DENVER -- Despite a win and tie in Madison, Wis., during the regular season, the University of Denver hockey team could not repeat those fortunes, falling to the University of Wisconsin, 6-2, in the second game of the first round of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs. The win earned Wisconsin a sweep in the series, sending the Badgers on to the WCHA Final Five and ending the Pioneers season. Despite the sweep, Denver managed a great season with a very young squad. The Pioneers finished the year 19-15-4 (14-11-3 WCHA).

After dropping a three-goal lead last night and playing a poor defensive game at times, the Pioneers knew they would need to tighten up at the blueline to be successful in game two. That is exactly what Denver did, but not just on defense. The Pioneers opened the first stanza playing their style of hockey, utilizing their speed and forechecking to outplay the Badgers. Nothing was more obvious of that than the play of freshman Connor James (Calgary, Alberta). James, who was the smallest player on the ice by an average of 20 pounds, played a very physical game and was able to steal no less than three pucks from Badger skaters, one resulting in a Denver scoring opportunity. Another freshman, Adam Berkhoel (Woodbury, Minn.), was also a big factor in Denver keeping Wisconsin off the scoreboard as he made nine saves in goal, but none bigger than the stop he made on UW sophomore phenom Dany Heatley. Heatley, last year's No. 2 overall pick in the NHL entry draft, had a golden opportunity to put his team up one. After Berkhoel made a great save on Badger Rene Bourque on his left side, the rebound bounced directly to Heatley on the right side. With a wide open net, Heatley sensed the game's first goal, but a lighting-quick Berkhoel somehow recovered to make a tremendous save. The first period ended scoreless, with Denver leading in the shots column, 16-9.

Just 55 seconds into the middle period, Wisconsin broke the scoreless game. On what seemed to be an easy play for the Denver defense, UW's Kent Davyduke broke into the Denver zone with three Pioneers' back on defense. Davyduke drove hard to the net and beat Berkhoel top-shelf. Denver stormed right back, scoring its first goal at the 6:44 mark. With the faceoff in the Wisconsin zone, junior Chris Paradise (St. Paul, Minn.) won the draw back to freshman Ryan Caldwell (DeLoraine, Manitoba). Caldwell waited just a split second for the defender to turn his back and riffled a slap shot from the point that beat UW's Grahame Melanson. One minute, six seconds later, the Pioneers gained their first lead of the night. On a Badger turnover in their defensive zone, senior Judd Stauss (East Grand Forks, Minn.) sent a slap shot on Melanson, who made the initial save, but could not control the puck. Denver junior David Neale (Victoria, British Columbia) gained control and slipped the puck between the UW netminders' legs, giving the Pioneers a 2-1 lead. As it had last night, the Denver defense broke down, allowing two Wisconsin goals as the Badgers took a 3-2 lead into the second intermission. Berkhoel made just four saves as Denver again won the shooting battle, outshooting UW, 15-7 in the period and 31-16 through 40 minutes.

Sophomore defenseman Aaron MacKenzie (Terrace Bay, Ontario), who took a knee-to-knee hit near the end of the second period, did return to the ice for the third, allowing the Pioneers to return to a six-man defensive rotation. That did not help Denver in the final stanza as Wisconsin, playing with a one-goal lead, played a solid neutral zone trap, giving Denver little to no room to move the puck up ice. The Badgers put a damper on Denver's hopes of making a come-back as UW's Kevin Granato chipped the puck past Berkhoel, giving the Badgers a 4-2 advantage. Wisconsin added two more goals, including an empty netter, earning the 6-2 win and a sweep in the first round of the WCHA playoffs.

UW's Grahame Melanson had a tremendous game for the Badgers, stopping 42 of 44 Denver shots.

"The difference in the game was Grahame Melanson, no question about it," said Denver head coach George Gwozdecky. "I talked to the team prior to the game about how resilient we had been this season. We played a good game…we did everything we had to do except get the puck by Melanson. I can't say anything negative. We played very well."