March 26, 2004
Box Score
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Sparked by a sterling 21-save effort from senior goaltender Adam Berkhoel (Woodbury, Minn.), the second-seeded University of Denver hockey team jumped out to a 2-0 lead and hung on for a 3-2 NCAA West Regional semifinal victory over third-seeded Miami (Ohio) Friday night at World Arena. The Pioneers (24-12-3) will now face top-seeded North Dakota Saturday night at 7 p.m. for the West Regional Championship and its first Frozen Four appearance since 1986.
"Adam Berkhoel continues to give us the goaltending we expect," head coach George Gwozdecky said. "Some would say that many of those saves were unbelievable, but I would just say it was Adam Berkoel. I've said all along that this is a goaltender's tournament, and we have the best goaltender in the country."
Denver grabbed the lead first in a closely contested first period that saw both teams each record nine shots and each register three scoring chances. The Pioneers scored first on a shorthanded tally from senior Ryan Caldwell (Deloraine, Manitoba), who gathered a loose puck behind the Miami net and rifled a wrist-shot past Red Hawks goaltender Brandon Crawford-West for his 14th goal of the season. That goal marked Denver's 10th shorthanded goal of the season, the third-best mark in the NCAA. The Pioneers were fortunate to head to the locker room with the lead however, as Berkhoel made two stellar saves in the period to keep Miami scoreless. With just under four minutes remaining, he made a glove save on UM's Matt Christie off a rebound chance and stoned him again with at the one-minute mark, this time kicking up his leg and blocking an open net and preserving Denver's 1-0 lead.
Denver struck first in the second period as well, as junior Matt Laatsch (Lakeville, Minn.) gave the Pioneers a 2-0 lead when his wrist-shot from the top of the left circle beat Crawford-West to his left. Freshman Adrian Veideman (Sicamous, B.C.) won a faceoff in the Miami zone and dropped the back to Laatsch, who carefully executed his wrist-shot for his first goal since Feb. 28. Miami got the momentum back nearly five minutes later when freshman Marty Guerin got the Red Hawks on the board with his 14th goal of the season, a breakaway wrister that beat Berkhoel glove-side to make the score 2-1 Denver. Miami nearly tied the game on a power play near the end of the second period, but the Pioneers survived the flurry as Berkhoel kept the Red Hawks out of the net despite losing his stick for the final 12 seconds of the period.
Sophomore Brett Skinner (Brandon, Manitoba) gave Denver some comfort at the 6:35 mark of the third period, scoring on a 5-on-3 advantage after a four-minute major penalty on Brian Sipotz and a slashing call on Greg Hogeboom. The Pioneers held the puck in the Miami zone for nearly all of the two-man advantage before Skinner fired a one-timer from the slot to give Denver a two-goal lead. Miami's Matt Davis' unassisted goal at 17:37 cut the lead to one goal, but Denver hung on for the 3-2 win.
Denver outshot Miami, 33-23, and each team scored once on the power play.
The Pioneers will now take on tournament top-seed North Dakota tomorrow at 7 p.m. with the winner moving on to the Frozen Four April 8 in Boston.
