COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The No. 4 University of Denver hockey team's third-period rally came up a goal short on Friday night as the Pioneers lost 4-3 to the No. 10 Colorado College Tigers at Ed Robson Arena.
Denver (23-9-3, 14-7-2) and Colorado College (20-10-3, 14-7-2) meet again on Saturday at DU's Magness Arena to wrap up the home-and-home set. Game time is at 7:30 p.m. MT and it will be broadcast on NCHC.tv.
Sophomore
Rieger Lorenz and junior
Tristan Broz scored twice in the third frame, with Broz cutting Denver's deficit to one goal with 90 seconds remaining. Junior
Jack Devine tallied the night's first goal just 16 seconds into the first period in what was his 100th career point.
Broz assisted on Devine's tally to finish with a multi-point night, while senior
McKade Webster—who was playing in his 125th career game—and freshmen
Kieran Cebrian, Miko Matikka, Zeev Buium and
Boston Buckberger all had helpers in the contest as well.
DU goaltender
Matt Davis stopped 27 shots in the loss.
Colorado College scored four unanswered goals in the game, with Noah Laba leading the Tigers with a pair of markers. Laba and Veremyev tallied in the opening stanza to give CC a 2-1 lead at the first intermission before Laba added a second goal shorthanded and Max Burkholder also found the back of the net in the middle period.
Goalie Kaidan Mbereko made 20 saves in the win, which marked the Tigers' first at Ed Robson Arena against the Pioneers.
Both teams went 0-for-4 on the power play, which included Denver killing off a five-minute major penalty that stretched from the end of the second to the start of the third.
UP NEXT: The Pioneers and Tigers conclude their weekend series with the regular-season finale on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. MT at DU's Magness Arena. Tickets are sold out, and the game will be broadcast on NCHC.tv.
POSTGAME NOTES
- It was the first top-10 matchup between the in-state rivals since Dec. 2, 2010 when No. 10 DU lost 4-3 in overtime at No. 8 Colorado College.
- The Pioneers had their 13-game regular-season winning streak come to an end.
- DU suffered its first loss at Ed Robson Arena (5-1-0).
- Jack Devine scored 16 seconds into the game for the fastest goal to being a game and period this season. It was the fastest goal to begin a game since Michael Davies also scored 16 seconds into the first period on Dec. 28, 2018 at Merrimack.
- Jack Devine was the 103rd Pioneer and second player this season to reach the 100-point milestone, as Massimo Rizzo also hit the century mark on Nov. 11 at Arizona State.
- McKade Webster played in his 125th career game.
- Friday's attendance was 3,912, the most for a game at Ed Robson Arena.
GOAL SUMMARY
1st Period
0:16 DU (1-0) –
Tristan Broz's shot caromed off the boards and the CC goalie played it right two
McKade Webster, who passed it to
Jack Devine for a tap-in goal and his 100th career point.
2:38 CC (1-1) – Noah Laba took a stretch pass, drove to the net, made a move and flicked a wrister top shelf just seconds after DU power play expired.
13:25 CC (1-2) – Zaccharya Wisdom intercepted a DU pass, fed the puck in front to Gleb Veremyev, who wristed the puck into the cage.
2nd Period
9:54 CC (1-3) –
SHG, Noah Laba forced a turnover in the neutral zone and tallied on a breakaway.
12:03 CC (1-4) – Max Burkholder was stationed in front of net and tallied after receiving a pass from Stanley Cooley, who fought his way down low with the puck
3rd Period
13:36 DU (2-4) –
Kieran Cebrian found
Rieger Lorenz alone in low slot where he scored with a wrister.
18:30 DU (3-4) –
Tristan Broz tallied on a one-timer from a tough angle at the low right circle while DU had an extra attacker on the ice.
