajac exited the sin bin. That triggered a short sequence that saw Zajac score from below the right circle, giving DU a lead it didn’t relinquish. “Those two saves combined with the goal led to us getting a little momentum in the second period,” Coach Jim Montgomery said.

How DU Won: The defense and Cowley (26 saves) were exceptional. “His tracking of the puck was the best I’ve seen in a game,” Montgomery said. “We see it in practice all the time. It’s nice to see him rewarded.” … Forwards Emil Romig and Matt Marcinew (who scored DU’s first goal) were all over the place. “Romig played like a man possessed,” the coach said. Lineup additions Colin Staub and Rudy Junda ramped up DU’s hitting.

Bounce Back Game: Junior defenseman Will Butcher would probably rather forget Friday’s nights loss, when he was on the ice for Air Force’s final three goals. He rebounded in a big way Saturday, setting a physical tone in the defensive zone and using his howitzer shot at every opportunity. “Will Butcher is an elite college hockey player,” Montgomery said. “Those players tend to respond to subpar games.”

Putting the D Back in DU: The coach described the Pioneers defensemen’s effort in front of Cowley as “100 percent better” over Friday. He was quick to credit assistant David Carle, whose film session with the blue line helped correct several issues from Friday. Montgomery also cited the play of Zajac and Hillman in particular. And Nick Neville scored the Pioneers’ third goal.

@MagnessMayhem