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University of Denver Athletics

Brett Edwards
Shannon Valerio

Men's Ice Hockey

Game Preview: No. 5 Denver vs. St. Cloud State Pres. By Canvas Credit Union

Riding a four-game winning streak, the No. 5 Denver Pioneers (13-4-3, 3-3-2-1) is set to return to conference play for a matchup against St. Cloud State on Friday, Jan. 10 at Magness Arena. Puck drop is set for 7:07 p.m.
 
DENVER: LAST GAME
DU 4, UMass 2, | DU 4, UMass 3 (Denver, Colo. - January 3-4, 2020)
• Friday: Trailing 2-1 at the second intermission, the Pioneers scored three third-period goals to win the rematch of the 2019 National Semifinal. Prior to Denver's comeback win, the Pioneers were 0-4-1 when trailing after two periods and the Minutemen were 8-0-0 when leading after two periods
• Saturday: With 28:00 penalty minutes to defend, the Pioneers went 7/8 on the penalty kill and scored three third-period goals to complete the sweep
• Magnus Chrona played both nights, making 59 saves on 64 shots
• The Pioneers went 2/9 on the power play and 11/12 on the penalty kill...Denver outshot UMass 70-64 and went 81-52 in the faceoff circle
 
DENVER: SNAPSHOT
• The Pioneers are on four-game winning streak, outscoring opponents 14-6 in that stretch while going 4/15 (26.7%) on the power play and 17/18 (94.4%) on the penalty kill. Prior to the streak, Denver had one win in eight games
• Denver ranks 2nd in the NCAA in shots on goal per game (35.00). The Pioneers have outshot their opponent in 17 of their 20 games this season and are 12-3-2 in those games. Denver has outshot its opponent in eight of its last nine games and has outshot its opponent by double digits on seven occasions
• The Pioneers' penalty kill is T-5th in the NCAA, going 72/79 (91.1%). Denver has scored three shorthanded goals, T-5th in the NCAA
• Cole Guttman is on a five-game goal and point streak with six goals and two assists...Emilio Pettersen is on a five-game point streak with two goals and five assists...
 
DENVER: UP NEXT
Jan. 17-18 at Omaha (Baxter Arena - Omaha, Neb.)
• Denver will travel to Omaha for its lone series of the season against the Mavericks 
• The Pioneers are 30-9-3 all-time against Omaha, going 3-0-1 last season and having not lost a game to the Mavericks in 16 meetings. Denver last loss to Omaha was on Jan. 10, 2015 at Baxter Arena
 
ST. CLOUD STATE: SNAPSHOT
• Through a combination of graduation and early departures, St. Cloud State lost five of its top six scorers from 2018-19 when the team finished 30-6-3 (19-2-3-2)
• The Huskies have won four of their last six games, their best stretch of the season which includes a 7-2 win against then-No. 2 Minnesota State on Dec. 28. St CLoud
• Sam Hentges leads St. Cloud State with 22 points (7-15-22) in 18 games
• The Huskies allow the 9th-fewest shots per game in the NCAA (25.00)
• St. Cloud State has struggled playing from behind. The Huskies are 1-6-0 when trailing after the first period, 0-6-2 when trailing after the second and 1-7-1 when allowing the first goal of the game
 
ST. CLOUD STATE: UP NEXT
Jan. 17-18 vs. Minnesota Duluth (AMSOIL Arena - Duluth, Minn.)
• St. Cloud State is 15-13-1 all-time against Minnesota Duluth and went 3-2-0 last season with a 1-1-0 mark at AMSOIL Arena
 
DENVER VS. ST. CLOUD STATE
• Denver leads the all-time series 50-46-6 and went 0-2-0 against the Huskies
• Liam Finlay leads Pioneer skaters with eight points (5-3-8) in 11 career games against St. Cloud State
 
DURFLINGER SUSPENDED FOR ONE GAME
• The NCHC issued Jake Durflinger a one-game suspension for illegal hits and unsportsmanlike conduct toward the end of Denver's game vs. UMass on Jan. 3
 
DEMIN NAMED NCHC DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
• Slava Demin was named NCHC Defenseman of the Week on Jan. 6 after recording one goal and two assists vs. UMass on Jan. 3-4
• Demin had one goal and two assists in the Pioneers' 4-2 victory on Jan. 3, scoring Denver's first goal of the game and assisting on the game-tying and insurance goals
 
