DENVER – The No. 6-ranked University of Denver hockey team defeated the Colorado College Tigers 6-3 in Game 2 of the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Quarterfinals on Saturday night at Magness Arena to force a decisive Game 3.
 
Sunday's Game 3 begins at 6 p.m. MT at Magness Arena, and it will be broadcast on NCHC.tv. Tickets are on sale now.
 
"We both have a lot that we are playing for, and we know it'll be a big battle," said Denver Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach David Carle. "Both teams will be desperate as we have been all season long against each other. Just looking forward to getting the opportunity to get it to Game 3. Thought the crowd was excellent all night long, student section was great, hopefully they can come out and support what we now know is the last game for all these guys this season in this building."
 
The best-of-three series between DU (27-10-1, 15-7-1 NCHC) and CC (18-17-1, 11-12-1 NCHC) is tied at 1-1 after the Tigers won Game 1 on Friday by a 3-1 score.
 
Freshman Hagen Burrows registered his first career goal and also added an assist for his second multi-point game of the campaign. Four Pioneers registered two points to secure the win, as junior Aidan Thompson (one goal, one assist), graduate student Connor Caponi (one goal, one assist) and sophomore Zeev Buium (two goals) joined Burrows in the category. Eight DU players totaled at least one point for Denver. 
 
The Pioneers went 3-for-9 on the power play, with Buium scoring twice with the extra man for his third career two-goal outing.
 
"We were moving pucks. We were getting them out of their position and that allowed me to come downhill and on certain plays, especially inside the dots, which is something they haven't given us easily," Buium said. "I thought we were moving the puck well and just trying to get them out position." 
 
Senior goaltender Matt Davis secured the win by saving 19 shots that the Tigers sent towards his net.  Freddie Halyk played the final minute of regulation and stopped the only shot he faced.
 
CC goaltender Kaidan Mbereko saved 20-of-25 shots that Denver sent his way before leaving with an injury 1:10 into the third period. Carsen Musser stepped in and finished the match, saving nine-of-10 shots. 
 
Throughout the first 20 minutes, the teams took turns exchanging goals. CC started the matchup with a goal just 2:15 into the first, but Buium scored his 20th career marker three minutes later during a Pios power play..
 
Tommy Middleton tallied at 8:58 of the first to make the score 2-1 in favor of CC, but Thompson tied the contest with his 18th goal of the season during another DU man advantage before the intermission.
 
Burrows buried his first tally by knocking the puck in during a scramble in the crease at 3:08 of the second period. It was initially ruled as no goal, but the on-ice officials reversed the call after video review to give Denver its first lead of the night.
 
Buium netted his second marker of the game 3:31 after Burrows tallied with an assist from Thompson. Bret Link cut the CC deficit back to one goal midway through the second frame, but Caponi extended the Pios' lead to 5-3 with his third marker of the year with two minutes remaining before the break.
 
Sophomore Sam Harris finalized the scoring at 8:10 in the final stanza with his 21st goal of the season
 
The Pioneers last played a Game 3 in the NCHC Quarterfinals in 2018 against Colorado College, as they won that series after also losing the first contest.
 
 
UP NEXT: The decisive third game of the best-of-three quarterfinal series is Sunday at 6 p.m. MT. The Game 3 winner will secure a spot to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff semifinals and final next weekend, March 21-22, at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.
 
 
POSTGAME NOTES

• Friday marked the 347th all-time meeting between Denver and Colorado College, which matched the Michigan-Michigan State series for the most-played rivalry in college hockey history. 
• Denver is now 8-8 all-time Game 2s after dropping the first game in a best-of-three conference series and is 3-0 in the NCHC playoffs after losing Game 1. 
• Denver is now 20-3 all-time in NCHC opening round games and has a 29-10-1 all-time record in the NCHC Tournament.
• The Pioneers improved to 17-13 all-time against Colorado College in conference tournament outings and is 6-3 in games during the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Tournament.
• DU scored multiple power-play goals for the 10th time this year and scored at least three for the third time (Nov. 2 at Yale, 3; Oct. 5 at Alaska Anchorage, 4).
• The Pios' nine power-play opportunities tied a season high from the season opener on Oct. 5 at Alaska Anchorage (4-for-9).
• Zeev Buium recorded his third career multi-goal game and second of the season, as he scored three times on Nov. 15 at North Dakota.
• With two points, Zeev Buium moved into sole possession of 12th place on DU's all-time scoring list by a defenseman.
• Hagen Burrows scored his first career goal, becoming the fourth Pioneer this season to tally their first NCAA marker.
• Samu Salminen skated in his 100th career NCAA game on Saturday.
• Thompson recorded his 30th assist of the season and ranks tied for sixth in the nation in scoring with 48 points.
• Caponi recorded his 20th career assist and 35th point off Hagen Burrow's tally. He also scored his 16th career goal with the Pioneers. 

