DENVER – The No. 5 University of Denver hockey team beat the Omaha Mavericks on Saturday by scoring 11 unanswered goals in an 11-2 victory at Magness Arena.
 
Denver scored six goals in the second period after trailing by 2-0 in the opening frame. Nine different Pioneers (19-6-1, 8-5-1 NCHC) tallies on the Mavericks (14-11-1, 10-5-1 NCHC) and 16 DU players ended the night with at least one point.
 
The 11 goals scored tied the National Collegiate Hockey Conference record for the most goals in a league game. It was the fourth time that an NCHC program reached the mark and the first since St. Cloud State did it against Miami on Jan. 21, 2022.
 
Denver's 11 goals was also its most in a game since defeating Air Force 11-1 on Dec. 27, 1995.
 
"I don't know if you expect six in a period, but we did certainly like how we ended the first," said Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach David Carle. "Thought we generated a lot of looks last night, it just kind of came down to making a few more finishing plays and boy did we ever. There were hard goals and there were pretty goals, power play goals—there were all kinds of goals. So, happy for the guys, we've been working a lot on goal scoring and trying to maybe simplify some things and, you know, build their confidence from practice. Hasn't quite been there in games the last three prior to tonight. Really happy for them and happy to get the win."
 
Led by four-point efforts and career nights from juniors Rieger Lorenz (two goals and two assists) and Samu Salminen (one goal and three assists), DU recorded its first multi-goal comeback of the season. Fellow junior forward Jared Wright also posted a personal best with three points on a goal and two assists and James Reeder had the first three-point night and multi-goal game by a freshman this season with two tallies and a marker.
 
Sophomore defenseman Zeev Buium contributed a trio of assists, while senior forward Jack Devine and sophomore defensemen Cale Ashcroft and Boston Buckberger each had a goal and an assist. Senior Connor Caponi and sophomore Sam Harris also scored.
 
Devine's goal at 8:22 of the second period gave DU a 5-2 lead and marked the 50th of his career, making him the 61st player in school history to reach the half-century mark in tallies. Lorenz and Salminen both surpassed the 50-point threshold for their careers in the game as well.
 
Salminen opened the scoring for DU with five minutes left in the first period and Lorenz tied the game 25 seconds into the second frame to begin a six-goal stanza. Each of DU's seven tallies were scored in a matter of 23:46 to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 7-2 lead at the second intermission.
 
The Pioneers added four more markers in the third frame, including the second power-play goal of the evening by Reeder. Ashcroft completed the scoring with 3:05 remaining in the contest.
 
Senior goaltender Matt Davis stopped 19 shots and kept all pucks out of the net for 36-plus minutes after Omaha scored twice in the first period—with both coming on the power play. With 11:17 left in the game, sophomore goaltender Freddie Halyk made the switch with Davis to defend the rest of the evening and stopped both shots he faced.
 
Mavs goaltender Simon Latkoczy saved 20-of-27 puck that Denver sent his way. To start the third period, Kevin Reidler stepped in and saved 9-of-13 shots in relief.
 
UP NEXT: Denver heads out on the road next week as it travels to play Arizona State next Friday and Saturday at Mullet Arena to close out the season series with the Sun Devils. Friday's game is nationally televised on CBS Sports Network, while Saturday's contest can be viewed on Altitude 2 or NCHC.tv.
 
 
POSTGAME NOTES

• DU is now 24-5-3 all-time on home ice against Omaha and is 6-1-1 in the last eight games against the Mavericks.
• Denver scored its fastest two, three, four, five and six goals of the season
• Sam Harris is on a five-game point streak (3g/2a) while Eric Pohlkamp's five-goal run came to an end.
• DU seniors have won 112 games, tying the 2005 class for the most victories in program history.  
• Jack Devine recorded his 50th career goal, making him the 61st DU player to reach the 50-goal mark in his career and the first since Cole Guttman on Feb. 11, 2022 vs. Minnesota Duluth.
• Devine now has 141 career points to put him in a tie for 28th place on the school's time list with Daryn McBride (1986-89).
• Connor Caponi played in his 167th game with the Pioneers to tie Ed Cristofoli (1985-89) for second place on the school's all-time list and is one shy of matching the 168-game school record set by Ryan Barrow (2017-22). 
• Sophomores Samu Salminen and Zeev Buium both broke new milestones off of Salminen's goal. The defenseman Buium recorded his 60th assist with Denver and the forward Salminen achieved his 50th career point. 
• Junior Rieger Lorenz recorded a multi-point game for the second straight night (1g/3a) and his third such performance of the season. He also accomplished his 50th point and is now at 52 points in his career with the team. 
• Aidan Thompson registered his 60th career assist with the Pios. 
• Connor Caponi scored his 15th career goal in the last minutes of the middle frame. 
• Junior Jared Wright tallied his 30th goal with Denver. 

