DENVER – The No. 4-ranked University of Denver hockey team defeated the UNLV Rebels 6-1 in an exhibition on Saturday night at Magness Arena.
 
Junior forward Sam Harris scored a natural hat trick for the Pioneers, while defenseman Cale Ashcroft also had a three-point performance with two goals and an assist. Forwards James Reeder and Reid Varkonyi and defenseman Eric Jamieson all recorded a pair of helpers.
 
Centennial native Payton Nelson also found the back of the net for DU, as he tallied at 10:03 of the first period to start the scoring. Harris netted two of his three goals in a matter of 3:42 late in the period before securing the hat trick at 9:46 of the second.
 
Harris tallied his first hat trick of his career last season on Feb. 8 at Arizona State. The last DU player to record a natural hat trick (three goals consecutively) was Jack Devine on March 10, 2023 against Miami.
 
Denver led 4-1 at the second intermission as Jaxsen Wyatt scored the lone marker for Nevada Las Vegas with 4:23 remaining before the break.
 
Ashcroft netted a pair of power-play tallies in the third frame, as DU finished 2-for-4 with the man advantage. UNLV went 1-for-4 on their man-up chances.
 
All three Denver goaltenders played a period on Saturday night, with freshman Quentin Miller getting the start and making six saves to open play. Fellow freshman Johnny Hicks stopped five-of-six shots in the middle stanza, and junior Paxton Geisel made all six saves in the final 20 minutes of play.
 
DU outshot the Rebels 37-18 in the contest, as UNLV netminder Doug Wakelyn of Colorado Springs finished with 31 saves.
 
UP NEXT: The Pioneers officially begin the 2025-26 regular season at the U.S. Air Force Academy this Friday (FloHockey.tv) before hosting Bentley University in the home opener next Saturday at Magness Arena (NCHC.tv).
 
 
POSTGAME NOTES

• The Pioneers improved to 44-25-8 all-time in exhibition games and 35-7-5 in pre-season exhibitions.
• DU is unbeaten in its last 10 exhibitions (9-0-1) and is 10-1-2 in the past 13 such outings.
• Denver was playing ACHA UNLV for the third time in the past four years in an exhibition, as DU won 10-0 prior to the start of the 2022-23 campaign and tied the Rebels 6-6 last season on Dec. 28.
• The Pios are now 4-0-1 all-time in exhibitions against ACHA squads, outscoring those opponents by a 40-11 mark.
• UNLV won the ACHA D-I National Championship last season.

 
GOAL SUMMARY
1st Period
10:03 DU (1-0) – Payton Nelson took a stretch pass from Tory Pitner and scored on a wrister from the top of the right circle during a rush up the ice.
12:49 DU (2-0) – Eric Pohlkamp's one-timer from the blue line caromed off the end wall and to the left post where Sam Harris whacked the puck into the gaping net.
16:31 DU (3-0) – Sam Harris went high, short-side with a wrister at the left circle following a neutral-zone pass by Boston Buckberger.
 
2nd Period
9:46 DU (4-0) – Sam Harris delivered a hit in front of the UNLV bench and then scored from the left side off a feed from James Reeder to complete the natural hat trick.
15:37 UNLV (4-1) – PPG, Jaxsen Wyatt scored after gathering a loose puck in the crease.
 
3rd Period
11:08 DU (5-1) – PPG, Cale Ashcroft found twine on a wrister from the right circle after taking a cross-pass from Reid Varkonyi.
17:08 DU (6-1) – PPG, Cale Ashcroft buried a one-timer from the right side off a pass by Eric Jamieson.
 
 
QUOTABLES
Junior Forward Sam Harris
On his favorite goal of the game: "I really like Nelly's (Payton Nelson) first goal, that was special. You know, Colorado kid and everything. I didn't think it was going in, it was a weird rush; I think it was a 2-on-3, but he was able to get it far-side, which was pretty special. You know, first shot, first goal for the Colorado kid, that was pretty cool."
 
On the game: "Yeah, it was good. I enjoyed playing a game against somebody else who isn't on our team. It was a lot of fun to see what we are kind of capable of and kind of moving that on to next week against Air Force and Bentley."
 
On if he did anything different to lead to the scoring:  "Not that I can think of off the top of my head. I just try to stick to the same routine. Me and Eric both kind of started working on some tipping and stuff after practice. So no tips today, but I'm looking forward to that next weekend."
 
 
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