KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The No. 3 University of Denver hockey team has a chance to capture the Penrose Cup as NCHC regular-season champions this weekend as the Pioneers face the No. 5 Western Michigan Broncos on Friday and Saturday night at Lawson Arena.
 
The top-five matchup will be nationally televised on Friday at 5 p.m. MT on CBS Sports Network. Saturday's game is at 4 p.m. MT and will be broadcasted on NCHC.tv.
  
Denver (24-8-0, 15-5-0 NCHC) and Western Michigan (21-10-1, 13-6-1 NCHC) are the top two teams in the NCHC standings, with the Pioneers in first place with 44 points and the Broncos in second with 39 points. The Omaha is in third with 38 points and St. Cloud State is fourth with 36 points.
 
DU can win its third Penrose Cup if it takes four of the six available points during its final road trip of the regular season or record seven points over its last four contests. The Pioneers have captured 14 previous conference regular-season titles in their history, with them winning the NCHC hardware in 2017 and 2022.
 
The teams will be meeting for the first and only time this year, as Western Michigan is the lone NCHC team that isn't visiting Magness Arena during the regular season. DU and WMU last played one another on Feb. 18-19, 2022 when they split a series at Kalamazoo. Denver won 5-1 on the first night before WMU took a 6-4 victory in the finale.
 
The Pioneers are coming off a split against Minnesota Duluth at home last weekend, winning 6-2 on Friday before falling 6-5 on Saturday. DU nearly erased a three-goal deficit in the third period on Saturday, but the rally ended up falling just short.
 
Western Michigan has been one of the hottest teams in the country in recent weeks, as the Broncos have won four games in a row and are 11-1-0 in their last 12 contests dating back to Dec. 27. They swept Colorado College at home last weekend with 4-1 and 2-1 victories.
 
Denver owns a 5-1-1 record in the last seven matchups against Western Michigan and is 7-4-1 in the past 12 meetings.
 
HISTORY VS. WESTERN MICHIGAN: Denver and Western Michigan are meeting in their only contests of the regular season, as the Broncos are the lone NCHC squad that won't visit Magness Arena in 2022-23.  DU won last year's series, 3-1-0, and is 5-1-1 in the last seven matchups and 7-4-1 in the last 12 outings.  The Pioneers are 22-11-2 all-time against the Broncos and are 5-9-0 in road games.  The teams last met on Feb. 18-19, 2022 at Lawson Arena, with them splitting the set as Denver won 5-1 on the first night before Western took a 6-4 victory in the finale.  That Friday victory ended a four-game losing streak in Kalamazoo for DU.  The Pioneers own a 17-9-2 record over the Broncos since becoming conference foes in 2013-14.
 
SCOUTING THE BRONCOS: Western Michigan is among the hottest teams in the country, having won its last four games and posting an 11-1-0 record in its last 12 contests.  The Broncos' only loss since Dec. 27 was a 2-0 defeat at home against Omaha on Jan. 28.  They swept Colorado College with 4-1 and 2-1 victories at home last weekend.  The winner of the Great Lakes Invitational in December, WMU has a 21-10-1 record on the season and is second in the NCHC standings with 39 points and a 13-6-1 mark.  The Broncos, who are 8-4-1 on home ice this season, have the best shooting percentage (13.0) in the nation and are tied for first with Michigan at 4.1 goals per game.  Denver is sixth 3.8 goals per game.  Freshman Ryan McAllister leads the team in scoring and ranks first in the NCHC with 41 points (11g/30a), one more than Denver's Massimo Rizzo.  Senior Jason Polin ranks first in the country in goals with 26 and is second on the team with 40 points (26g/14a).  Max Sasson (9g/23a) and Luke Grainger (12g/19a) have 32 and 31 points, respectively.  Zak Galambos is tied for first in the country for goals by a defenseman with 11, one more than DU's Mike Benning (10).  Goaltender Cameron Rowe has played the most games in net for WMU, as he owns a 20-9-1 record, 2.38 goals-against average, .909 save percentage and two shutouts.
 
