DENVER – Sophomore Carter King scored three goals, goaltender Magnus Chrona posted a shutout and the No. 4 Denver Pioneers hockey team used a six-goal second period to defeat the Miami RedHawks 7-0 on Friday night at Magness Arena.
 
Denver (18-5-0, 9-2-0 NCHC) goes for the weekend sweep of Miami (7-12-2, 2-8-1 NCHC) on Saturday as the teams meet at 6 p.m. MT to wrap up the season series. The game will be broadcasted on Altitude 2 and NCHC.tv.
 
The Pioneers scored five goals in a matter of 6:33 early in the second period to break open a game that was tied at 0-0 at the first intermission.
 
"We're finding ways to score, and that is a good thing," said Richard and Kitzia Goodman hockey head coach David Carle. "We've found some chemistry with these lines and some different guys are finding confidence to be able to put the puck into the back of the net. That is a good thing for the development of the group, and hopefully something that continues. We know we will get their best tomorrow, and that will be the challenge to try and do it again tomorrow night."
 
King scored his first two tallies of the contest during the barrage of goals, while sophomore Carter Mazur, junior McKade Webster and Aidan Thompson also tallied in the first seven minutes of the middle frame. Casey Dornbach found twine as well before the period was over, connecting on a feed from Jack Devine with 4:55 remaining before the next break.
 
It was the fastest two, three, four and five goals scored by the Pioneers this season and also surpassed the quickest tallies by the program from last season as well.
 
King completed his first career hat trick and second career three-point effort 4:15 into the third period, tallying with a backhand shot on a breakaway after receiving a pass from Dornbach.
 
"It felt really good; it's been a journey," said King, who now has eight goals and 14 points on the season. "Being able to do that and produce offensively felt really good."
 
Overall, 14 different Pioneers found the scoresheet as Tristan Broz (two assists) and Mazur (one goal, one assist) joined King (three goals) and Dornbach (one goal, one assist) with multi-point outings.
 
Making his 100th career start and playing in his 101st game, Chrona stopped all 20 shots he faced for his second shutout of the season and the 11th of his career. The Stockholm, Sweden, native now takes sole possession of fourth place in career shutouts at DU and is one clean sheet behind Adam Berkhoel (12, 2000-2004) to tie for third place on the all-time list.
 
Miami starting netminder Ludvig Persson received the loss after making 16 saves on 21 shots. Logan Neaton came in relief and played the final 32:26 and made 16-of-18 saves.
 
The Pioneers went 1-for-4 on the power play, with Webster scoring the lone man-advantage marker. He has now tallied in back-to-back games for the second time in his career.
 
 
POSTGAME NOTES

• Denver extended its winning streak to nine games over Miami, the longest by either team in the all-time series. The Pioneers are now 29-13-3 all-time against the RedHawks and 13-5-0 on home ice.
• Goaltender Magnus Chrona made his 100th career start in his 101st career game. He is the eighth player in program history to appear in 100 or more contests.
• Massimo Rizzo had an assist to extend his career-long point streak to 10 games (6g/6a).
• DU's 7-0 margin of victory was its largest of the season.
• The Pioneers have scored seven goals in back-to-back games.
• Denver's six goals in the second period were its most in a single frame this season. Last year's season high for goals in a period was five, coming in the third period of the national championship game vs. Minnesota State.

 
GOAL SUMMARY
1st Period
No Scoring
 
2nd Period
0:26 DU (1-0) – Carter Mazur took a pass from Massimo Rizzo while driving in the slot and slid the puck past the left pad while falling to the ice.
1:37 DU (2-0) – PPG, McKade Webster knocked in a loose puck on the left side.
1:46 DU (3-0) – Aidan Thompson tallied into an open net after the puck took a fortunate bounce off the boards
6:18 DU (4-0) – Carter King received a stretch pass from Tristan Broz and scored on a breakaway.
6:59 DU (5-0) – Carter King tallied for the second time on the same shift after taking a pass from Shai Buium at the left side.
15:05 DU (6-0) – Casey Dornbach found twine from the left side after a cross-ice pass by Jack Devine.
 
3rd Period
4:15 DU (7-0) – Carter King recorded the hat trick on a breakaway after Casey Dornbach found him open for a pass from the left wall.
 
 
QUOTABLES
Richard and Kitzia Goodman Head Coach David Carle
On the presence that Sean Behrens brings to the D-corps: "Really crisp puck mover. Two-hundred-foot defenseman. I think he makes people around him better, which is really important. When he is on the ice, good things happen, and he really enjoys defending as well. He takes pride in boxing people out, getting into people, having good gaps and so it drives our transitional play and our possession game."
On Carter King's hat trick and offensive play this season: "Unbelievable story. Came in halfway through the COVID year, wasn't playing. It was a really hard thing to do at that time with what was going on up in his home country (no hockey being played). He believed in us and really has gelled well within the team. He continues to find confidence in himself on and off the ice, and I think those two things are attached to each other, and so it's been a really fun process to see him mature and grow. I am not sure there is a guy in the room that the guys would be happier for to get an individual thing like that, to get a hat trick and help our team win in such a big way."
 
Sophomore Forward Carter King
On the hard work he's put into the season: "I haven't had the most traditional route, but I'm looking to do whatever I can to help the team. Playing on the power play and being able to produce offensively feels really good. It's more of just making sure that we're putting our best foot forward for the second half of the season here."
 
On whether his mindset has changed from last year: "It's the same stuff. One thing I'm thankful for is coming from the fourth line and playing as the 13th forward, you learn the system quite well because you're reliant on playing that system. Once you get a little more into an offensive role, you're able to put up more points and play with more skilled forwards."
 
Sophomore Forward Carter Mazur
On the team's mindset entering the second period: "I would say sticking to our game plan. We know that it works, so we might as well stay with it. Just start shooting more pucks, testing out the goalie more, and just find the way to the back of the net, and that is huge for us."
 
On his improvement from last season: "I would say that I just really focused on it during the summer. That was just something that I wanted to add to my game because I know that I could score in the front, so I wanted to add more shot threats. Also playing with [Massimo] Rizzo, it is kind of easy to get open to find the easy spot because he will find me. It's just easy to put the puck in the back of the net when it is wide open, and he gives me good passes."
 
 
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