The 2018-19 season was supposed to be a "rebuilding year" for the Denver Pioneers men's hockey team. At least that was the general consensus for a program two years removed from winning a National Championship. Voters citing five early departures, a new head coach and a crop of 20 freshmen and sophomores, the most since Tyler Bozak first donned the Crimson & Gold in 2007, slotted Denver just inside the Top-10 in preseason polls. Sitting at 12-4-2, 4-4-0-0 past the halfway point of the season, the Pioneers have responded. Denver is making great time in its rebuild. 

After sweeping Wisconsin and finishing 8-0-2 against non-conference opponents, the Pioneers found themselves 3rd in the USCHO.com poll and 4th in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll on Jan. 7. Both rankings were Denver's highest since March 18, 2018, days after the Pioneers became the first two-time winners of the NCHC Frozen Faceoff. 

"I think everybody would have taken 12-4-2 (at the start of the season)," Richard and Kitzia Goodman Head Coach David Carle said after Denver's 4-3 overtime win at Wisconsin. "We've put ourselves in a great spot."

The top line of Cole Guttman, Jarid Lukosevicius and Emilio Pettersen has been a linchpin in Denver's offensive production, as well as an indication of what has made this team successful: new & old. Lukosevicius, a senior, has played on the left wing alongside his freshmen linemates for 16/18 games this season. The trio has combined for 32 even-strength points and 16 even-strength goals this season, attributing for 27% and 35% of the team's totals, respectively. 

The combination of under and upperclassmen persists throughout the lineup. Freshmen Tyler Ward and Brett Stapley have complimented junior leading-scorer Liam Finlay. Freshman Slava Demin has paired with sophomore alternate captain Ian Mitchell for matchups against Minnesota Duluth, Providence, North Dakota and Wisconsin. The goaltending tandem of freshman Filip Larsson and sophomore Devin Cooley has compiled a 2.22 goals against average.

The strength of the Pioneers' foundation will be tested in the next nine weeks. Denver sits fourth in the NCHC ahead of 16-straight conference games. Road trips to No. 14 Western Michigan (Jan. 25-26) and No. 5 Minnesota Duluth (Feb. 16-17) are fast approaching. Then there are the internal challenges the Pioneers look to overcome. During the first half of the season, the Pioneers twice allowed three third-period goals to surrender apparent victories. Carle has also noted an early struggle to close out weekend sweeps, being reactive rather than proactive. 

"We have great challenges in front of us," Carle said. "We're still not where we want to be, we have a long way to go, but we're excited about getting there. The team is hungry." 

Adversity is on the horizon as Denver looks to secure home-ice advantage in the NCHC Playoffs and earn its 12th-straight berth in the NCAA Tournament. The rebuild, however, is a spec on the rearview mirror.

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