DENVER – The No. 7 Denver Pioneers (9-4-2, 4-4-0-0) defeated the Merrimack Warriors (4-13-1, 2-8-0), 3-1, in their first game in 20 days on Friday at Lawler Rink.
 
Devin Cooley made 23 saves in a victory where the Pioneers had three different goal scorers and finished 4/4 on the penalty kill.
 
"I thought our legs got better as the game went on," Richard and Kitzia Goodman Head Coach David Carle said. "I really liked the way we skated in the second, I know we killed three penalties, but our down ice pressure I thought was great and some of our forwards really skated and took away time and space well."
 
Michael Davies opened the scoring 16 seconds into the first period, saving the puck at the left point with a slap shot that evaded Craig Pantano for the first goal of the game. The goal went unassisted and gave Denver a 1-0 lead through 20 minutes.
 
The Pioneers extended their lead on their first power play of the game at 3:43 of the second period. After being denied on his centering pass, Liam Finlay collected the loose puck behind the net and beat Pantano with a wrap around for his eighth goal of the season. Colin Staub and Tyler Ward had assists on the goal. Denver killed a trio of penalties to preserve its two-goal lead and take a 2-0 advantage into the second intermission.

Ryan Barrow made it 3-0 for the Pioneers at 9:18 of the third period as Tyson McLellan sailed an overhead pass into the neutral zone where Jake Durflinger tapped it to Ryan Barrow for a long-range wrist shot through Pantano's five-hole. The Warriors pulled Pantano for the extra attacker with 2:25 remaining, benefiting at 18:37 when Tyler Drevitch buried a rebound from Patrick Kramer's shot to ruin the shutout bid. Merrimack nearly scored another with 1:09 remaining, but Cooley robbed Chase Gresock's with the glove to seal the win.
 
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