CONNECTIONS: DU Director of Hockey Operations Travis Culhane is from Kalamazoo and graduated from WMU in 2017. Culhane is the son of former Broncos head coach Jim Culhane and served as Western Michigan's Director of Hockey Ops during the 2018-19 season … Carter Mazur is from Jackson, Mich., and was drafted in the third round by the Detroit Red Wings … Defenseman Shai Buium is also a Red Wings draft pick … Jack Devine and Sean Behrens played in Plymouth, Mich., from 2019-2021 with the U.S. National Team Development Program … Connor Caponi was a teammate with Wyatt Schingoethe from 2018-2020 with Waterloo Black Hawks, while Owen Ozar played with Max Sasson in Waterloo in 2020-21 … McKade Webster played with Chad Hillebrand as members of the USHL Green Bay Gamblers in 2019-20 … Jacob Bauer played part of the 2020-21 campaign as a team of Aidan Thompson with the USHL Lincoln Stars … Samuel Sjolund is from the same hometown as Magnus Chrona (Stockholm, Sweden) and played with Tristan Lemyre and Lucas Olvestad on the Dubuque Fighting Saints last year … Tyler Haskins played with Barrett Brooks on the USHL Madison Capitals last season … Equipment Manager Nick Meldrum is from Warren, Mich., graduated from Lake Superior State in 2007 and spent two years with the U.S. NTDP when it was in Ann Arbor prior to coming to DU.
 
LAST TIME OUT: Denver split its weekend set with Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, winning 6-2 on Friday before falling 6-5 on Saturday.  The Bulldogs tallied first in both games, but the Pioneers scored five unanswered goals on Friday, with Jack Devine (2g/1a) and Aidan Thompson (1g/2a) both having three-point performances and goaltender Magnus Chrona making 32 saves.
 
DU nearly erased a three-goal, third period deficit on Saturday, with Devine recording three assists in the final frame in a four-point performance.  Massimo Rizzo tallied twice for Denver for his first multi-goal game of the season, and Tristan Broz recorded two assists as the Pioneers' comeback bid fell one-goal short.
 
DEVINE INTERVENTION: Sophomore Jack Devine totaled seven points (3g/4a) in the two games vs. Minnesota Duluth, earning his first career NCHC Forward of the Week honor.  Devine, who was twice named Rookie of the Week last season as a freshman, began the weekend by recording his first career two-goal contest and adding an assist to match a then-career high with three points.
 
The Glencoe, Illinois, native set a new personal best in Saturday's game with four points, scoring and adding three assists. It was the fourth, four-point game by a Pioneer this season (last: Tristan Broz, Jan. 14 vs. Miami, 4g/0a) and the seventh time a Denver skater recorded a trio of assists in a contest.  All three of his helpers came in the third period—the fourth time that a DU player recorded three points in a frame in 2022-23.
 
Devine's seven-point weekend marked the second time this year that a DU player combined for that many points in a two-game set, as Massimo Rizzo also had seven points on Oct. 28-29 at Miami (1g/6a).
 
SATURDAY NIGHT MILESTONES: Several Pioneers hit milestone last Saturday vs. Minnesota Duluth, with senior forward Brett Edwards playing in his 100th career game—the fourth DU player to reach the century mark this season (Casey Dornbach, Justin Lee, Magnus Chrona). 
 
In addition, captain Justin Lee played in his 125th career game, and Nick Meldrum worked his 500th NCAA game as a head equipment manager, all with Denver.
 
STREAKING: Freshman Aidan Thompson stretched his career-long point streak to six games (3g/5a) after having three points (1g/2a) on Friday and an assist on Saturday against UMD.  Sophomore Tristan Broz is also on a personal-long streak as he has points in each of his last five contests (1g/5a).
 
In addition to Thompson and Broz, the following players are also recent runs:

• Massimo Rizzo is on a five-game point streak (4g/4a).
• Carter Mazur is on a four-game point streak (3g/3a).
• Jack Devine recorded goals in back-to-back games for the first time in his career.

LAST WEEKEND NOTABLES

• Denver won the regular-season series vs. Minnesota Duluth, 3-1-0, and had won four straight games against the Bulldogs.  It was DU's longest winning streak vs. UMD since winning seven in a row from April 8, 2017-Nov. 16, 2018.
• The Pioneers secured home-ice advantage for the best-of-three NCHC Quarterfinal series on March 10-12 with the win on Friday.
• Denver killed off 15 straight penalties before Duluth scored with the man advantage late in the first period on Friday.  The streak began on Feb. 10 vs. North Dakota and stretched across four games.
• The Pioneers had won seven consecutive contests on home ice, their longest such streak of the season (six at Magness Arena, one at Ball Arena).  DU is now 12-2-0 in its last 14 games on home ice.
• Massimo Rizzo recorded his fourth multi-goal game of his career and first since Dec 4, 2021 at Arizona State.
• Saturday's 11 total goals were the most scored in a game that Denver has played in this season.
• Goaltender Jack Caruso played the final 2:30 of Friday's game, his second contest of the season and third of his career.
• Shai Buium tied a career-long point streak at four games (1g/3a) on Friday before being held off the scoresheet on Saturday.

