KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The No. 9 University of Denver hockey team scored three goals in the third period and freshman goaltender Quentin Miller made a career-high 35 saves on Friday in a 3-1 victory against the No. 4 Western Michigan Broncos at Lawson Arena.
 
The teams wrap up the two-game series on Saturday at 4 p.m. MT. The contest will be broadcast exclusively on NCHC.tv.
 
Juniors Kieran Cebrian and Eric Pohlkamp (empty net) tallied unassisted, and freshman blueliner Eric Jamieson scored his first career game-winning goal to lift DU in a rematch of last year's NCAA Frozen Four semifinals.
 
"Ultimately [the game] was won in and around the net-fronts ,and we found a way to execute a few plays down in that area," said Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach David Carle. "Weathered a bit of a storm in the first, and really proud of our team for sticking with it the whole evening."
 
Miller stopped all 20 shots in the final two periods of play after facing 16 pucks in the opening frame. He also denied all five shots on three power-play opportunities by the Broncos.
 
Cebrian tied the outing for Denver (5-3-1, 1-0-0 NCHC) at 6:45 of the third period, as he forced a turnover at his own blue line before netting his second goal of the season off his own rebound during a breakaway. Jamieson knocked in a loose puck in the crease 2:42 later, and Pohlkamp secured the victory for the Pios on a slap shot from DU's own zone with 37.3 seconds left in regulation.
 
Zaccharya Wisdom tallied for Western Michigan (5-4-0, 1-2-0 NCHC) on an awkward shot that caromed around the net before settling in the goal 5:12 into the game.
 
The Broncos finished with a 36-29 edge in shots on goal, but the DU outshot WMU 22-20 in the last two periods of play. Hampton Slukynsky made 26 saves on 28 shots faced for Western Michigan.
 
UP NEXT: Denver is starting a stretch where it is playing five-of-six on the road. After facing WMU on Saturday, the Pios host rival Colorado College to start a home-and-home series next Friday before heading to Arizona State on Nov. 21-22.
 
 
POSTGAME NOTES

• Denver is now 28-16-2 all-time against Western Michigan and 10-11 at Lawson Arena, including 5-2-0 in the last seven matchups in Kalamazoo.
• The Pioneers have now won each of their last four conference openers dating back to 2022-23.
• Goaltender Quentin Miller made his sixth consecutive start and registered season/career highs with 35 saves and 36 shots faced. His previous highs this year were 31 saves on 34 shots on Oct. 24 at Boston College.
• Miller's 15 saves in the first period were the most in a single frame this season by a Pioneers' goalie.
• Kieran Cebrian netted his second goal in a matter of three games.
• Eric Jamieson scored in back-to-back games for the first time in his career and recorded his first career game-winning goal.
• Eric Pohlkamp tallied his team-leading sixth goal of the season and recorded the first empty-net goal of the year for the Pioneers.
• Denver's 12 blocked shots tied a season high (Oct. 18 at Lindenwood).
• The Pioneers have not lost in regulation in their last three games (2-1-0).
• DU has killed off 10 straight penalties dating back Oct. 31 vs. Alaska Anchorage.

 
GOAL SUMMARY
1st Period
5:12 WMU (0-1) – Zaccharya Wisdom's slapped at the puck from the right circle ,and it went off the DU goalie and the near-post before settling across the goal line.
 
2nd Period
No Scoring
 
3rd Period
6:45 DU (1-1) – Kieran Cebrian stole the puck at his own blue line from WMU's Theo Wallberg to spring a breakaway and scored unassisted on his own rebound in the blue paint after Hampton Slukynsky stopped the initial shot.
9:27 DU (2-1) – Eric Jamieson knocked in the puck in the crease off a rebound from a Jake Fisher shot.
19:23 DU (3-1) – ENG, Eric Pohlkamp scored from his own blue line following a neutral-zone faceoff.
 
 
QUOTABLES
Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach David Carle
On the game's flow: "Both teams had a lot of looks in the second, not a lot of whistles. I thought it was a really entertaining game, back-and-forth for the fans. We find a way to break through in the third period—kind of two greasy, net-front goals and living in that area. It was a great stick-check by [Kieran] Cebrian coming off a change and follows his rebound and gets it in, and then we kind of started to break them down with our offensive-zone play. Got the look that we wanted, and Eric Jamieson had the open look and crashed to the net. So really a tough place to play, was a great atmosphere all night long. I'm just very proud of our team for being able to fight through it because that's an excellent hockey team. I've said it before, they're the best team in the country until someone knocks them off in March and April. You saw that tonight—they just keep coming at you. It's really challenging, but our guys stuck with it and got better as the game went on."
 
On Eric Jamieson scoring: "it's nice to see his shot and his own offensive instincts come through here as his game grows and matures. Him and Garrett Brown have four some nice little chemistry here the last couple of games. Eric's got a great shot, and we've seen that a few times this year, scoring now in back-to-back games. I'm really happy for him, and obviously a huge goal in his early career as a Pioneer."
 
On the team's defense: "The energy on the bench, guys getting up for one another, putting their bodies on the line for one another. Nothing more evident than the block by Garrett [Brown], but I know Boston [Buckberger] had a big one in the first on their power play. There were a lot of guys putting it on the line. We had 12 blocks to their eight. It's a good stat for us to win on the night."
 
On getting ready for the series finale: "We'll enjoy this for 10-15 minutes. This league is a meat grinder for a reason, and it hardens you physically, mentally. We'll enjoy this—we've been in some games where we felt like we deserved a better outcome. Tonight, we felt like we earned this one. We'll enjoy that and turn our attention for tomorrow."
 
Junior Forward Kieran Cebrian
On the belief on the bench in the third period: "The whole game we felt we could do it. We were getting chances, but we just needed to beardown. That was the message in the second intermission, and it was nice to get rewarded with a couple there."
 
On his goal: "I got off the bench late, and I was able to get a stick on it (the puck). I didn't really look too much, but I saw I had a breakaway and I was able to get the rebound, thankfully (and score)."
 
On goaltender Quentin Miller: "He kept us in the game tonight. He is the reason we won. It is really nice to have him back there, and we trust him. He's a freshman, but it doesn't matter; he's making a big impact


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