DENVER – The No. 4 University of Denver hockey team defeated the No. 11 Providence College Friars 4-1 on Friday night to open the weekend series at Magness Arena.
 
The squads wrap up their two-game set on Saturday night at 6 p.m. MT (Stream: NCHC.tv, Evoca.tv). Denver will raise its 2022 NCAA National Championship banner to the rafters in a ceremony prior to the game.
 
DU (3-2-0) used three power-play goals on Friday night to give Providence its first loss of the season (3-1-0), as Rieger Lorenz scored his first collegiate marker midway through the first period and Carter King and Massimo Rizzo also found the back of the net with the man advantage in the middle frame. Rizzo recorded a second point in the third stanza, as he contributed the primary assist on Casey Dornbach's third tally of the season on a rush up the ice at 9:01.
 
"We showed a lot of maturity, especially in the third period," said Richard & Kitzia Goodman hockey head coach David Carle. "I thought the special teams were excellent in the second. Obviously, three power-play goals were a huge factor in the win. We spent a lot of time in their zone on the power plays because of our puck support and winning battles to extend in zone time. I thought the kill was good. On the opposite side, we made them break a lot of puck zones. Our special teams were huge. We didn't win the special teams battle last weekend and then you talk about the maturity in the third period, it was a total team effort to be able to close it out."
 
Defenseman Shai Buium led the Pioneers with a career-high three points (all assists) while fellow rear guard Mike Benning (two assists) and Dornbach (one goal, one assist) also posted multi-point performances. Goaltender Magnus Chrona made 25 saves in the victory and stopped all 14 shots he faced in the first period, including one nearly six minutes in where he had to stretch across the crease and kick the puck with his skate at the last second.
 
Parker Ford tallied Providence's only marker on the power play with 2:51 remaining the second period, cutting the Hockey East Conference team's deficit to 3-1 at the time.
 
The Pioneers outshot the Friars 28-26 in the contest and finished 3-for-5 on the power play, their most man-advantage goals they have tallied this year.
 
 
POSTGAME NOTES

• Denver scored multiple power-play goals for the second time this season (Oct. 7 vs. Notre Dame, 2-for-5). The last time DU had three man-advantage markers in a game was last season on Feb. 26 at Omaha (5-2 win), the last of six such instances where it recorded three or more times while a man-up in 2021-22.
• Rieger Lorenz scored his first goal of his collegiate career.
• Carter King and Massimo Rizzo tallied their first goal of the season.
• Mike Benning registered his first multi-point game of the year.
• Shai Buium registered a career-high three points, surpassing his previous best of two (three times).
• DU improved to 8-10-3 all-time against Providence and 4-0-2 in matchups at Magness Arena.

 
GOAL SUMMARY
1st Period
9:25 DU (1-0) – PPG, Jack Devine's centering pass to the slot area was redirected into the net from Rieger Lorenz.
 
2nd Period
7:14 DU (2-0) – PPG, Mike Benning found Carter King in the slot following passes from Shai Buium and Carter Mazur around the zone, and King tallied on a one-time snap-shot.
13:28 DU (3-0) – PPG, Massimo Rizzo scored from the top of the point after taking a pass from Mike Benning.
17:09 PC (3-1) – PPG, Parker Ford tallied on a rebound after the Pioneers couldn't clear the puck out of their zone.
 
3rd Period
9:01 DU (4-1) – Casey Dornbach one-touched the puck into the net during a rush up the ice with Massimo Rizzo, which was created by a stretch pass from Shai Buium.
 
QUOTABLES
Head Coach David Carle
On the success of special teams: "I think it was the intensity of it. Our first power play got cut short, but our second power play—the Buium and Benning unit—they get out there and they didn't score, but they were moving it around very efficiently and Providence had two great blocks. One from up top and one from the flank on Benning. I just thought our puck movement that power play set our tone for power plays in the second period. We weren't over handling it, and that was critical. The kill, I don't want to put it on the ice surface, but it is easier to pressure pucks when there is 10 less feet of width (compared to the larger ice at UMass). I thought our puck pressure was good."
 
On forward Carter King: "He makes a lot of really good plays from that arc position. I'm happy that he got rewarded for the goal. He was really good on the faceoff circle as well. On the special teams, a big part of it as well is winning faceoffs."
 
Sophomore Forward Massimo Rizzo
On his assist on Casey Dornbach's third-period goal: "I thought we did a great job at getting pucks up quick. [Shai Buium] did a great job at getting the puck up to me, and I just saw Casey buzzing back door."
 
On goaltender Magnus Chrona: "He was stellar. He had a bunch of big saves that kept us in it. He's a big reason why we won tonight."
 
Senior Goaltender Magnus Chrona
On responded after losing twice last weekend: "I think it was an important response. For us, it was a key factor of playing this game, especially on our ice and our home building. We kind of got a little payback from last week against a Hockey East team, but I also think it already started from last year when we lost the lead, 4-1, in Providence. It was kind of a payback, and it was a nice feeling for us to finally beat them and not let it go to the third period."
 
On the power play and penalty kill: "I think we learned from last weekend, especially with smaller ice and in our own building. As we play more games, I think we learn more of what to do and what not to do and especially what works for our kill. I think so far we have learned a lot from these past couple games."
 

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