The University of Denver hockey team led the nation in scoring a season ago, and the Pioneers seem to be well on their way to be at the top of the chart this year.
 
Denver has received contributions on the scoresheet from all four lines this season, as 12 players have scored and 17 of the 20 skaters that have suited up have registered at least a point. That offensive balance was on display this past weekend against then-No. 20 Wisconsin as DU's 10 goals came from nine different players.
 
"Our puck possession game was better in the offensive zone," said Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach David Carle after Denver's 6-1 win on Saturday. "Any time you're playing offense you don't have to defend; I think that was a big part of it as well."
 
The Pioneers have played ahead for most of the season, as they have had the lead (261:33) or been tied (86:41) for 348:14 of the 360 minutes of game time in 2024-25. The 11:46 that they haven't been ahead came over the weekend against Wisconsin, but DU quickly responded in each of the three instances when the Badgers scored.
 
Once Denver evened the score, the squad eventually pulled away. Sophomore defenseman Cale Ashcroft and senior forward Carter King tallied in the third period on Friday in a 4-2 win before the Pios netted six unanswered the next night en route to the series sweep.
 
"We found a way to win a hockey game, and that's a really good sign for our team, but we knew that we could play better," Carle said of the team's performance from Friday to Saturday. "I thought we did that [on Saturday]. Our talk and communication through our puck support was better. We got out of our own end cleaner and didn't give up a 5-on-5 goal."
 
The Pioneers own what is likely the top forward line in the country through the first month of the campaign, as the combination of seniors Jack Devine and King and junior Aidan Thompson have combined for 10 goals and 34 points. Devine leads the nation with 14 points and King (five) and Thompson (four) each rank in the top 10 in the NCAA in goals.
 
All three players are also on season-opening six-game point streaks, among the longest of their respective collegiate careers.
 
"Those two, they are offensively so gifted," said King of his linemates. "They play with their eyes up the entire time, looking for each other and helping each other. I am able to do what I can to support them but they've got a lot of talent."
 
Denver's scoring punch this season might not have been a surprise, given that the program was returning the most goals (129) and points (328) in the country from their 10th championship campaign a year ago. However, the Pios have had additional players step up and play larger roles offensively after the program lost five of its top 10 point-getters from 2023-24 to NHL contracts in the offseason.
 
DU has scored at least four goals in each of its six contests and ranks second behind only Minnesota in goals (33-30) and goals per game (5.5-5.0) in the country. Denver paced the NCAA at 4.59 goals per game a year ago and its 202 total scores were the program's most since tallying 236 in 1985-86.
 
With the Pioneers' offensive depth through the first month of 2024-25, it's very realistic that they could continue to climb on the leaderboard and surpass the Gophers in the coming weeks.
 
ALL HAIL (DENVER'S) CALE
 
Cale Ashcroft scored his first goal of the season on Friday versus Wisconsin in what was also a game-winning tally that put the Pios in front 3-2 at 7:35 of the third period. It was his first career game-winner.
 
Finding space on the backside of the zone, Ashcroft took a pass from the corner by Sam Harris that went off James Reeder's stick before finding his blade. From there, the St. Albert, Alberta, native unleashed a wrist shot that sailed high into the top half of the cage.
 
From there, he celebrated by jumping into the end boards that are lined in front of the Denver's Pio Pit student section before being mobbed by his teammates.
 
"I tried to have a tight gap, and the puck just slipped through a couple of guys legs right onto my tape and just a quick release, then the rest was just a blur," Ashcroft said. "Student section was going crazy, so that was really exciting, for sure."
 
It was the defenseman's second tally of his career and first in nearly a year, as he last scored on Oct. 28, 2023 against Air Force. He also contributed six assists in 37 games while primarily playing on the third D-pairing as a freshman.
 
DAVIS STRONG OCTOBER IN NET
 
Matt Davis might have just missed out on earning NCHC Goaltender of the Month award this week, but his play in between pipes has been key to the team's undefeated start to the season.
 
That was especially the case against Wisconsin, as he recorded a season-high 32 saves on Friday and stopped the final 24 shots he faced in the last two periods to keep the game tied before the Pioneers eventually pulled in front. Davis saved 25 shots on Saturday, which included each of the last 18 pucks to come his way.
 
"They're hard and heavy," Davis said of the UW Badgers. "I mean they're going to throw guys out front, they're going to throw pucks on net. I just got to make sure that I'm seeing it, and the other guys have got to try to help me see it. So, it was definitely a challenge, but we did a good job here."
 
Davis has stopped 132-of-142 shots this season, posting a 6-0-0 record, 1.67 goals-against average and .930 save percentage in six games. The league's October goalie of the month, Isak Posch of St. Cloud State, faced more shots (193 saves) then Davis and went 6-1-0 with a 1.58 goals-against average, .946 save percentage and one shutout in seven outings.
 

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