GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The No. 9 University of Denver hockey team travels to take on the No. 5 North Dakota Fighting Hawks in a two-game series between the top teams in the NCHC.
 
Friday's puck drop is set for 6 p.m. MT at Ralph Engelstad Arena, and Saturday's game begins 5 p.m. MT. Both contests will be broadcast on NCHC.tv and can be heard locally as well on Denver Sports 104.3 The Fan HD3.
 
Denver (12-9-2, 8-4-0 NCHC) has 24 points in the NCHC standings and is five points behind first-place North Dakota (17-5-0, 9-3-0 NCHC).
 
The Pioneers are looking to rally after falling to Western Michigan last weekend to split the four-game regular-season series with the defending champion Broncos. On Friday, WMU beat Denver 4-1, with the Pios finishing with a 36-24 edge in shots. Boston Buckberger put away a power-play goal late in the third, shortening Western Michigan's lead to one, but WMU was then able to earn two empty-net goals to finalize its win.
 
On Saturday, James Reeder opened the scoring just 35 seconds into the game but Western Michigan replied with five unanswered goals. Rieger Lorenz hit the back of the net late in the second to earn a power-play tally, to which Reeder earned his second point of the night with an assist. The Broncos finished the game with an empty-netter to take the 6-2 win despite DU outshooting WMU 37-30.
 
North Dakota (17-5-0, 9-3-0 NCHC) is coming off a split with Colorado College last weekend in Colorado Springs. Friday's game went to overtime, where CC managed to edge the Fighting Hawks 3-2 to end their eight-game winning streak. The following night, UND was ready for redemption and defeated the CC Tigers 5-2.
 
The Denver and North Dakota series dates back to 1950, the first season of Denver Hockey, and is the Pioneers' second-most played rivalry behind Colorado College, which ranks first all-time college hockey. DU is 138-160-16 all-time versus UND and 48-95-10 in Grand Forks but own an 8-4-0 record in the last 12 meetings of the series
 
The Pioneers went 3-1-0 last year against the Fighting Hawks, including a sweep in Grand Forks in November where they finished the two-game set with a goal aggregate of 8-4. The teams split the series in Denver in February, with DU winning 4-0 on Feb. 14 before falling 3-1 in the most recent outing on Feb. 15.
 
Denver will be playing its only two road games in the month of January, as the squad is in the middle of a stretch where it will play eight-of-10 contests on home ice.
 
MILESTONE MEN: Senior forward Rieger Lorenz is expected to play in his 150th career game on Friday, while junior defenseman Eric Pohlkamp is set to suit up in his 100th career NCAA contest the same night.  Lorenz leads all active players in the NCAA in games played, and Pohlkamp has played 67 of his previous 99 outings at DU after beginning his college career at Bemidji State in 2023-24.
 
Denver has four players this season that have already reached 100 career games, with Kieran Cebrian being the last to hit the milestone on Jan. 2 vs. Maine.  Boston Buckberger and Sam Harris each appeared in their 100th career games on Nov. 29 vs. Minnesota in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game, while Cale Ashcroft reached the milestone on Dec. 13 at St. Cloud State.
 
Senior captain Kent Anderson skated in his 125th career game on Dec. 12 at St. Cloud State, while alternate captain Samu Salminen did the same on Dec. 13 vs. the Huskies.
 
POWERING UP THE PP: Denver has scored a power-play goal in five straight games dating back to Dec. 13 at St. Cloud State, the team's longest streak of the season and its longest since also scoring with the man advantage in five consecutive contests from Jan. 3-24, 2025.
 
The Pioneers have gone 6-for-21 on the power play in its last five outings, scoring at a 28.6-percent clip. DU also has nine power-play goals in nine contests going back to Nov. 29 vs. Minnesota, posting a 26.5-percent success rate (9-for-34).
 
The last time the Pioneers have tallied with the man advantage in more than five games was when they did it in 11 straight from Oct. 19-Nov. 23, 2024.
 
