DENVER – The No. 6 University of Denver hockey team began the second half of its season on Friday night with a 5-2 win over the Niagara University Purple Eagles at Magness Arena.
 
The teams wrap up their weekend series on Saturday at 6 p.m. MT. The game will be broadcasted on Altitude 2 and NCHC.tv.
 
Junior Jack Devine was the benefactor of two goals off the Purple Eagles for his sixth multi-goal effort of the season, and classmate Sean Behrens joined the NCAA's leading goal scorer with a two-point game as well with a pair of assists.
 
Junior Carter King and sophomores Kent Anderson and Rieger Lorenz also scored for Denver, which received a 22-save effort from goaltender Matt Davis. The DU junior goalie was playing his first game since Oct. 27 after missing time with a lower-body injury.
 
Niagara tied the game twice at 1-1 in the first period and 2-2 in the second, but the Pioneers were finally able to break out of the draw with Devine picking up his second tally at 12:39 of the middle frame as his centering pass went off a NU's player's skate in front. Anderson tallied his third goal of the season on a chip shot in the low slot after he kicked the puck onto his stick midway through the third frame.
 
Lorenz buried his seventh of the season with 3:17 remaining to push the Pios' lead to three, and King's goal gave DU a 2-1 advantage with 2:15 left in the first period on a wrist shot off the rush.
 
Devine got credit for the game-opening goal just 7:19 into the first period as a Niagara player's errant pass caromed off two of his teammates skates and into the net. NU netminder Jarrett Fiske finished with 28 saves, as Denver had a 33-24 edge in shots on goal.
 
The Pioneers were without head coach David Carle and defenseman Zeev Buium in the contest, as they were both with Team USA in the same roles at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship in Sweden. The Americans defeated host Sweden 6-2 on Friday to win the gold medal.
 
UP NEXT: The Pioneers continue their four-game homestand on Saturday against Niagara. DU then hosts No. 14 St. Cloud State next weekend to wrap up the homestay.
 
 
POSTGAME NOTES

• With the win, Denver Athletics earned its 700th overall victory at Magness Arena across hockey, gymnastics and men's and women's basketball.
• The Pioneers improved to 7-0-0 all-time against the Purple Eagles, with each game taking place at Magness Arena.
• DU won its fourth straight non-conference game and is now 9-2-1 in non-NCHC games this season.
• Jack Devine scored twice and leads the NCAA with 17 goals this season. It was his sixth multi-goal game of the season.
• McKade Webster eclipsed 100 career penalty minutes. Justin Lee was the last Pioneer to reach the century mark (2019-2023).
• Massimo Rizzo had an assist to stretch his assist/point streak to six games (2g/10a). The assist streak is the longest of his career.
• Carter King's goal extended his assist/point streak to six games (4g/2a), and he now has points in 15 of the last 16 games (11g/11a).
• Sean Behrens is on a four-game point streak (1g/4a) and has nine points in his last nine games (2g/7a).
• Kent Anderson gave the Pioneers a two-goal lead (4-2) by scoring his third goal of his career. It was Anderson's first goal since the season opener on Oct. 7 at Alaska Fairbanks.
• Rieger Lorenz scored in his sixth game and seventh goal of the season, giving DU an insurance tally late in the third period.

 
GOAL SUMMARY
1st Period
7:19 DU (1-0) – Jack Devine got credit after an own goal from Niagara off a pass then went off two Purple Eagles players skates and into the net.
16:37 NU (1-1) – Jonathan Ziskie knocked in Luke Mylymok's centering pass while crashing to the front of the net.
17:45 DU (2-1) – Carter King fired a wrist shot far-side during an odd-man rush up the ice.
 
2nd Period
8:59 NU (2-2) – Jonny Wescoe scored off a rebound in front.
12:39 DU (3-2) – Jack Devine's centering pass was intended for McKade Webster, but the puck caromed off a Niagara player's skate in front and into the cage.
 
3rd Period
11:24 DU (4-2) – Kent Anderson kicked a loose puck onto the blade of his stick in the low slot and lifted it top shelf.
16:43 DU (5-2) – Rieger Lorenz scored on a shot from the left circle off an odd-man rush.

 
QUOTABLES
Junior forward Carter King
On shaking off the rust following the break: "I thought as the game went on we got more to our game, and I think that was a big part of this first weekend, getting back to how we play because we have more important games coming down here. So we need to get back to how we play, and I thought we did that tonight."

On his goal: "It was a nice play by Sean [Behrens, making a turnover and then finding me across the ice.  I had a 2-on-1, and the 'D' was playing the other guy, so I was able to find it over the pad, blocker side."
 
On teammate Zeev Buium and head coach David Carle winning gold at the 2024 World Junior Championship: "As soon as we got off of our pre-game skate, we were all in the room watching. So it was good to get the team together and cheer on Zeev and Coach Carle and everyone else that was over there. I'm not American, but congrats to the Americans."
 

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