DENVER – The top-seeded Denver Pioneers hockey team began the postseason with a 5-2 victory over the No. 8-seed Miami RedHawks on Friday night as NCHC Quarterfinals began at Magness Arena.
 
DU will go for the series sweep and look to secure its spot in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff on Saturday when the teams meet for Game 2 of the best-of-three set at 6 p.m. MT.
 
Senior Brett Stapley and sophomore McKade Webster both had a goal and an assist for Denver, and sophomore defenseman Mike Benning also had a multi-point performance with a pair of helpers. Senior Cole Guttman and freshman Jack Devine also scored, and junior goaltender Magnus Chrona made 20 saves in the victory.
 
"Playoff hockey is the best time of the year, and I really liked our game," Guttman said. "I think there are places we can clean up for tomorrow, especially staying out of the box. But yeah, fun to get the first playoff game out of the way."
 
The Pioneers used four unanswered goals to turn an early 1-0 deficit into a big advantage on the scoreboard, with Guttman opening the scoring for DU midway through the first period on the power play after taking a pass from Bobby Brink. Denver received a pair of tallies early in the middle frame from Devine and Webster, with the two forwards notching markers in a matter of 31 seconds of one another to give the Pios a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
 
Stapley extended the Pioneers' advantage to 4-1 with his 15th goal of the season at 7:37 and Buium scored into an empty net with 53 seconds remaining on a 150-foot-plus shot that caromed off the side boards before rolling into the open cage.
 
Chase Pletzke began the game's scoring for Miami with a redirection just 3:19 into the contest and Alec Capstick also tallied for the RedHawks midway through the third period.
 
The Pioneers went 2-for-7 on the power play while Miami was successful on 1-of-6 man advantages.
 
 
POSTGAME NOTES

• The Pioneers improved to 25-13-3 all-time and 12-5-3 in Denver against the RedHawks.
• Cole Guttman has now registered five points (2g/3a) in the last four games.
• Bobby Brink has a point in 18 in of the last 19 games. He also registered his 40th assist of the season in the contest, extending his point streak to four games.
• Mike Benning is on a four-game assist/point streak (6a)
• Cameron Wright set a new career high in points with an assist in the second period, recording his 30th of the year. He appeared in his 178th career game, moving into a tie for the 11th most all-time in NCAA D-I history.
• McKade Webster has picked up an assist in three of the last four games.
• Brett Stapley has now found the back of the net in three of the last four games and recorded his 40th point of the season.
• Ryan Barrow suited up in his 162nd career contest, tied for sixth-most in program history with Marc Rousseau.
• The Pioneers are now 21-1-1 this season when leading after the second period.
• DU has held its opponents to 30 shots on goal or less in five consecutive games and in 30-of-35 games this season.
• The Pioneers had 11 different players reach the scoresheet.

 
GOAL SUMMARY
1st Period
3:19 MU (0-1) – PPG, Chase Pletzke opened the scoring by redirecting a shot from Ryan Savage into the net.
7:25 DU (1-1) – PPG, Cole Guttman took a pass from Bobby Brink and tallied from the slot.
 
2nd Period
2:05 DU (2-1) – Jack Devine found the back of the net from the left circle after taking passes from Cameron Wright and McKade Webster.
2:36 DU (3-1) – McKade Webster scored with a wrister from the mid-slot.
 
3rd Period
7:36 DU (4-1) – PPG, Brett Stapley and Massimo Rizzo traded passes before Stapley scored from the left circle.
11:12 MU (4-2) – Alec Captstick found twine with a wrister from the high slot.
19:07 DU (5-2) – ENG, Shai Buium banked a shot off the side boards and the puck traveled into the empty net following a defensive faceoff win by the Pioneers.
 
 
TICKETS: NCHC Playoff tickets are available now by clicking here. NCAA Regional tickets are also available for the Loveland Regional by clicking here.
 
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