NOTABLES

• Denver is in a stretch where the squad is set to play ranked opponents in four-of-five weekends, including top-six teams in then-No. 6 Western Michigan last week (Jan. 9-10), No. 5 North Dakota this weekend and current No. 6-ranked Minnesota Duluth on Jan. 30-31.
• The Pioneers scored their quickest goal to start a game this season on Saturday as James Reeder tallied 35 seconds into the first period. The previous fastest was 1:16 by Clarke Caswell on Oct. 18 at Lindenwood.
• Defenseman Eric Pohlkamp extended his assist/point streak (1g/3a) to three games.
• Freshman goaltender Johnny Hicks appeared in his third career game, stopping all 13 shots in the final 27:37 after coming in relief in the second period.
• James Reeder recorded his fifth multi-point game of the season on Saturday.
• Boston Buckberger had a career-high eight shots on goal on Friday.
• Eric Pohlkamp had nine shots on goal, marking the sixth time this season the defenseman has had six or more shots in a contest.
• Denver scored with the goaltender pulled for the fourth time this season on Friday, with Boston Buckberger also netting his second such marker of the campaign (Nov. 29 vs. Minnesota).
• Freshman forward Kyle Chyzowski had his career-long six-game point streak (4g/4a) come to an end on Friday
• Defenseman Alec Whipple made his season debut on Friday, while Garrett Brown missed his first contests of the season (lower-body injury).
• WMU's Zaccharya Wisdom's short-handed, empty-net goal on Friday was the first tally against during a DU man advantage since Colorado College's Ty Gallagher on March 16, 2025 in the NCHC Quarterfinals.
• DU was swept in a conference series for the first time since Nov. 22-23, 2024 vs. Arizona State, which was also the last time the team lost both games on home ice.

MILLER NAMED TO RICHTER WATCH LIST: Freshman Quentin Miller was named on Wednesday to the watch list for the Mike Richter Award, given at the end of the year to the top goaltender in college hockey.
 
Miller was one of six NCHC goalies and 29 nationally to be named to the watch list by the Hockey Commissioners Association. To qualify for the initial list, a goaltender must have compiled a 2.40 goals-against average or lower, or a .917 save percentage or higher, while playing at least 33 percent of their team's minutes in net.
 
Denver has had one previous recipient of the Mike Richter Award, with Tanner Jaillet picking up the honor in 2017.
 
IN POHL POSITION: Junior Eric Pohlkamp leads all NCAA defensemen and ranks top 10 overall in the country with 13 goals this season, and he is also currently tied for first among all players at his position with 24 points as well (Minnesota Duluth's Ty Hanson).
 
Pohlkamp's 13 goals on the year already ties him for ninth place in program history for markers by a blueliner in a single season, and it is the second straight year that a DU D-man has scored 13 goals after Zeev Buium also hit that mark in 2024-25.  Mike Benning was the last Pioneer to tally more in a season when he netted 15 in 2021-22.
 
The Baxter, Minn., native leads the Pioneers in both goals and points and is also first in power-play goals (3-tied), game-winning goals (2-tied) and shots (108), the latter of which he also leads the nation in. He ranks tied for second in power-play points (3g/4a) and third plus/minus rating (+12).
 
His previous career high for goals was 11, which he accomplished each the past two seasons as a sophomore at Denver in 2023-24 and as a freshman at Bemidji State in 2022-23.
 
BUCK GOES WILD: Defenseman Boston Buckberger has points in 12 of his last 16 games since Nov. 1 (7g/10a) and has registered nine points in the past nine contests (4g/5a).
 
Buckberger recorded five goals in a five-game stretch from Nov. 14-29, which included a career-long, three-game streak from Nov. 14-21.  It was the second time this season that a Denver D-man had tallied in three straight games, as Buckberger joined defensive partner Eric Pohlkamp who did it in four straight from Nov. 1-14. He recorded his first career multi-goal game on Nov. 29 against Minnesota in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game at Ball Arena, including the tying marker in the final 23 seconds to force overtime.
 