BENNING CLIMBING THE CHARTS: Junior Mike Benning scored two goals last weekend vs. Minnesota Duluth and now has 28 career tallies, tying Hobey Baker-winner Will Butcher for 10th place in school history for goals by a defenseman.
 
Benning is tied for third in the nation in markers by a blueliner with 10 on the season and is one behind leaders Zak Galambos of Western Michigan and TJ Friedmann of Quinnipiac (11).  He leads all Denver rear guards in goals (10), assists (18) and points (28) and ranks second on the squad with nine multi-point games this season (Massimo Rizzo, 10).
 
The St. Albert, Alberta, native recorded a career-long, nine-game point streak (5g/10a) from Nov. 26 to Jan. 7, which was the longest by a team defenseman since 2005.  He has two multi-goal outing this season (Nov. 26 vs. Omaha and Dec. 17 vs. Lindenwood) and six in his career.
 
SCHOLAR ATHLETES: Denver had 16 players named to the NCHC 2022-23 Academic All-Conference Team, the league announced on Wednesday: Mike Benning, Shai Buium, Connor Caponi, Jack Caruso, Magnus Chrona, Matt Davis, Jack Devine, Brett Edwards, Carter King, Lane Krenzen, Justin Lee, Kyle Mayhew, Carter Mazur, Owen Ozar, Massimo Rizzo and McKade Webster.  To be eligible for the NCHC Academic All-Conference Team, a student-athlete must have compiled a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average or better, while having completed at least one full academic year at his current institution.
 
In addition, Chrona, Davis, Devine, King, Krenzen and Mayhew earned NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete honors for each having a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or better.
 
Freshmen and transfers will be added to the Academic All-Conference Team over the summer after completing the 2022-23 academic year.
 
REMEMBERING GERRY POWERS: Former goaltender Gerry Powers passed away on Feb. 18 two days shy of his 77th birthday following a 12-year battle with cancer.
 
Powers guarded the pipes at Denver for three seasons from 1966-1969, leading the team to national championships in 1968 and 1969.  A member of the NCAA All-Tournament both seasons, he was named finals MVP in 1968.  The Edmonton, Alberta, native still ranks three all-time in program history in wins (76), tied for second in shutouts (13) and 11th in games played (96).
 
MONTH-BY-MONTH: Denver is 4-1-0 in February and has secured its 15th-straight month with at least a .500 record, a streak that dates back to January 2021.  The Pios have also now posted a greater-than .500 mark in 12 straight months since October 2021.
 
PIONEERS IN THE POLLS: Denver stayed at No. 3 in in the country in both the USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine rankings.  DU has been inside the top five all season in each weekly poll. 
 
In the Pairwise Ranking that determines the field for the national tournament, Denver is presently fourth behind Minnesota, Quinnipiac and Michigan.
 
Overall, the NCHC has four teams in the two national polls with Western Michigan (5/5), St. Cloud State (6/6) and Omaha (14/15) joining DU in both rankings.  North Dakota and Minnesota Duluth also received votes in at least one of the polls.
 
ROAD WARRIORS: Denver won six straight road games from Oct. 28-Dec. 10, the team's longest road winning streak since also have a six-game run from Jan. 21-March 4, 2017 as part of its championship winning campaign (non-neutral site games). 
 
Each of DU's six road wins have come against NCHC opponents, with the squad earning series sweeps each weekend.  This is the first time in the Pioneers' NCHC era that the squad has three road sweeps in a season, as Denver last accomplished the feat in 2009-10 in the WCHA with road series wins at Minnesota, North Dakota and Minnesota State.
 
The Pioneers picked up their first weekend sweep of Minnesota Duluth since Dec. 1-2, 2017 and swept North Dakota in Grand Forks on Nov. 11-12 for the first time since Jan. 29-30, 2010.  This is the first time in program history that DU has compiled road sweeps at UND and UMD in the same season.
 
NATIONAL LEADERBOARD

• Carter Mazur is tied for second in goals (20).
• Massimo Rizzo is tied for seventh for points (40) and tied for 11th in assists (26).
• Mike Benning is tied for third in the country in goals among defenseman (10) and is seventh in points (28) by a blueliner.
• Magnus Chrona is tied for second in wins (20) and tied for seventh in shutouts (4).

KING HIM: Sophomore Carter King has already posted career highs this season in goals (11) and points (19) and leads the team in faceoff winning percentage at .531.  The Calgary, Alberta, native has won at least 10 faceoffs in 16 contests this year, including posting a career-high 14 draw wins on Nov. 25 vs. Omaha, Jan. 27 vs. Colorado College and Feb. 11 vs. North Dakota.
 
