DENVER – The Denver Pioneers found themselves trailing by one goal entering the third period in each game this past weekend in Duluth, Minnesota, but it didn't take long for them to even the score.
 
Carter Mazur tied the contest early in final frame each night, tallying at 1:04 on Friday and at 1:22 on Saturday to continue the trend of timely Pioneer goals that have led to wins. Denver posted comeback victories in overtime in both games against the Bulldogs and has now won a season-best five straight games following the 3-2 and 4-3 victories.
 
"We've found a way to win some games where we maybe haven't been super clean, and I think that is a good thing," said Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach David Carle. "We've been able to respond by getting down in some games and being able to come back. Goaltender [Magnus Chrona] has been excellent. Timely scoring, some really good [challenge] calls from our Ops guy (Travis Culhane) to be able to get some calls overturned in our favor. It feels like we're squeezing every drop of water out of the rag we can right now in order to get the results."
 
Last weekend marked Denver's fifth and sixth comeback wins of the year, with Friday's being the Pios' first multi-goal, come-from-behind victory of the season.
 
Facing adversity in games now will likely only benefit the team later on in the campaign when every shift and period has more significance and every outing could be the last one of the season.
 
"We know that we have a really good hockey team in there," said sophomore forward Tristan Broz. "I think for us there was never any moment of doubt. It's just sticking with the process and trusting things will go our way. I don't think there was a moment of doubt for us. We just stuck with it."
 
Broz scored the overtime-winner on Friday, receiving a pass from freshman Jared Wright in the slot after defenseman Mike Benning forced a turnover in the neutral zone.
 
Freshman Aidan Thompson was Saturday's hero and did all of the heavy lifting himself in the 3-on-3 situation. He stole the puck in the corner, drove to the net and flicked a shot that went over the goaltender's shoulder and into cage.
 
"An unbelievable individual effort by Aidan Thompson to put it under the bar," Carle said postgame.
 
The victories improved Denver's record to 6-1 in one-goal contests this season and 3-1-0 overall in overtime games.
 
"We're obviously showing that we're comfortable in the 3-on-3, which is good for the regular season but doesn't do much of anything for us in the postseason," Carle said. "But to win in different ways, the guys have confidence and that's ultimately a really good thing to be developing throughout the whole season."
 
ROAD WARRIORS
 
Denver has now won its last six road games, its longest winning streak away from Magness Arena since the team also won six straight Jan. 21-March 4, 2017 as part of its championship-winning campaign.
 
Each of DU's six road wins have come against NCHC opponents, with the squad earning sweeps in each of the three series. This is the first time in the Pioneers' NCHC era that they have three road sweeps in a season, as Denver last accomplished the feat in 2009-10 in the WCHA with road wins at Minnesota, North Dakota and Minnesota State.
 
Last weekend marked the Pioneers' first sweep at Minnesota Duluth since December 2017, and it came three weeks after they swept North Dakota at Ralph Engelstad Arena for the first time since January 2010. In two of the tougher places to play in the NCHC, DU has found some rare success.
 
So rare that this is the first time in school history that Denver has swept weekend series in both Grand Forks and Duluth in the same season.
 
RIZZO RISING
 
Massimo Rizzo had his four-game goal streak come to an end on Saturday night, but he contributed an assist on Casey Dornbach's goal to give Denver a 1-0 lead and push his personal point streak to five games.
 
"He's got a high-skill level when he is winning races and getting over top of pucks, he's a really dangerous hockey player," Carle said of Rizzo. "I thought tonight he was very engaged. Took a lot of draws—25 according to the stat sheet—which is a huge number, especially when other guys were in the 20's and high teens as well. Beautiful goal on the power play to be able to get there on Dornbach, on the quick bang-bang. Heck of a play on that goal, for sure."
 
Rizzo's four-game goal streak was the longest by a Pioneer since Carter Mazur also had a four-game run from Nov. 12-20, 2021. The forward leads the team and ranks tied for eighth nationally in scoring with 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists).
 
PIONEERS AT WORLD JUNIORS
 
DU will be down three players for this weekend's series versus Lindenwood as defensemen Sean Behrens and Shai Buium and forward Jack Devine are currently taking part in Team USA's training camp for the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship. The Pioneer trio traveled to Plymouth, Michigan, after last weekend's games in Duluth for the camp and are among 32 players looking to make the United States' 23-man roster.
 
Their departure opens holes in Denver's lineup versus the LU Lions and gives other players on the roster a chance to see increase minutes and more game action.
 
"We started the year banged up probably the first four weekends of the year. The last four weekends we've been relatively healthy, so it's been hard to get in the lineup," Carle said. "It's been hard to get quality ice (time) with the lineup that we have. It will be an exciting opportunity. We'll have 13 forwards and six D available, and different people are going to have to step up against a Lindenwood team that can score."
 
The U.S. training camp runs through Saturday before the Americans play two exhibition games against Canada prior to the holidays. The 2023 World Juniors run from Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Moncton, New Brunswick.
 
Depending how things go with Team USA, the Denver players could be back for the Pios' series at Alaska Fairbanks on Jan. 6-7.

 
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