HISTORY VS. NORTH DAKOTA: DU and UND are set to meet in the only two games this season as the Fighting Hawks won't make the return trip to Magness Arena this year. DU went 3-1-0 last year against UND, with the Hawks winning the last matchup by a 3-1 score on Feb. 15, 2025 in Denver … The Pioneers won both games in Grand Forks last year with 5-2 and 3-2 victories on Nov. 15-16, 2025 … Denver is 8-4-0 in the last 12 games versus North Dakota, which includes winning all four outings against its rival in 2022-23 for its first four-game sweep since 2009-10. North Dakota is Denver's second-most common opponent behind Colorado College (348 games) as DU owns a 138-160-16 record in the all-time series that's been played 314 times.  Denver sports an 81-56-5 mark at home against UND and is 48-95-10 in Grand Forks. The Pios are 121-135-14 in conference play. DU defeated UND to win three of its 10 national championships: 1958 in Minneapolis, Minn., 1968 in Duluth, Minn., and 2005 in Columbus, Ohio.
 
PREVIOUS MEETING (FEB. 15, 2025): The No. 6-ranked University of Denver hockey team lost 3-1 against the No. 17 North Dakota Fighting Hawks on Saturday night to split the two-game series at Magness Arena.  DU defeated NoDak 4-0 in the opener on Friday and won the season series 3-1-0 after sweeping the set in Grand Forks on Nov. 15-16.  Sophomore goaltender Freddie Halyk held the net for the Pioneers and saved 20 shots, including 12 in the first period.  DU outshot UND 35-23 in the contest, including by a 15-7 margin in the second period and 13-3 in the third.  Senior Carter King tied the game at 1-1 during a 5-on-3 power play at 4:19 in the second after North Dakota opened the scoring in the first period. Sophomore Zeev Buium and junior Aidan Thompson had assists on King's 14th tally of the season.  The Hawks responded by scoring two unanswered goals within seven minutes to make the score 3-1.  Cameron Berg tallied on a power play at 14:21 of the second frame and Dylan James scored shorthanded just one minute into the third stanza.  North Dakota goaltender T.J. Semptimphelter saved 34-of-35 shots that the Pioneers shot his way.
 
CONNECTIONS: Denver's Payton Nelson played with North Dakota's Ken Klee on the Colorado Thunderbirds 16U AAA in 2021-22 … Klee is from Castle Rock and his father, Ken, used to play for the Colorado Avalanche (2006-07) … Jake Fisher played junior hockey in North Dakota with the USHL Fargo Force in 2023-24 and won a Clark Cup championship on the team with UND's Mac Swanson …. Denver's Kent Anderson, Eric Jamieson and Rieger Lorenz and NoDak's Dylan James are all from Calgary, Alberta, and Lorenz played with James on the AJHL's Okotoks Oilers in 2020-21 … Boston Buckberger and Josh Zakreski are each from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and played for the Saskatoon Blazers' U18 minor program in 2019-2021 … Clarke Caswell and Dalton Andrew and both from Brandon, Manitoba … Denver's Kristian Epperson and Brendan McMorrow and NoDak's EJ Emery played two seasons together at the U.S. National Team Development Program from 2022-2024 … McMorrow and Emery played together for Team USA at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championships … DU's Sam Harris (San Diego) and Emery (Compton) are both from Southern California … Eric Pohlkamp was on the U.S. Collegiate Select Team with Jake Livanavage and Abram Wiebe for the 2025 Spengler Cup this past December … Johnny Hicks was teammates with the Fighting Hawks' Cole Reschny and Keaton Verhoeff on the WHL Victoria Royals in spring 2025 … Josh Zakreski skated three-plus seasons as teammates with DU's Kyle Chyzowski on the WHL Portland Winterhawks from 2022-2025 … Tory Pitner and Andrew Strathmann skated two seasons together with the USHL Youngstown Phantoms (2022-2024) and won the Clark Cup together in 2023 … Brady Milburn was a teammate with Abram Wiebe on the BCHL Chilliwack Chiefs from 2021-2023 … Paxton Geisel played with Jayden Jubenvill with the USHL Dubuque Fighting Saints in 2022-23 … Will Zellers was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in 2024 (No. 76 overall) and has since had his NHL rights traded to the Boston Bruins.
 