STAT LEADERS
• Magnus Chrona has a 2.18 GAA, 2nd among NCAA freshmen, a .920 SV%, 4th among NCAA freshmen, and two shutouts, 2nd among NCAA freshmen
• Bobby Brink has eight goals, T-3rd in the NCAA, and 53 shots, 5th among NCAA freshmen
• Cole Guttman is T-1st in the NCAA with five game-winning goals
 
GUTT CHECK
• Cole Guttman is on a five-game point and goal streak with six goals and two assists
• Prior to his streak, the Tampa Bay Lightning prospect had three goals and three assists through 14 games
• This season, Denver is 8-0-2 when Guttman scores a point
 
SCORING STATS
• Denver is 10-0-1 when leading and 2-0-1 when tied after the second period
• The Pioneers have a +23 overall goal margin, T-9th in the NCAA, as well as a +31 margin in the second and third periods, T-2nd in the NCAA
 
MITCHELL'S POINT
• Since last season, Denver is 22-2-4 when Ian Mitchell scores a point and 15-14-4 when he does not
• This season, the Pioneers are 10-0-0 when Ian Mitchell scores a point and 3-4-3 when he does not
 
HOME COOKIN'
• Denver is 33-10-8 at home since the 2017-18 season, posting a .647 winning percentage and taking points from 84% of its games
 
NON-CONFERENCE STREAK
• Prior to Dec. 6 at Arizona State, the Pioneers were undefeated in 19 straight non-conference games with a 17-0-2 mark in that stretch
• Denver is 24-3-5 against non-conference opponents since the 2017-18 season
 
70TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON
• The Pioneers are playing in their 70th Anniversary Season. Since its inaugural season in 1949, Denver has made 30 appearances in the NCAA tournament, 17 appearances in the Frozen Four and won eight National Championships, tied for the second-most titles among any college hockey program
 
UP NEXT: Denver Hockey presented by Centura Health hosts St. Cloud State on Jan. 10-11 at Magness Arena

DONATE: Fans interested in making a donation to the 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.  
 
SHOP PIONEERS: Get dressed for Game Day! Get your Pioneers gear at ShopPioneers.com, the official online store of University of Denver Athletics.

-OUR JOURNEY, OUR TIME- 
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Players Mentioned

Jake Durflinger

#16 Jake Durflinger

Forward
5' 8"
Sophomore
Bloomington Thunder - USHL
Liam Finlay

#13 Liam Finlay

Forward
5' 7"
Junior
Vernon Vipers - BCHL
Ian Mitchell

#15 Ian Mitchell

Defenseman
5' 11"
Sophomore
Spruce Grove Saints - AJHL
Slava Demin

#17 Slava Demin

Defenseman
6' 2"
Freshman
Wenatchee Wild - BCHL
Cole Guttman

#19 Cole Guttman

Forward
5' 9"
Freshman
Dubuque Fighting Saints - USHL
Emilio Pettersen

#20 Emilio Pettersen

Forward
5' 10"
Freshman
Muskegon Lumberjacks - USHL
Bobby Brink

#24 Bobby Brink

Forward
5' 8"
Freshman
Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
Magnus Chrona

#30 Magnus Chrona

Goaltender
6' 6"
Freshman
SkellefteĂĄ AIK J20 (SuperElit)

Players Mentioned

Jake Durflinger

#16 Jake Durflinger

5' 8"
Sophomore
Bloomington Thunder - USHL
Forward
Liam Finlay

#13 Liam Finlay

5' 7"
Junior
Vernon Vipers - BCHL
Forward
Ian Mitchell

#15 Ian Mitchell

5' 11"
Sophomore
Spruce Grove Saints - AJHL
Defenseman
Slava Demin

#17 Slava Demin

6' 2"
Freshman
Wenatchee Wild - BCHL
Defenseman
Cole Guttman

#19 Cole Guttman

5' 9"
Freshman
Dubuque Fighting Saints - USHL
Forward
Emilio Pettersen

#20 Emilio Pettersen

5' 10"
Freshman
Muskegon Lumberjacks - USHL
Forward
Bobby Brink

#24 Bobby Brink

5' 8"
Freshman
Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
Forward
Magnus Chrona

#30 Magnus Chrona

6' 6"
Freshman
SkellefteĂĄ AIK J20 (SuperElit)
Goaltender