Oct. 27, 2004

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THE GAMES

The No. 10 University of Denver Pioneers (3-2-0, 2-0-0 WCHA) hit the road for a two-game WCHA series at Wisconsin (4-0-0, 2-0-0 WCHA) on Oct. 29-30. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:07 p.m. MT both nights at the Kohl Center (15,237). Fox Sports Net North will televise both games and Fox Sports Net Rocky Mountain will televise the Oct. 29 contest. Paul Braun (play-by-play) and Tom Sagissor (color) will call the action on Fox. The games can also be heard live on KCKK AM 1600 (Friday, Oct. 29) and KKFN AM 950 "The Fan" (Saturday, Oct. 30) and on denverpioneers.com (both nights). Jay Stickney (play-by-play) will call the games on the radio and denverpioneers.com with the pregame show beginning at 5:50 p.m. MT both nights.

PIONEERS ALL-TIME VS. WISCONSIN

Denver is 42-65-8 (.400) all-time against Wisconsin in the series that started during the 1967-68 season. The Pioneers are 21-29-5 (.427) against the Badgers in Madison. Denver is 8-1-1 in its last 10 games against Wisconsin and brings a four-game winning streak at the Kohl Center into the contest. The Pioneers tied (2-2) and lost (3-1) to Wisconsin at Magness Arena last season.

THE COACH

Head coach George Gwozdecky is currently in his 11th season at the University of Denver. Gwozdecky led the Pioneers to their first NCAA title in 35 years last season and became the first individual to capture an NCAA title as a student-athlete (Wisconsin '77), assistant coach (Michigan State '86) and head coach (Denver '04). The Thunder Bay, Ontario, native sports a 226-154-31 (.588) record at Denver and has led the Pioneers to the NCAA tournament five times. Gwozdecky, who earned the 1993 Spencer Penrose Award for National Coach of the Year at Miami (Ohio), was the Penrose Award runner-up in 2004 for the second time in his 15-year head coaching career. He earned runner-up Penrose Award honors in 2002 after leading the Pioneers to their fourth 30-win season in school history. Gwozdecky is 376-278-52 (.569) overall and 309-248-50 (.550) in Division I programs. He has recorded seven seasons of 20 or more wins at Denver and four seasons with 25 or more wins. Gwozdecky is 17-15-3 (.529) in 35 career meetings against Wisconsin in 10 years at Denver.

LAST TIME OUT

In front of a sellout crowd of 6,087 fans, the University of Denver hockey team raised its sixth national championship banner and scored six unanswered goals in a 6-1 win over St. Cloud State on Oct. 23 in Magness Arena. Senior Jeff Drummond scored twice for the 13th-ranked Pioneers, who won their third consecutive game to improve to 3-2 overall, 2-0 in the WCHA. St. Cloud State dropped to 2-3-1, 0-2-0.

The Pioneers honored the 2004 national championship team in a pregame ceremony in which members of the other five title-winning teams were on hand for the festivities. The University of Denver honored NCAA Championship teams from 1958, 1960, 1961, 1968, 1969, and the newest member of the group, the 2004 team that won a memorable championship last April with a 2-1 win over Maine.

"After that emotional pregame ceremony, I was hoping we would carry that energy over to the ice and we did that," head coach George Gwozdecky said. "With so many distractions this weekend I was concerned with how we would respond, but I think we responded well and played great."

Denver scored its first goal of the season in the first period and jumped out to a 3-0 first-period advantage and never looked back. Drummond got it started with his first goal of the season, a power-play goal off a beautiful pass from teammate Gabe Gauthier that inched over the line past Husky goaltender Tim Boron. It didn't take long for the Pioneers to score again, as sophomore Ryan Helgason put home a rebound off a shot from Brock McMorris that gave the Pioneers a 2-0 lead. Drummond scored again less than five minutes later that gave the Pioneers a commanding 3-0 lead and its only first period lead of the season.

Senior Jon Foster scored his team-leading sixth goal of the season to lead off the scoring in the second period and was followed by tallies from Ryan Dingle and J.D. Corbin that gave the Pioneers a 6-0 lead.

Denver goaltender Peter Mannino got his first career victory with 25 saves and he gave up just one goal as St. Cloud State scored its lone goal on an even-strength tally from Justin Fletcher early in the third period.

FOR OPENERS

• The Pioneers and Badgers will meet in Madison for the first time since Nov. 1-2, 2002. Denver swept the two-game series by identical scores of 5-3.

• Denver brings a three-game winning streak to Wisconsin, while the Badgers have started their season with four consecutive wins.

• Denver is 6-0-2 all-time against the Badgers at Kohl Center since it opened in 1998. Wisconsin defeated Denver in a two-game WCHA playoff series at Alliant Energy Center in 2001. The Pioneers are the only WCHA team Wisconsin has yet to defeat in the building.

• The 10th-ranked Pioneers are 0-2 against ranked teams this season. Denver lost to seventh-ranked Minnesota (5-2) and top-ranked Boston College (6-2).

• Senior forward Kevin Ulanski returns to his hometown of Madison this weekend. Ulanski, who starred at Madison East High School before leaving for the junior ranks, leads all current Pioneers with eight points in 10 career games against Wisconsin.

• Head coach George Gwozdecky returns to his alma mater where he scored 21 goals during a four-year career for the Badgers. Gwozdecky and current Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves helped Wisconsin to the NCAA National Championship in 1977.

• Pioneer sophomore defenseman Matt Carle was named the Red Baron WCHA Defensive Player of the Week for Oct. 25-31. Carle helped Denver to a two-game sweep over St. Cloud State last weekend at Magness Arena.