GOAL SUMMARY
1st Period
3:56 OMA (0-1) – PPG, Brady Risk scored after an outside shot got blocked in front and Jimmy Glynn quickly moved the puck over to him.
12:00 OMA (0-2) – PPG, Harrison Israels redirected Brady Risk's pass-shot into the cage while stationed at the top of the crease.
15:00 DU (1-2) – Samu Salminen tipped in Kent Anderson's outside shot.
 
2nd Period
0:25 DU (2-2) – Rieger Lorenz fired a snap-shot at the left circle after taking a pass by Carter King from along the wall.
2:55 DU (3-2) – PPG, Aidan Thompson sent a behind the back pass to James Reeder, who quickly fired a wrister from the slot and into the back of the net.
3:11 DU (4-2) – Boston Buckberger sent a wrist shot into the cage from the slot after a quick pass by Rieger Lorenz near the goal line.
8:22 DU (5-2) – Jack Devine took a give-and-go with Aidan Thompson and scored high, short-side while driving toward the net.
17:47 DU (6-2) – Connor Caponi sent a backhander top shot after Zeev Buium's shot got blocked in front.
18:46 DU (7-2) – Rieger Lorenz one-touched a goal at the top of the crease off a feed from Jared Wright.
 
3rd Period
2:55 DU (8-2) – Sam Harris scored near-side from the right circle off a pass by Samu Salminen.
7:14 DU (9-2) – PPG, James Reeder knocked in a loose puck in the low slot just before an Omaha penalty was about to expire.
7:51 DU (10-2) – Jared Wright scored in front off a centering feed by Cale Ashcroft.
16:55 DU (11-2) – Cale Ashcroft buried a one-time snap-shot from the right circle from a pass by James Reeder.
 

QUOTABLES
Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach David Carle
On the comeback victory after getting down 2-0 in the first period: "Yeah, I think it was big. We had a really good push. Mean look up, I think shots were 8-2 for them and by the end the period, I think we got it to 10-8, 10-9. I liked how we finished the period. That we started moving our feet, winning more races, kind of gave ourselves a bit of the blueprint of what we needed to look like in the second period. We came out obviously, got the early goal, and then you look at the clock three minutes later and we are up 4-2. It was obviously what we weren't able to do last night—getting a lead earlier tonight. Last night, we got the tying goal early in the third, had a couple looks to get the lead, weren't able to do it. Obviously, tonight we were and didn't really look back from there. "
 
On switching line combinations: "I don't know, I didn't love our start. I was questioning the move there early; we obviously went back to it. Looked smart, but it maybe wasn't, because maybe we don't get down 2-0 if we don't do it. We'll continue it evaluate things and try and see how we can get the most out of the lineup and as we are in a tough battle here—home ice, national picture, nothing's guaranteed here with eight or 10 games to go."
 
Senior Forward Jack Devine
On scoring 50 career goals: "Yeah, it's definitely special. I know that there's been many great players and I was fortunate enough to join that list. Obviously, we still got more in the season, so still looking to score more here, but yeah, it's definitely special and something that I will remember."
 
On his goal with Aidan Thompson: "Zeev [Buium] made a good play in the neutral zone—hit me with speed and I was able to attack in. I gave it to Thomer (Aidan Thompson), and Thomer made a sweet pass over and I just tried to release it quick and just caught [Omaha goalie Simon] Latkoczy there." 
 
On how his game has changed this year: "Just early in the year, playing with Carter [King] and Aidan [Thompson], they are obviously tremendous players, and they've got great scoring touches. So for me, it was trying to play to their strengths a bit. They are, obviously, top scorers in the country now, so I'm trying to find them, and I think they've done a really good job the past couple of weeks." 


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