DENVER – The No. 5 University of Denver hockey team tied the UNLV Rebels 6-6 on Saturday night at Magness Arena in the Pioneers' only exhibition game of the season.
 
After a scoreless five-minute, 3-on-3 overtime, UNLV won the end-of-game shootout 1-0 after scoring in the third round. The final result won't have affect Denver's record or Pairwise Ranking for the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
 
The Pioneers outshot the Rebels 64-17 overall, including by a 23-8 margin in the first period, 16-4 in the second, 20-4 in the third and 5-1 in OT.
 
Junior forward Aidan Thompson scored twice for Denver, including tying the game at 6-6 with 3:23 left in the third period. Fellow classmate Rieger Lorenz and sophomore defenseman Cale Ashcroft each finished with a goal and two assists.
 
Senior captain Carter King and sophomore forward Kieran Cebrian also scored for DU. Cebrian added a helper for a multi-point night and was joined in that category by defenseman Eric Pohlkamp and forward Jack Devine, who each contributed two assists.
 
Denver split its goaltenders as previously planned. Senior Matt Davis played the first half of the game and saved seven shots, while sophomore Freddie Halyk caught four shots that were sent his way after entering with 9:26 left in the second stanza.
 
The start of the game began with two unassisted goals from UNLV (16-3-1 ACHA) in the first 6:33 of the outing, and the Rebels led 3-0 before Cebrian scored the Pioneers' (14-4-0, 4-4-0 NCHC) first goal of the contest at 17:20.
 
UNLV added two more markers in the second frame, but contest was turned upside down in the third period as the Pios recorded five goals to force extra time. 
 
Rebels' goaltender Jeremey Forman saved 58 shots throughout the night. Preston Brodziak led UNLV with two goals, while Mattias Dal Montel scored the game-ending marker in the third round of the shootout.
 
UP NEXT: The Pioneers resume regular-season play with a non-conference matchup at Maine. The Pioneers begin the series at the No. 4 Black Bears on Friday, Jan. 3 at 4 p.m. MT in a nationally-televised game on ESPNU. The teams wrap up their weekend set from Orono, Maine, on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 4:30 p.m. MT. Both games will also be available on ESPN+. DU returns home to face the Miami RedHawks on Jan. 10-11 to continue NCHC play.
 
 
POSTGAME NOTES

• Denver was playing an ACHA squad for the fourth-straight season and playing a mid-season exhibition in consecutive years after hosting Minot State on Dec. 30, 2023.
• DU is now 43-25-8 all-time in exhibition games.
• The Pios had won eight consecutive exhibition games dating back to 2014 and is now unbeaten in nine straight such outings.
• Denver recorded its first tie in an exhibition since playing British Columbia to a 2-2 result on Oct. 6, 2021 at the then-Pepsi Center.
• The Pioneers and Rebels played once before in an exhibition: Oct. 1, 2022 at Magness Arena prior to the 2022-23 campaign.

 
GOAL SUMMARY
1st Period
5:19 UNLV (0-1) – Justin Stathopoulos secured his own rebound and scored into an open net on the left side.
6:33 UNLV (0-2) – Preston Brodziak buried an outside wrist shot.
13:11 UNLV (0-3) – Hayden Siegel poked in his own rebound during a 2-on-1 rush.
17:40 DU (1-3) – Kieran Cebrian scored after his initial shot caromed right back to him in the slot.
 
2nd Period
2:02 UNLV (1-4) – Preston Brodziak shot went off the Denver goalie and into the net.
17:17 UNLV (1-5) – Mason Kelly scored on a breakaway after leaving the penalty box and gathering the puck in the neutral zone.
 
3rd Period
1:21 DU (2-5) – Cale Ashcroft took a Kieran Cebrian's faceoff win, skated toward the crease and placed the puck around the right post and past the goalie's stretched pad and into the net.
4:21 DU (3-5) – PPG, Aidan Thompson scored on a one-timer at the right circle off a pass from Eric Pohlkamp.
8:35 DU (4-5) – Carter King tallied off a shot from the high slot that got through traffic.
9:25 UNLV (4-6) – Heath Mensch fired the puck into the back of the cage after a faceoff win by Mason Kelly.
11:46 DU (5-6) – PPG, Rieger Lorenz tallied off his own rebound from the right side.
16:37 DU (6-6) – Aidan Thompson tucked in a backhand shot past the goalie's stretched pad following a cross-feed from Cale Ashcroft.
 
Overtime
No Scoring
 
Shoutout
Round 1 – DU Carter King, missed
Round 1 – UNLV Preston Brodziak, missed
Round 2 – DU Sam Harris, missed
Round 2 – UNLV Heath Mensch, missed
Round 3 – Jack Devine, missed
Round 3 – Mattias Dal Monte, scored
 
Sophie Hamill contributed to this story.


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