 
GOAL SUMMARY
1st Period
2:15 CC (0-1) – Noah Laba's wrister from the slot went off the DU goalie's glove and into the net during a Tigers' rush up the ice.
5:41 DU (1-1) – PPG, Zeev Buium intercepted the puck on a failed clearing attempt that and fired a shot from the left circle that caromed off a CC player and bounced past the goaltender and into the cage.
8:48 CC (1-2) – Tommy Middleton buried the puck into a gaping cage on a rush up the after the Tigers forced a turnover in the neutral zone.
14:40 DU (2-2) – PPG, Aidan Thompson scored on a one-time snap shot from the right circle off a cross-pass by Carter King.
 
2nd Period
14:40 DU (3-2) – Hagen Burrows knocked in the puck during a scramble in the crease that was initially ruled as no goal but was overturned up video review by the on-ice officials.
6:39 DU (4-2) – PPG, Zeev Buium tallied on a wrister from the top of the left circle.
12:09 CC (4-3) – PPG, Bret Link redirected Klavs Veinbergs' shot while stationed in front of the cage.
18:00 DU (5-3) – Connor Caponi fired a wrist shot from the left side after taking a pass off the wall by Hagen Burrows.
 
3rd Period
8:10 DU (6-3) – Sam Harris took a loose put in the neutral zone and went top shelf with a backhander during a breakaway.
 
 
QUOTABLES
Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach David Carle
On the power play helping the team win: "It was obviously a huge difference maker. The power play is what it was last night, we go down 2-0 after the first, but they did a great job executing, moving the puck around. A lot of urgency obviously is a huge factor in the game going 3-for-3 to start on it. Hagen Burrows first career goal gets us a lead. That line got us another goal. Caponi gets us a 5-3 lead, so took everybody tonight, usually does in a series. So proud of everyone's efforts and happy that we are going to be here tomorrow."
 
On responding to each goal by Colorado College in the first period: "We talked about the mental, I guess urgency that the power play needed to happen. We got the power plays shortly after those goals (by Colorado College). And to go out there and get the game tied up, I just thought it gave our bench a lot of confidence, settle things down, and obviously give us the confidence that we could win the game. Matty [Davis] lets in an uncharacteristic first goal, loved his response as well after that. There's a lot to like from an urgency perspective that we were missing at times Friday evening."
 
On the fourth line: "Everybody likes to score, and as much as we talk about adding value without being on the score sheet, it does feel good when you are contributing on the score sheet. Hagen's had a number of chances this year, hasn't been able to get the puck in the back of the net, but I feel really happy for him that he was able to get a huge goal for us tonight. Came at a great time. You need depth certainly to have any sort of success in sport and ours is no different."
 
On Zeev Buium's game: "He attacked obviously on those two [goals]. I thought he had a good demeanor about him all night, kind of that attack mentality. He would be the first to tell you that he wasn't happy with his performance last night, and he wanted to right that performance and certainly did. He had a big-time performance along with many other guys, especially on that power play, starting 3-for-3 was something so huge for us."
 
Sophomore Defenseman Zeev Buium 
On responding with power-play goals: "It felt good, I thought we played great all night, obviously. In the first we played really good. One thing to try to focus on today was our power play and being difference-makers. It's good that a couple went into the back of the net (on the power play). Unfortunate bounces for the first two goals (against), but I thought we stayed with it all night." 
 
On playing better tonight: "I think we started moving the puck quicker and that's all it comes down to. When we're moving the puck quick and just trusting each other, finding lanes, and not overthinking it, good things happen. So we showed it out there tonight." 
 
On how they bounced back after Game 1 loss: "We played with a lot more urgency tonight, a lot more desperation, and it is just what we've go to carry into the rest of the year."
 
On the fourth line scoring twice: "Yeah, it was awesome, those guys work hard every night. Games are won and loss with your fourth and third lines. For them to come out there and play with some swagger and confidence, it was great to see
 
On Hagen Burrow's reviewed first goal: "Yeah, I saw it go in, so I was pretty confident, but I didn't know if they were going to call or something else. But it was awesome. He deserves it. He works so hard every day, and it was a long time coming, so hopefully they come in bunches."
 

TICKETS: Game 3 tickets for the NCHC Quarterfinals are now available online. Click here to purchase and for more information.