DENVER – The No. 1-seed Denver Pioneers hockey team secured its spot in next week's NCHC Frozen Faceoff with a 5-1 win over the No. 8-seed Miami RedHawks on Saturday night at Magness Arena.
 
Denver swept the quarterfinal matchup against Miami, winning the best-of-three series 2-0. The Pioneers defeated the RedHawks 5-2 on Friday night and has now scored exactly five goals in each of their last five games.
 
The Pioneers will face the No. 5-seed Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs next Friday in the semifinal of the NCHC Frozen Faceoff at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, at either 3 p.m. MT or 6:30 p.m. MT. UMD swept its series versus No. 4-seed St. Cloud State, winning 4-3 in overtime on Saturday.
 
"This time of year, the intensity elevates and you have to be able to control your emotions and manage through that because you know teams are trying to advance," said Richard and Kitzia Goodman Head Coach David Carle. "It's one and dones now, so the level of intensity and the desperation goes up to another level."

In his final game at Magness Arena, senior captain Cole Guttman recorded a career-high four points, scoring twice and adding two assists. He now has points in each of his last three games—all at home—and has four goals and five assists in his past five outings.
 
"Last game at Magness is definitely sad, but it's good to go out on a good note," Guttman said. "I mean that win is huge for us, especially going to the Frozen Faceoff. We're more focused on that right now, so it's really exciting to get the win and move on."
 
Guttman has posted career highs this season with 17 goals, 25 assists and 41 points. He also leads the team in faceoff percentage, with him entering the game having won 62.5 percent of his draws.
 
Mike Benning, Carter Mazur and Massimo Rizzo joined Guttman with goals in the contest, with Benning and Mazur also contributing an assist each. Carter Savoie had a multi-point outing as well with a pair of helpers, and goaltender Magnus Chrona stopped 24-of-25 shots for his 24th win of the season.
 
Chrona had a shutout going until 14:34 of the third period when Derek Daschke tallied Miami's only marker of the game. After stopping eight shots in the first period and having a quiet start to the second, Chrona stood up big in net late in the middle frame during an extended Miami power play.
 
Kyle Mayhew was given a five-minute major penalty for slew-footing with 4:02 left before the second intermission, and it came just 38 second after a previous DU infraction—giving the RedHawks a 5-on-3 power play for 1:22. Chrona was up to the task as he stopped all 11 shots he faced during Denver's man-disadvantage to keep its lead at 3-0 at the time.
 
Denver scored the game's first four goals, with Benning tallying midway through the first period and Rizzo and Guttman notching markers in a matter of 3:25 of one another early in the second.
 
Mazur nearly gave DU a four-goal advantage heading into third period as he initially scored just before the buzzer for the second intermission, but the on-ice officials later negated the marker after review. He eventually did find twine, taking a pass from Guttman and scoring in front to push the Pioneers' lead to 4-0 at 10:05 of the third.
 
Guttman scored his second career short-handed goal with 4:13 left to play, his second in an eight-day span. It was he Pios' fifth short-handed marker of the campaign.
 
The Pioneers will be heading to the Frozen Faceoff for the eighth time in its existence, as DU is the only team in the conference to reach the tournament in each year of its existence.
 
POSTGAME NOTES

• The Pioneers improved to 26-13-3 all-time and 13-5-3 in Denver against the RedHawks.
• Denver completed a six-game season sweep of the RedHawks in the 2021-22 season, outscoring them 30-11.
• Cameron Wright took the ice for the 180th time in his college career.
• Mike Benning has now tallied an assist in five straight games.
• Cole Guttman notched his 40th point of the 2021-22 campaign. He is also on a three-game goal streak.
• Carter Savoie assisted on Mike Benning's game-opening goal, giving him an assist in four of the last five games.
• Bobby Brink is on a five-game point streak after recording an assist and has recorded at least a point in 19 of the last 20 games. Brink now has 55 points on the season, the most by a Pioneer since Gabe Gauthier had 57 points in 2004-05.
• Denver recorded 40-plus shots on goal for the 17th time this season.

 
GOAL SUMMARY
1st Period
9:16 DU (1-0) – Mike Benning scored with a wrister from the right circle after taking a pass from Cole Guttman.
 
2nd Period
1:11 DU (2-0) – Carter Mazur stole the puck along the end boards and then fed a pass in front to Massimo Rizzo, who collected it off his skate and scored five-hole.
4:36 DU (3-0) – PPG, Cole Guttman took a cross-pass from Bobby Brink and buried a shot top-shelf from the low left circle.
 
3rd Period
11:05 DU (4-0) – PPG, Carter Mazur received passes from Cole Guttman and Mike Benning and chipped the puck into the net from the low slot.
14:34 MU (4-1) – Derek Daschke tallied with a wrister from the top of the left circle during 4-on-4 play.
15:47 DU (5-1) – SHG, Cole Guttman scored in front off a pass from Ryan Barrow, who helped win a puck battle in the corner.
 
 
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