DENVER – Freshman goalie Magnus Chrona made 23 saves as the No. 1 Denver Pioneers men's hockey team (5-0-0, NCHC 0-0-0-0) blanked the No. 6 Boston College Eagles (2-1-0, Hockey East 0-0-0) 3-0 in their home opener Friday at Magness Arena.
 
It was a goaltending showdown as Chrona was unbeatable for his second career shutout and BC's Spencer Knight was nearly perfect with 28 saves on 29 shots. Cole Guttman's power-play goal at 3:21 of the second period was the difference in the Top-10 matchup until the Pioneers added a pair of empty netters with 22 seconds remaining.
 
"I think all four lines had some sustained offensive zone time and we were able to generate some chances and some looks," Richard and Kitzia Goodman Head Coach David Carle said. "I liked our depth tonight. Our puck pressure was probably my favorite part of our game. I didn't think we gave up much in the neutral zone"
 
Denver made short work of its first power play of the night. At 3:21 of the second and only 26 seconds into the Pioneers' man advantage, Ian Mitchell's shot from the blue line rebounded off Knight's pad and Guttman buried the rebound for his second goal of the season.
 
Chrona maintained Denver's lead with a series of saves after the go-ahead goal, including a toe save on Graham McPhee early in the second and a point-blank stop on Mike Merulla, who intercepted a pass and ripped a shot from the hashmarks halfway through the period.
 
Guttman nearly added to the Pioneers' lead with nine minutes to play, sending a shot off the crossbar on another Pioneer power play. Denver's insurance goals came much later as Tyson McLellan and Brett Stapley's empty net goals solidified the win.
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Denver went 1/4 on the power play and 1/1 on the penalty kill…Emilio Pettersen is on a three-game point streak with one goal and three assists…Ian Mitchell is on a five-game point streak with two goals and three assists…Liam Finlay leads the team with six assists…

UP NEXT: Denver closes its Homecoming series on Saturday, Oct. 19 vs. No. 6 Boston College.
 
2019-20 SEASON TICKETS: Season tickets for the 2019-20 season are on sale now, and can be purc­­­hased here. Check out the complete 2019-20 schedule here. 
 
SHOP PIONEERS: Get dressed for Game Day! Get your Pioneers gear at ShopPioneers.com, the official online store of University of Denver Athletics.
 
PIONEER MOVEMENT: Fans interested in making a donation to the men's hockey program can do so by clicking here. Your contribution will make a direct impact on the success of YOUR Pioneers. Thank you in advance for your unwavering support of our student-athletes and their quest for excellence.   

-OUR JOURNEY, OUR TIME- 
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