SCOUTING THE FIGHTING HAWKS: The Fighting Hawks ranked fifth in the country in both national media polls and own a 17-5-0 overall record.  UND leads the NCHC standings with a 9-3-0 conference record and 29 points, five more than second-place Denver.  NoDak had an eight-game winning streak come to an end last Friday with a 3-2 overtime loss at Colorado College, but the Fighting Hawks responded in the series finale on Saturday in Colorado Springs with a 5-2 victory. UND will be playing its first ranked opponent since splitting a home series against then No. 10 Minnesota Duluth on Oct. 31-Nov. 1. Ben Strinden leads the team with 13 goals and 22 points, while Dylan James (12) and Will Zellers (10) have also reached double-figures in tallies. Defenseman Jake Livanavage and Cole Reschny both pace the squad with 17 assists and are also tied for second on the team with 22 points (3g/17a). Like the Pioneers, UND has been the benefactor of solid goaltending in a freshman in Jan Spunar, who owns an 11-1-0 record, 1.67 goals-against average, .929 save percentage and two shutouts this season.
 
NATIONAL LEADERBOARD

• Eric Pohlkamp leads all NCAA D-men and ranks tied for 11th overall among all skaters in goals (13). His 24 points are tied for first among defensemen in the nation, while his 108 shots lead all NCAA players.
• Quentin Miller is tied for first in shutouts (3), tied for 10th in wins (11), tied for 17th in GAA (2.27) and is 18th in Save% (.919).
• Boston Buckberger is tied for fourth in goals (7), tied for sixth in points (20) and tied for 11th in assists (13) among defensemen.
• Eric Jamieson is tied for sixth among all college D-men in goals (6).

IT'S MILLER TIME: Goaltender Quentin Miller has started 20 straight games, the most by a DU keeper since Matt Davis played the final 26 to close out the 2023-24 campaign.  Miller didn't lose in regulation in a 12-game stretch from Oct. 31-Dec. 12 (9-3-0), which included allowing one goal or fewer in six outings and a pair of shutouts.  He went on a personal-best, six-game winning streak from Nov. 1-21 and registered career highs in both games at Western Michigan, stopping 35-of-36 shots on Nov. 7 and 41-of-44 pucks his way on Nov. 8.
 
PIONEERS IN THE POLLS: Denver ranks No. 9 in the latest USCHO.com poll and is ranked No. 10 in the USA Hockey rankings on the latest lists that were released on Monday.  The Pioneers began the year at No. 4 in each preseason media poll and are presently No. 11 in the NPI rankings that will determine this year's NCAA Tournament field.
 
The NCHC has four teams ranked with all four in the top 10, joining the Big Ten as the only conferences to have it.  Overall, the league ranks tied with the Big Ten and ECAC for the second-most ranked squads behind Hockey East (five). Joining DU in the polls from the conference are Western Michigan (3/4), North Dakota (5/5) and Minnesota Duluth (6/6) and Western Michigan (3/4). Arizona State, Colorado College, Miami and St. Cloud State all received votes in the USCHO.com ranking, while ASU and St. Cloud also earned nods in the USA Hockey poll.
 
SHOTS ON SHOTS ON SHOTS: The Pioneers lead the nation by averaging 37.1 shots per game and have recorded 40 or more shots in seven contests this season.
 
DU outshot Minnesota 52-25 on Nov. 29 for its second game of the season with 50 or more shots.  The Pioneers outshot the Gophers 25-5 in the first period for its most shots in a period since the start of the 2021-22 season, and it was the largest shot differential for a single frame since they outshot UMass 22-1 in the third period on Oct. 14, 2022.
 

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