DENVER - Freshman right-winger Connor James (Calgary, Alberta) scored two goals and an assist and freshman netminder Adam Berkhoel (Woodbury, Minn.) recorded his first career shutout with 25 saves to propel the University of Denver men's hockey team to a convincing 4-0 win over non-conference opponent Alabama-Huntsville Friday night at Magness Arena. Denver improves to 13-10-3 on the season, UAH drops to 13-9-1 overall.

James opened the scoring melee midway through the first period with his first tally of the evening after he picked up a loose puck on the right side of the goal and roofed it high over the glove of Charger goalie Mark Byrne to give the Pioneers a 1-0 lead at 10:40. Denver out-shot UAH 11-7 in the first frame and held a one-goal lead at the first intermission.

Alabama-Huntsville opened the second period with offensive firepower, out-shooting Denver 5-0 in the opening five minutes of the stanza but Berkhoel was solid between the pipes turning away every shot the Chargers took at him. Denver struck again midway through the period with a goal by center Chris Paradise (St. Paul, Minn.), his 12th of the season. Paradise charged the net from the right side and flipped a backhander on goal, Byrne made the initial save but failed to cover up the rebound. Paradise grabbed the puck, skated back into the left circle and fired the biscuit into the back of the net to extend the Pioneer lead to 2-0 at 10:33.

The Pioneers relentless assault continued and they celebrated the rewards of their efforts when James passed the puck from behind the net to a wide-open Greg Barber (Kelowna, B.C.) who chipped it in to collect his fourth marker of the year and put the Pioneers ahead 3-0 at 14:04.

The Chargers mounted an attack late in the game and suffered the consequences when freshman Greg Keith (Delta, B.C.) fed a streaking James at the blue-line who skated on net and scored his second goal of the night, fifth of the season, to give Denver its final margin of victory, 4-0 at 12:01.

Denver's penalty killing unit successfully killed off all five of the Chargers man-advantage opportunities, The Pioneers scored once in three tries.

Denver will conclude this two-game non-conference series with Alabama-Huntsville on Sunday, January 28. Face-off is slated for 1:05 p.m.