MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. – The No. 5 University of Denver hockey team had four different goal scorers and freshman netminder
Quentin Miller stopped every shot he faced as the Pioneers won 4-0 over the Lindenwood Lions at Centene Community Ice Center on Saturday night.
All four of DU's classes found the back of the net in the series finale, as senior
Samu Salminen, junior
Sam Harris, sophomore
Jake Fisher and freshman
Clarke Caswell all netted markers. Harris also added an assist in the contest for the Pioneers (2-1-1), who earned a weekend split after falling 4-3 to the Lions (3-3-0) on Friday.
Sophomore forward
Hagen Burrows recorded his second straight multi-point outing with two assists and junior defenseman
Eric Pohlkamp recorded a pair of helpers as well.
Miller stopped all 19 shots he faced for his first career win and shutout. The last Denver goalie to post a clean sheet in their first collegiate victory was
Freddie Halyk against Air Force on Oct. 28, 2023 (24 saves).
Denver finished with a 49-19 edge in shots on goal over Lindenwood, which included being up by a 20-8 margin in the first period and outshooting LU 19-4 in the second. Total shot attempts was 89-46 in favor of the Pios.
Lions goalie Klayton Knapp finished with 45 saves in the loss.
Caswell opened the scoring for DU just 1:16 into the contest on a redirection off a pass by junior defenseman
Garrett Brown, and the Pioneers led 2-0 after the second period following Fisher hitting twine off a rush with just seven seconds left before the intermission. Harris tallied his second of the season at 9:39 of the third and Salminen scored on a breakaway 2:10 later off passes from Burrows and freshman
Brady Milburn.
Neither team scored on the power play, as each squad went 0-for-3 on the night.
UP NEXT: The Pioneers continue their season-long four-game road swing next weekend as they play at Boston College on Friday before taking on Northeastern on Saturday.
POSTGAME NOTES
- The Pioneers are now 1-1-1 on the road this season and are halfway through a season-long four-game road swing (1-1-0).
- Denver improved to 5-1-0 all-time against Lindenwood and 1-1-0 versus the Lions in Maryland Heights, Missouri
- Denver is now 15-2-1 in its last 18 non-conference games dating back to the start of last season.
- Clarke Caswell scored his second career goal and stretched season and collegiate-opening point streak to four games (2g/3a).
- Caswell recorded his first career game-winning goal
- Hagen Burrows (2g/3a) and Jake Fisher (2g/2a) are both on career-long three-game point streaks.
- Samu Salminen (2g/1a) is also on a three-game point streak (2g/1a)
- DU's 19 shots on goal in the first period were its most in an opening frame this season.
- The Pios only allowed four shots on goal in the second period, a season-best for a single stanza.
- Denver's goal 1:17 into the game was its fastest goal to start a contest this season and the fastest since Jack Devine tallied 16 seconds after the opening faceoffs on the March 9, 2024 at Colorado College. Last season's fastest tally to start a game was 1:29 by Boston Buckberger on March 21 vs. Arizona State in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Semifinals.
- Denver remained perfect on the penalty kill this season, as the team has nullified all 11 power-play opportunities by opponents.
GOAL SUMMARY
1st Period
1:17 DU (1-0) –
Clarke Caswell chipped
Garrett Brown's centering pass up and over the LU goalie from the low slot.
2nd Period
19:53 DU (2-0) –
Eric Pohlkamp flipped the puck out of Denver's defensive zone and
Jake Fisher fought off a Lions' player for it before scoring off a wrister from the slot on a give-and-go with
Hagen Burrows.
3rd Period
9:39 DU (3-0) –
Sam Harris knocked the puck into the open net at the right side after taking a cross-feed from
Boston Buckberger.
11:49 DU (4-0) –
Samu Salminen took passes from
Hagen Burrows and
Brady Milburn and found twine on a wrister during a breakaway.
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