King recorded his first career hat trick on Jan. 13 against Miami, with his three goals tying a career high for points in a game (three assists on Nov. 20, 2021 vs. Miami).  It was his second consecutive multi-point performance, as he had two points (1g/1a) on Jan. 7 vs. Alaska Fairbanks.
 
MASS-IVE MARKERS: Sophomore forward Massimo Rizzo leads the Pioneers in scoring with 40 points (14g/26a), which includes a team-high 10 multi-point games.  He has recorded at least a point in 26-of-32 contests this season.
 
Rizzo recorded a career-long, 11-game point streak from Nov. 26-Jan. 14 (6g/8a), the fourth-longest by a DU player since the 2005-06 season.  Only Danton Heinen (18 games), Bobby Brink (14 games) and Dylan Gambrell (13 games) had better runs at Denver in that time.  The stretch is tied for the third-longest point streak in the NCAA this season and also included a nine-game home point streak (Nov. 26-Jan. 14, 5g/7a). 
 
BROZ BREAKING OUT: Sophomore Tristan Broz has points in 14 of his last 19 games, which included a career-long, four-game point streak from Dec. 9-17 (3g/5a) and personal-best, four-goal game on Jan. 14 vs. Miami—the first four-goal by a DU player since Kevin Doell on Feb. 21, 2003 vs. Michigan Tech.  Broz, who transferred from the University of Minnesota in the offseason, registered 18 of his points (8g/10a) this season during an 11-game stretch from Nov. 26-Jan. 14.
 
IN THE CHRONA ZONE: Magnus Chrona ranks tied for second in the nation with 20 wins and seventh with four shutouts, which included consecutive clean sheets for the second in his career on Jan. 13-14 against Miami. 
 
Chrona earned his fourth shutout of the season and 13th of his career on Jan. 27 vs. Colorado College and moved into a tie with Gerry Powers (1966-1969) for second place in school history.  He is two shy of matching the program record of 15 held by Peter Mannino (2005-2008).
 
Last season, Chrona recorded six shutouts, tied for third-most in a campaign in the school annals and one behind the record of seven accomplished by both Adam Berkhoel (2003-04) and Gerry Powers (1967-68).
 
CHRONA NAMED RICHTER SEMIFINALIST: Senior Magnus Chrona was named on Feb. 15 as one of nine semifinalists and the only representative from the NCHC for the Mike Richter Award, given to the college hockey's goaltender of the year.
 
Chrona is one of five seniors up for the accolade and looks to join Tanner Jaillet (2017) as the only Denver netminders to win the award, which has been given out annually since 2014.
 
Three finalists for the Richter Award will be released in early March, and the winner of this year's Mike Richter Award announced on Friday, April 7 during Frozen Four festivities in Tampa, Florida.
 
TIM TAYLOR WATCH LIST: Freshman Aidan Thompson was named to the watch list on Feb. 9 for this year's Tim Taylor Award, given annually to college hockey's rookie of the year.  The forward from Fort Collins, Colorado, is one of six NCHC freshmen and 27 in the nation to be named to the initial list.
 
UP FOR THE HOBEY: Three Denver players are nominees for this year's Hobey Baker Award, given to college hockey's top player.  Junior defenseman Mike Benning and sophomore forwards Carter Mazur and Massimo Rizzo are among over 80 players nationally that are up for the award.
 
Fan voting is live and runs through March 5 before 10 finalists will be announced on March 15.  The three Hobey Hat Trick finalists will be released on March 30 and the award will be given out on April 7 during the Frozen Four in Tampa.
 
Two DU players have earned the accolade previously: Matt Carle in 2006 and Will Butcher in 2017.  Last season, Bobby Brink was one of the three Hobey Hat Trick finalists.
 
TRENDS: Denver is…

• 23-3-0 when scoring three or more goals and 17-1-0 when tallying at least four.
• 19-1-0 when holding an opponent to two goals or fewer.
• 19-0-0 when scoring first.
• 13-0-0 when leading after the first period and 20-1-0 when leading after the second.
• 19-4-0 when outshooting the opposition.
• 13-3-0 on Saturdays (11-5-0 on Friday).

TENZER STREAK LIVES: The Pioneers were the first team in the country to reach the 20-win mark with their victory over Colorado College on Jan. 27, doing so in 27 games.  Denver has now won at least 20 games in each of the last 21 full seasons, dating back to 2001-02.  The Pios only played 24 total contests in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign.
 
The "Tenzer" Streak is named after former DU Director of Hockey Operations David Tenzer, who spent 16 seasons with the program from 2001-02 (the start of the streak) until retiring in 2017.
 
 
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