TEMPE, Ariz. – The No. 6 University of Denver hockey team split its weekend series with the No. 12 Arizona State Sun Devils as the Pioneers lost 6-5 in overtime on Saturday night at Mullett Arena.
 
Denver (20-7-1, 9-6-1 NCHC) and Arizona State (17-10-1) played a back-and-forth game that needed overtime for the second consecutive night after the Pios won 5-4 in extra time and in similar fashion on Friday.

"I think you're disappointed with the result of the night; big picture, to come down here, even get three points is a big deal," said Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach David Carle. "We need every point we can get right now. It's important that we turn the page, we can't feel sorry for ourselves. We've got eight games to go now within league play, and it's on to the next one against North Dakota in league play. There's no time to kind of rest or relax. It's right back out in the battle."
 
Sophomore forward Sam Harris recorded his first career hat trick in the game for DU with a trio of goals, while senior Jack Devine produced three assists. Senior Carter King and sophomore defenseman Zeev Buium also recorded multiple points with a pair of helpers apiece.
 
Junior Aidan Thompson and sophomore Kieran Cebrian scored the other two markers for Denver while goaltender Matt Davis made a career-high 49 saves in net.
 
Just like it was on Friday, the Pios and Devils were square at 1-1 after the first period before the offense for both teams erupted in the middle frame. Harris tallied the team's first three goals and completed the trip at 11:34 of the second to give Denver a 3-2 lead.
 
Arizona State tied the game at 3-3 before markers from Thompson and Cebrian pushed DU's advantage to two goals. The Sun Devils scored the contest's final three goals, beginning with Lukas Sillinger's second of the night at 12:28 before Bennett Schimek tied the outing 1:16 later and buried the overtime-winner 86 seconds into the extra frame.
 
Schimek's first goal came during a scramble around the crease that was ruled as no goal on the ice, but the officials reviewed the play at the next stoppage and determined the puck had completely crossed the goal line before a Pioneer player was able to swat it a way it their stick.
 
Arizona State outshot Denver 55-33 overall in the game and fired 23 shots on goal in the third period.
 
The Pioneers held the Sun Devils scoreless on three man-advantage opportunities and tallied on two of their four chances, with Harris scoring each in the first and second periods, respectively.
 
Gibson Homer started in net for ASU and made 24-of-29 saves but was replaced after DU got up 5-3 midway through the third period. Luke Pavicich, the team's Friday starter, finished the outing and stopped each of his four shots he faced in the last 9:28.
 
UP NEXT: Denver returns home next weekend to host the No. 16 North Dakota Fighting Hawks at Magness Arena on Feb. 14-15. It is a start of a stretch where the Pioneers will be playing five-of-seven games at home.
 
 
POSTGAME NOTES

• Connor Caponi played in his 169th game as a Pioneer to break a tie with Ryan Barrow (2017-2022) and take sole possession of the program record for the most career games played.
• GWG
• Sam Harris scored three goals for his first career hat trick and sixth career multi-goal game. He is the second Pioneer to register a hat trick, joining fellow sophomore Zeev Buium on Nov. 15 at North Dakota.
• Harris stretched his point streak to seven games (7g/3a), the longest continuous streak of his career; he did not play in one game due to injury during his career-long eight-game run from Oct. 18-Nov. 16.
• Zeev Buium is on a four-game point streak (1g/4a).
• Jack Devine (1g/5a) and Aidan Thompson (3g/2a) are both on a three-game point streak
• Matt Davis' 49 saves on 55 shots faced were both career highs, surpassing his previous personal bests of 46 saves on 47 shots in a double-overtime win versus Massachusetts in the NCAA Northeast Regional Semifinals on March 28, 2024.
• Denver finished the season series with ASU with a 1-3-0 mark, the teams playing two overtime games.
• DU played its fourth overtime game of the season and suffered its first loss, dropping to 2-1-1 in outings that went beyond regulation. The Pioneers were unbeaten in their previous 11 overtime contest (8-0-3) as their last OT loss came at Arizona State on Nov. 10, 2023.

 
GOAL SUMMARY
1st Period
2:13 ASU (0-1) – Kyle Smolen knocked in the puck off a rebound at the right side of the crease.
3:51 DU (1-1) – PPG, Sam Harris tapped in the puck off passes from Zeev Buium and Jack Devine while stationed on the backside of the crease.
 
2nd Period
3:16 ASU (1-2) – Lukas Sillinger scored on a breakaway after a Denver player misplayed the puck at the ASU blue line.
6:35 DU (2-2) – PPG, Carter King's shot from the slot was blocked by an ASU player, but Sam Harris controlled the loose puck and scored with a backhander between his legs the beat the goalie five-hole.
11:35 DU (3-2) – Sam Harris went far-side with a wrist shot from the right circle.
 
3rd Period
7:50 ASU (3-3) – Ryan Kirwan tallied after a faceoff at the left circle got tangled up before the puck slipped free.
10:08 DU (4-3) – Aidan Thompson buried a high backhand shot while the ASU goalie was low and out of position in his net.
11:58 DU (5-3) – Kieran Cebrian found twine on a shot from the left side.
12:27 ASU (5-4) – Lukas Sillinger scored on a wrist shot from the left circle.
13:44 ASU (5-5) – Bennett Schimek tallied on a scramble around the crease that was initially ruled on the ice as a no goal, but the on-ice officials reviewed at the next stoppage and determined the puck completely crossed the goal line on an ASU coaches challenge.
 
Overtime
1:26 ASU (5-6) – Bennett Schimek scored his second of the game on a mini breakaway during the 3-on-3 OT period.
 

QUOTABLES
Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach David Carle
On the positives from the game: "Power play was excellent. Sam Harris hat trick. I did like how we responded after they tied it 3-3. We come back and make two plays to make it 5-3. So there were positives. I thought in a game where I felt like we got outplayed a little bit, were uncomfortable, we still found ways to make plays ourselves and just unfortunately couldn't hang onto the lead."
 
On what Connor Caponi means to the program: "A lot. He gives it all, every night and every week. Really proud of him. It's not easy to break any records at Denver. So it was fun to present him today with the T-shirts that [equipment manager] Nick Meldrum made him, and we'll have a little present for him back in Denver."
 
On Sam Harris' play in the game: "Moving his feet, winning races, hard on the inside. All of those things that he's good at, he excelled at tonight and did at his level."
 
Sophomore Forward Sam Harris
On his line: "I know my linemates are very skilled players and we have a good chemistry going. We've been working a lot on it together during practice and throughout the season. It's been really clicking the last three weekends, so it's been awesome to play with him. The whole group, days in, days out, just working, putting the time in the gym, on the ice and putting in the hours."
 
On the takeaways from the series with Arizona State: "I think just continue to get the puck to the net. I think we just need to continue to win our net-front battles. That was a key part to both scoring goals and getting some goals scored on us. Just continuing to harden our game for the tournament."
 
Graduate student Connor Caponi
On playing in his DU hockey-record 169th career game: "It's an honor, obviously. A lot of great players have come through here. So it's just an honor to play as many games as I have for the program."
 
On the team's success here his time at Denver: "It's awesome to be part of a tradition of national championships and leave my mark on the program, along with the rest of my teammates."


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