Oct. 12, 2001

Box Score

The University of Denver hockey team opened the 2001-02 season with a 4-3 victory over defending national champs Boston College in the first game of the Nye Frontier Classic, hosting by the University of Alaska Anchorage.

Denver (1-0-0) opened the scoring just 1:29 into the game on a power play goal by junior forward Matt Weber (Binghamton, N.Y.). Freshman forward Jon Foster (Suffern, N.Y.) and sophomore defenseman Ryan Caldwell (Deloraine, Manitoba) each picked up assists. Less than four minutes later, however, the Eagles, who entered the game ranked seventh in the nation, added a power play goal of their own to even the game at 1-1. With 7:33 remaining in the opening stanza, BC took its first lead of the game when Jeff Giuliano beat junior netminder Wade Dubielewicz (Invermere, British Columbia), giving the Eagles a 2-1 lead going into the first intermission.

In the second period, the Pioneers stormed back, tying the contest just 58 seconds in on the first of two goals by Foster. Senior defenseman Jesse Cook (Englewood, Colo.) sent the puck to senior forward Chris Paradise (St. Paul, Minn.). Paradise took the puck to the net, but took a big hit from a BC defenseman and lost control. Foster rushed in, beat Boston College goalie Matti Kaltianen to the puck, and slipped in the net. At the 12:27 mark, the Pioneers took the lead when sophomore Lukas Dora (Lednice, Czech Republic) redirected and shot from junior defenseman Aaron MacKenzie (Terrace Bay, Ontario). The puck was clearly going wide until Dora tipped it into the far corner of the net.

Foster notched his second marker of the game - and third point - just 1:42 into the final period, assisted by MacKenzie. With less than five minutes to play, Boston College made the game interesting when Ben Eaves beat Dubielewicz with a rebound shot. That goal came on the power play as the Eagles finished 2-for-3 with the extra attacker. However, that was all the Eagles could muster as Dubielewicz and the Denver defense shut the door on BC the rest of the way.

On the night, Dubielewicz finished with 25 saves, while the Pioneers finished 1-for-3 on the power play.

The Pioneers will close the Nye Frontier Classic tomorrow (Saturday Oct. 13) with a 6:05 p.m. MT game against Northeastern. The game can be heard live in the Denver area on KCKK AM 1600 or at www.DenverPioners.com.