• Senior forward Jon Foster continues his torrid goal streak. Foster scored one goal in each win over St. Cloud State to stretch his goal streak to a career-high five games. Foster, who is tied for second in the NCAA with six goals, leads Denver in scoring (6-1--7) and power-play goals (3).

• Freshman Peter Mannino won his first game as a collegian with a 25-save effort in Denver's 6-1 win against St. Cloud State on Oct. 23.

PIONEER TEAM NOTES

• Denver won its first WCHA home game on Oct. 22 this season. The Pioneers did not record their first 2003-04 WCHA home win until January 23, 2004 (2-1 OT vs. Alaska Anchorage).

• Denver killed all 17 SCSU power-play attempts last weekend to improve to 35-of-39 (.897) on the penalty kill this season.

• The Pioneers are 3-0 when scoring first this season.

• Denver has outscored its opponents, 10-6, in the second period this season.

• The Pioneers went just 1-of-19 on the power play last weekend and are 6-of-50 (.120) this season.

• Denver scored three goals in the first period in the 6-1 win. The goals were the first for Denver in the first period this season.

• The Pioneers launched a season-high 42 shots in the 5-2 win on Oct. 22 and a season-high 20 in the second period.

• Video replay made its debut at Magness Arena last weekend. One St. Cloud State goal was disallowed on Friday and two Pioneer goals were counted on Saturday.

PIONEER PLAYER NOTES

• Sophomore goaltender Glenn Fisher improved his record to 2-1-0 with a 17-save effort in the 5-2 win. Fisher leads DU goalies with a 2.67 GAA and .905 Sv%. He is 5-2-1 all-time at DU with a 3.31 GAA and .882 Sv%.

• Junior Gabe Gauthier scored two shorthanded goals, including the game-winner, in the 5-2 win on Oct. 22 and added an assist in the 6-1 win on Oct. 23. Gauthier (2-4--6) is second on the team in scoring. Gauthier has five career two-goal games and 15 multi-point games.

• Senior Jeff Drummond tallied two assists in the 5-2 win and two goals in the 6-1 win. Drummond has tallied five two-goal games and 17 multi-point games in his DU career.

• Freshman Ryan Dingle turned in his first multi-point effort with one goal and one assist in the 6-1 win on Oct. 23. Dingle (2-2--4) added an assist in the 5-2 win and leads all Pioneer rookies in scoring.

• Sophomores Ryan Helgason and J.D. Corbin each scored their first goal of the season in the 6-1 win over St. Cloud State on Oct. 23.

• Redshirt sophomore Brock McMorris tallied an assist on Helgason's game-winning goal for his first career point.

• Freshmen Paul Stastny and Andrew Thomas each tallied assists for their first career points this past weekend.

MORE ON MATT

Sophomore defenseman Matt Carle, who was named Red Baron WCHA Defensive Player of the Week for Oct. 25-31, is tied for the league lead in scoring among defenseman with five points on two goals and three assists.

Carle finished the two-game series against St. Cloud State with a +2 plus/minus rating and contributed nine hits and three blocked shots. He also found time to score a goal and add an assist as Denver improved to 3-2-0 overall and 2-0-0 in league play.

Carle, who earned All-WCHA Rookie Team honors last season, garnered three consecutive Red Baron WCHA Rookie of the Week honors last season (Feb. 16-March 6). He has scored 30 points on seven goals and 23 assists in 35 career games at DU.

GAUTHIER HEATING UP

Junior forward Gabe Gauthier, who led Denver last season in goals (18), assists (25), points (43), power-play goals (8) and game-winning goals (6), has tallied five points in the last three games. Gauthier was held scoreless in Denver's first two games (both losses), but has responded with a team-leading five points during the current three-game winning streak. Gauthier has tallied 28 goals and 36 assists in 88 career games. Eight of his 28 goals have been game-winners.

DINGLE QUIETLY GETTING IT DONE FOR DU

Freshman forward Ryan Dingle has quietly made an immediate impact for the Pioneers this season. Dingle leads all Pioneer rookies with four points on two goals and two assists. He scored his first career goal at Boston College on Oct. 15 and assisted on both game-winning goals against St. Cloud State on Oct. 22-23.

ON WISCONSIN

• The fifth-ranked Badgers are off to a 4-0-0 start this season with two victories each against Mercyhurst and Michigan Tech. Wisconsin has outscored its opponents 21-5 this season.

• The Badgers return 20 letterwinners from last year's team that finished 22-13-8 overall and 14-7-7 (3rd) in WCHA play.

• Freshman Joe Pavelski was named Red Baron WCHA Rookie of the Week for Oct. 25-31. Pavelski leads Wisconsin with eight points on three goals and five assists.

• Head coach Mike Eaves is in his third season at Wisconsin. He has posted a 39-36-12 overall record and 23-24-11 mark in the WCHA.

• Joe Pavelski (3-5--8), Robbie Earl (2-5--7), Jake Dowell (4-1--5), Ross Carlson (2-3--5) and Nick Licari (1-4--5) are Wisconsin's leading scorers.

• Bernd Bruckler (2-0-0, 2.51 GAA and .886 Sv%) and Brian Elliott (2-0-0, 0.00 GAA and 1.000 Sv%) are the team's top goaltenders.

PIONEER SCORING STREAKS

Goals - Jon Foster 5 (6-1--7);

Assists - Ryan Dingle (1-2--3);

Points - Jon Foster 5 (6-1--7), Gabe Gauthier 3 (2-3--5), Matt Carle 3 (2-2--4), Jeff Drummond 2 (2-2--4), Ryan Dingle 2 (1-2--3),

ON THE HORIZON

The Pioneers will enjoy a bye week before playing in-state rival Colorado College in home-and-home series on Nov. 12-13.