July 2, 2002
DENVER - The defending MacNaughton Cup and Broadmoor Trophy Champions, signifying the holders of the WCHA regular-season and playoff titles, respectively, open the 2002-03 season in Omaha, Neb., against perennial CCHA power Michigan State in the UNO Stampede on Friday, Oct. 11. A solid lineup for the Wells Fargo Denver Cup and a long homestand highlight the release of the University of Denver's 2002-03 hockey schedule, head coach George Gwozdecky announced today.
After the opening game, the Pioneers then play either Colgate or host Nebraska-Omaha the following night. The following weekend (Oct. 18-19), the Pioneers head east to face 2001 NCAA Champion Boston College and Northeastern of Hockey East. Denver opens its home schedule the weekend of Oct. 25-26 (Fri.-Sat.) against Alabama-Huntsville, then begins defense of the MacNaughton Cup the following weekend (Nov. 1-2) at Wisconsin.
The 2002 Wells Fargo Denver Cup will once again feature teams from each of the four top conferences in college hockey, with Clarkson (ECAC) and New Hampshire (Hockey East) squaring off the afternoon of Dec. 27, with the Pioneers hosting Miami University (CCHA) that night. The visit by the RedHawks will be the first to Magness Arena for Miami head coach and former Pioneer assistant Enrico Blasi.
"There's no question that we have a challenging schedule," said Gwozdecky. "Our non-conference schedule is as competitive as there may be in the country. It will be the type of schedule that will challenge us to achieve the kind of success we had last year. I would expect that the stretch of home games in January and February will be an advantage in that we get to play in front of what has become a tremendous home-ice advantage because of our record-setting crowds."
Denver will face 2002 NCAA Champion Minnesota twice, Feb. 28 and Mar. 1, in Minneapolis. The Pioneers' other single-weekend WCHA series this season are against Alaska Anchorage (Nov. 22-23, in Anchorage), Minnesota State, Mankato (Jan. 17-18, in Denver), and North Dakota (Feb. 14-15, in Denver).
The Pioneers are expected to return 22 letterwinners from last year's 32-8-1 squad, and 15 Pioneers who suited up in the NCAA West Regional against Michigan. Included among them are senior Kevin Doell (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan), the team's top scorer last year (20g-23a-43p) and the top goaltender tandem of All-America senior Wade Dubielewicz (Invermere, British Columbia) and junior Adam Berkhoel (Woodbury, Minn.). Dubielewicz was named to the All-WCHA first team and captured his second-straight WCHA goaltending title with a 1.79 goals against average - the fifth lowest total in league history. He finished with a .943 saves percentage, setting a new single-season mark both at Denver and in the league. In addition, he was Denver's first Hobey Baker Award semifinalist since 1990. Berkhoel was named to the All-WCHA third team, as was junior Connor James (Calgary, Alberta), who was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings last week and returns after posting the second-highest scoring total (16g-26a-42p). Senior captain Aaron MacKenzie (Terrace Bay, Ontario) also earned All-WCHA third team honors after posting the most productive season of his career (5g-18a-23p).
Season tickets for Denver's 22-game home schedule - which includes an exhibition contest against the University of Windsor on Monday, Oct. 14 - are currently on sale and offer some of the most affordable sports entertainment in the Denver metro area. Full-season ticket prices for adults range from $432 for a sideline ice-level season ticket, to $360 for tickets in the corners, behind the goals, and in the corners of the West stands, to $288 for upper-level seats behind the North or South goals. The University also is once again offering its "Power Pack" half-season ticket package, ranging from $266 to $182 for 14 games. In addition, admission is free for the annual season-opening Crimson and Gold Game, which will take place at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5.
Individual game tickets, expected to go on sale in early September, will cost $21, $18 and $15 for adults. Tickets for Denver's two Colorado College games at Magness Arena (Dec. 6 and Mar. 7) will cost $26, $23 and $20 for adults. Tickets for children ages eight and under will receive a $7 discount off the same adult seats. For more ticket information, call TicketMaster at (303) 830-TIXS or the Ritchie Center box office at (303) 871-2336.
There are several interesting quirks in the 2002-03 slate:
- Beginning with the Wells Fargo Denver Cup, the Pioneers will play eight consecutive games, and 12 of 14 contests over a two-month span, at Magness Arena. In all, 20 of Denver's 38 games will be played within the friendly confines.
- From Thanksgiving until the beginning of the NCAA Championships in mid-March, Denver will potentially play exclusively in the states of Colorado and Minnesota; the Pioneers' only scheduled road trips in that span are to St. Cloud State, Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota, and Colorado College.
- Because of scheduling conflicts at the Colorado Springs World Arena, the series with the Tigers to close the regular season in March will be a Thursday-Friday affair.
