Denver Falls 2-1 in Regular Season Finale Against Miami

Box Score

DENVER – Miami junior Blake Coleman scored a pair of goals, including the game winner with 12:27 left in regulation as the RedHawks posted a 2-1 victory in the regular-season finale for both teams on Saturday night at Magness Arena.

Denver will open the 2014 National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) playoffs on Thursday night at No. 3 seed Omaha in the opening game of the best-of-three series at CenturyLink Arena.  Puck drop for Thursday's contest is 6:37 p.m., MT.

The Pioneers controlled their own fate to host the opening round of the inaugural playoffs due to a 4-1 loss by Minnesota Duluth against Omaha earlier Saturday.

Denver will open the postseason on the road for the first time since 2002-03 campaign when it traveled to North Dakota for the opening round of the conference playoffs – a span of 10 seasons.  The Pioneers enter this season’s conference playoffs as the No. 6 seed.

The Pioneers played without Josiah Didier (Littleton, Colo.) and Quentin Shore (Denver, Colo.) for the fourth consecutive game, each of which was out due to injury.  Both players are NHL draft picks.

Denver slips to 16-14-6 overall and 10-11-3-2 in NCHC action.  Miami moves to 12-19-3 on the season and 6-17-1-1 in the conference loop. 

"I just want to say how proud I am of our senior class,” DU head coach Jim Montgomery said. “Their (Miami) first line tonight is dangerous, and they played like it in the 3rd period.”

The opening period was an up and down affair that saw the teams enter the first intermission scoreless, but each side had a number of solid scoring chances and Denver outshot Miami 12-5 over the opening 20 minutes. 

The best chance for the Pioneers came on a two-on-one opportunity with under 10 minutes left in the period when sophomore Garrett Allen (Delafield, Wis.) set up freshman Matt Marcinew (Calgary, Alberta) for a  one timer deep in the slot, but Miami goalie Ryan McKay was up to the task to keep the scoreboard reading zeroes.

Miami took the lead with 7:41 left in the second on a redirection by Blake Coleman.  Trevor Hamilton sent a shot on net from the right wing that Coleman deflected past Brittain for his third goal of the series and a 1-0 lead for the RedHawks.

Junior Zac Larraza (Scottsdale, Ariz.) answered for the Pioneers just 37 seconds later with a wrist shot that got past McKay to knot the scoreboard at 1-1.  Senior David Makowski (St. Louis, Mo.) fired a shot on net that was blocked by Miami’s McKay, Larraza collected the loose puck, circled and fired a shot from the slot for his sixth point over the last four games.

Coleman gave Miami its first and final lead of the game at 2-1 with 12:27 left in regulation.  The junior controlled a loose puck in the neutral zone, raced up the center of the ice before slipping a shot past Brittain for his second of the night and fourth of the series.

Coleman has scored eight of Miami’s last 10 goals overall and is tied for team lead despite missing 11 games.

Denver was outshot 24-7 by Miami over the final 20 minutes, this after outshooting the RedHawks 26-20 over the initial 40 minutes of action.

Brittain posted 42 saves in defeat.  McKay made 32 stops en route to the victory.

Denver finished 0-for-2 on the power play, while Miami managed a 0-for-1 clip while playing with the man advantage.

All of the Pioneers’ postseason games will be broadcast live on Denver’s 102.3 FM ESPN Radio.

Denver First Round NCHC Playoff Schedule

All games played at CenturyLink Arena in Omaha

Thursday, March 13 - at Omaha, 6:37 p.m., MT

Friday, March 14 - at Omaha, 6:37 p.m., MT

Saturday, March 15 - at Omaha, 6:07 p.m., MT *

* - if necessary

-EXPERIENCE DENVER ATHLETICS-

 

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