ORONO, Maine – University of Denver hockey goaltender Matt Davis made a season-high 44 saves, but the No. 6-ranked Pioneers lost 2-1 at the No. 7 Maine Black Bears on Saturday night at Alfond Sports Arena.
 
DU (15-5-0) and Maine (13-4-2) split their top-10 series after the Pios won by the same score, 2-1, on Friday in Orono.
 
Sophomore forward Sam Harris scored on the power play for Denver, giving the Pioneers a 1-0 lead with 4:27 left in the first period. Seniors Jack Devine fed a cross pass for the tap-in tally by Harris, who tied Carter King—who also had an assist on the play—for the team lead in goals with 12.
 
Harrison Scott knotted the game for Maine with two seconds left in the opening frame, and David Breazeale scored the go-ahead marker off his own rebound at 4:51 of the third period.
 
The Black Bears finished with a 46-21 edge in shots on goal, with Davis making 21-of-22 saves in the first period—the most shots faced and stopped in a stanza this season by a DU goalie. His 44 saves were two shy of matching his career high of 46 that he set on March 28, 2024 against Massachusetts in NCAA Northeast Regional Semifinals and were the most he's had in a regulation game of his career.
 
Maine netminder Albin Boija made 20 stops, with 10 coming in the third period as Denver attempted to force extra time.
 
The Pioneers finished 1-for-1 on the power play and 4-for-4 on the penalty kill, including nullifying three man-disadvantage chances in opening period.
 
UP NEXT: Denver returns home next week to resume NCHC play when it hosts the Miami RedHawks at Magness Arena. Friday's game begins at 7 p.m. MT and Saturday's start time is 6 p.m. MT. Limited tickets are available.
 
 
POSTGAME NOTES

• Denver finished non-conference play this season with an 11-1-0 record, going 5-1-0 in road games.
• DU is now 5-3-0 in the last eight games in the series against Maine and 10-13-0 all-time.
• The Pios dropped to 3-7-0 all-time in games in Orono.
• Goaltender Matt Davis' 44 saves were a season high and two shy of matching his career best of 46 that he set on March 28, 2024 vs. Massachusetts in NCAA Northeast Regional Semifinals.
• Davis' stops where the most in a regulation period of his career, as his previous high was 39 saves on 41 shots on Feb. 2, 2024 vs. Western Michigan.
• The Pioneers blocked 13 shots in the game.
• Kent Anderson led the team with four blocked shots, tying a career best (March 4, 2023 at Colorado College).

 
GOAL SUMMARY
1st Period
4:27 DU (1-0) – PPG, Sam Harris tapped in Jack Devine's cross pass while stationed on the right side of the crease.
19:58 Maine (1-1) – Harrison Scott scored during a scramble in the crease.
 
2nd Period
No Scoring
 
3rd Period
4:51 Maine (1-2) – David Breazeale scored on his own rebound on a rush up the ice during 4-on-4 play.
 

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