DENVER – Senior captain Carter King matched a career high with four points and the No. 1 University of Denver hockey team defeated the No 19 Northeastern Huskies 5-2 on Saturday night at Magness Arena to sweep the weekend series against the Hockey East foe.
 
Denver fourth win in as many games this season came in front of a crowd of 7,051—the largest in Magness Arena history. Both contest this weekend sold out and the 13,888 total attendance marked the most in a two-game weekend home series in program history.
 
Two-time national champion Carter King led the Pioneers' offense with two goals and two assists on a night where the school raised its NCAA-record 10th national title banner to the arena's rafters. King, who took a lap with the championship trophy and lifted it in front of the Pio Pit student section in the pregame ceremony, scored two goals and also added two assists.
 
"It was great. We did get a little emotional, just reflecting on it," said Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach David Carle. "To have Sean Behrens and McKade Webster there was special, and it was really cool, but obviously a lot of pride for the guys who hung the banner, but just for the program. Josh said it right with all of his words about honoring the history and university. We couldn't do it just by ourselves and there were a lot of people who helped put a banner like that up, so really fortunate."

Defenseman Boston Buckberger had an empty-net goal while fellow sophomores Sam Harris and Eric Pohlkamp also tallied against Northeastern (1-2-0). Junior Aidan Thompson had a career-high four assists and senior Jack Devine had two helpers.
 
Denver goaltender Matt Davis stopped a season-high 27 shots on 29 faced, including 13 in the third period.
 
The Pioneers went 2-for-6 on the power play, with King netting his first of the night on the man advantage with 2:22 left in the first period before assisting on Harris' power-play marker midway through the second.
 
Pohlkamp recorded his first goal at Denver at 6:36 of the second after joining the program in the offseason as a transfer from Bemidji State. The marker extended his point streak to three games.
 
DU led 3-1 after the second period but quickly extended its lead to 4-1 early in the third as King tallied just 12 seconds into the stanza after a bouncing puck in front of the net found his stick.
 
Dylan Hryckowian scored shorthanded for Northeastern at 7:45 of the final stanza, while Cam Lund tallied with 2:55 left in the second. Huskies netminder Cameron Whitehead made 27 saves in the loss.
 
UP NEXT: The Pioneers conclude their four-game homestand next Friday and Saturday as former WCHA-rival Wisconsin visits Magness Arena in a non-conference matchup. Limited tickets are available for both games.
 
 
POSTGAME NOTES

 
GOAL SUMMARY
1st Period
17:38 DU (1-0) – PPG, Carter King knocked in the puck off a rebound in the slot just 15 seconds into a power play.
 
2nd Period
6:36 DU (2-0) – Eric Pohlkamp sent a slap shot top shelf from the right wing wall.
10:20 DU (3-0) – Sam Harris tapped in the puck from a centering pass by Carter King while stationed at the top of the crease.
17:05 NU (3-1) – Cam Lund scored on a wrister from the slot.
 
3rd Period
0:12 DU (4-1) – Carter King shoveled the puck into the back of the net after the puck came to him in front off the stick of a Northeastern player.
7:45 NU (4-2) – SHG, Dylan Hryckowian scored on a wrist shot that went short-side on a rush up the ice.
18:20 DU (5-2) – ENG, Boston Buckberger flipped the puck up in the air and into the empty net from DU's own faceoff circle.
 
 
QUOTABLES
Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach David Carle
On if the team was progressing well at this point of the season: "Yeah, I think so. Part of this decryption is about not letting it affect them, so proud of them for that, for their maturity, desire to move on and the desire to get the season going and underway. And obviously, we are well within that. Excited about this new team and that we have a really good foundation, but a good start."
 
On power plays and the factors behind them: "The two power-play goals, I love the attack mentality we have and the quickness off of the face off for attacking. Obviously, a great play by [Carter] King, [Sam] Harris and the other one ends in a goal-mouth scramble as well in the first period. Disappointing for sure, for one to give up a short-hand goal in the third period, but those things will happen sometimes. Again, I tell the group for starters 5-on-5 that I felt we had to get a kill, obviously that we did a great job on the kill all night long, and certainly during the third."
 
Senior Captain Carter King 
On his feelings about the banner being raised: "Yeah, it's awesome, it's why you do it. You come to Denver to win championships, that's part of it. It's a lot of fun to be able to share that with the fans… So, you know, come back, share the trophy, and that experience with the fans."

On the overall game: "It was a little rocky. We stuck together. I was really proud of our group and just keeping that good mindset throughout the whole game. It's games like that, that you're going to learn from, and you got to work together as a team to get through some tough times. Offensively, power play, we got it done, and we're able to hold them off there at the end."
 
Sophomore Defensemen Eric Pohlkamp
On the new championship banner being raised: "I mean, it is really cool, but it just makes you want it that much more. So, I'm really happy for these guys in the locker room, and that just kind of fills the fuel for me, and more of the fire to kind of win another one here with these guys. It was super cool. Great crowd again tonight, and happy about the win."

On his confidence: "I think last game, I think was a little slower start, and then as the game went on, more confidence you get and it kind of leads into this game. I'm sure it will lead into the Wisconsin series. I think every kind of game, the more confidence you get, and the more comfortably get playing with these guys. The systems are more comfortable, so we'll it's all kind of gelling together right now."
 

TICKETS: Limited amount of tickets for Denver hockey's 75th anniversary in 2024-25 are available. Click here to purchase and for more information.