DENVER – The No. 11 University of Denver hockey team stretched its season-opening win streak at home to six games on Saturday night, as the Pioneers defeated the Miami RedHawks 4-1 at Magness Arena.
 
Denver's 6-0-0 mark to start the season on home ice is its best since Magness Arena opened in 1999 and it's the program's longest season-opening win streak in its friendly confines since beginning 7-0-0 during the 1977-78 campaign at the old DU Arena.
 
The Pioneers (7-4-0, 3-2-0 NCHC) look to match that seven-game win streak on Saturday as they conclude a season-long, four-game homestand and the weekend series versus the RedHawks (2-8-1, 1-4-0 NCHC).
 
Junior goaltender Magnus Chrona led Denver in net by making 24-of-25 saves, while freshman Massimo Rizzo recorded a season-high three points with a goal and two assists. Freshman Carter Mazur, sophomore Carter Savoie and senior Brett Stapley also tallied for the Pioneers, and freshman defenseman Shai Buium recorded his second multi-point outing of the campaign with two helpers.
 
Chrona was perfect in the final two periods of play by making all 18 saves, including 12 in the third. The only shot that got past the Swedish netminder came from Dylan Moulton after a faceoff win during a power play that tied the outing at 1-1 midway through the opening stanza.
 
Mazur began the scoring for the Pios just 3:36 after the initial puck drop, stretching his career-long goal/point streak to three games. Winning the puck along the end wall, the reigning NCHC Rookie of the Week circled around the left wing before unleashing a shot that beat Miami goalie Ludvig Persson through traffic.
 
After being tied at the first intermission, Denver retook the lead with two tallies in the second stanza. Rizzo whacked in a rebound off a shot by Mike Benning at 5:37 of the period, and Savoie tucked in a loose puck inside the right post at 13:48 after Cole Guttman's shot rang off the iron.
 
Brett Stapley scored DU's second power-play goal of the night with 12:13 left to play, taking a pass from Buium and tallying five-hole from the right circle.
 
Denver outshot Miami 36-25 overall and finished 2-for-5 with the man advantage. The Pioneers have now scored a power-play goal in three straight games, tying a season-high, and have tallied multiple times while a man-up for the fifth contest this year.
 
Overall, DU is on a three-game winning streak and has won four straight on home ice in the all-time series versus Miami. The Pioneers are now 16-8-3 against the RedHawks since they became conference foes in 2013-14.
 
 
POSTGAME NOTES

• Goaltender Magnus Chrona started a fifth-straight game, extending his season-long streak.
• DU improved to 21-13-3 overall and 10-5-3 at home against the RedHawks.
• Carter Mazur and Carter Savoie have scored in three consecutive games.
• Shai Buium had two assists, tying his career high for a single game (Nov. 15, 2021 at Air Force).
• Massimo Rizzo, Cameron Wright, Bobby Brink, Cole Guttman have now recorded a point in each of their last three games.
• Denver held an opponent to 30 or fewer shots for the 10th game this season.
• The Pioneers scored four or more goals for the third consecutive contest and for the eighth time this year (7-1-0 record)

 
GOAL SUMMARY
1st Period
3:34 DU (1-0) – Carter Mazur fought off a Miami defender along the end wall, skated around the left-wing side and snapped a shot from the top the circle that got through traffic and in.
8:34 MU (1-1) – PPG, Following a faceoff win by Joe Cassetti, Dylan Moulton tied the contest with a snap shot from the high slot.
 
2nd Period
5:37 DU (2-1) – PPG, Mike Benning's shot from the slot rebound in front to Massimo Rizzo, and Rizzo whacked in the carom for his seventh marker of the season.
13:48 DU (3-1) – The puck pinballed around in the crease after Cole Guttman's shot ricocheted off the goal iron, and Carter Savoie tucked the puck just inside the right post. Bobby Brink also had an assist on the play.
 
3rd Period
7:43 DU (4-1) – Brett Stapley took a pass from wall by Shai Buium, gathered the puck, turned, shot and scored five-hole.

 
TICKETS: Single-game tickets for the 2021-22 campaign can be purchased here.
 
CORONAVIRUS UPDATES: Masks are required at all indoor athletic events. For the latest University of Denver updates on the coronavirus, click here.

DONATE: Fans interested in making a donation to the Pioneers Athletic Fund can do so by clicking here. Your gift will transform the lives of our student-athletes by giving them the first-class resources needed to excel in the classroom and beyond. Thank you for Building Pioneers for Life!
 
Visit DenverPioneers.com for complete coverage of all 18 of DU's NCAA Division I sports
Like Denver Pioneers and Denver Hockey on Facebook
Follow @DU_Pioneers and @DU_Hockey on Twitter
Follow @DenverPioneers and @DU_Hockey on Instagram