DENVER – The Gold Pan was the first trophy the University of Denver hockey team had a chance to win, and the Pioneers needed to find different ways to defeat rival Colorado College to secure the hardware for a seventh straight campaign.
Denver only needed to split the four-game regular-season series against its long-time rival from Colorado Springs, but CC didn't make it easy this year—not when the teams met in November nor this past weekend.
DU battled through each challenge the Tigers sent this year, and officially assured itself the hardware on Friday night at Ed Robson Arena in a 2-2 tie before taking the extra point in the NCHC standings by winning the end-of-overtime shootout. The Pios then posted maybe their most complete game of the season on Saturday with a 4-1 win at Magness Arena, stretching their unbeaten stretch to five games (4-0-1) and home winning streak to four in a row.
"Proud of our guys," said Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach
David Carle. "It's a trophy that means a lot to our players and our alumni. And to have that, you know, at home in Denver is a big thing for us and our fans."
Denver has taken the Gold Pan 20 times compared to CC's 13 since the award began in circulation in 1993-94. The Pioneers have now finished with the trophy in 11 of the last 12 years since 2014-15 and have taken it back to the DU hilltop 14 times in the past 17 campaigns since 2009-10.
The Pios seven straight seasons with the Gold Pan is the longest stretch by either squad in the trophy's history—CC won it four straight form 1999-00 to 2002-03—and this year's seniors becomes the fourth class In a row and just the fifth all-time to never relinquish the hardware back down I-25.
"I mean it's our biggest rivalry," said senior
Rieger Lorenz after Friday's game. "You know, it's nice to beat those guys consistently year in and year out."
Despite going unbeaten with a 3-0-1 mark against the Tigers, the trophy was earned this year by the Pioneers.
DU scored late in the third period before winning 2-1 in overtime on Nov. 14 at home and then held off CC's comeback attempt the next night in the Springs in a 3-2 victory. This past Friday, Denver rallied from two goals down early in the second period with markers from Lorenz and
Jake Fisher, and freshman goaltender
Johnny Hicks made 30 saves to force OT and lock up the trophy.
"I thought it was a really competitive game, exactly what we had thought," Carle said postgame on Friday. "You wouldn't think this is the second-place team and the eighth or ninth place, wherever they are in the standings playing here tonight. You thought that was a fight for home ice. They're a really good hockey team."
There was no letdown by DU the following night either despite already capturing the Gold Pan.
The Pios tallied twice midway through the first period and despite CC cutting the deficit to one just before the intermission, the outcome never felt in doubt in what was ultimately a 4-1 win. Denver held Colorado College to single-digit shots each period, finished with a 39-18 edge overall and was disciplined with just two penalties against while going 1-for-5 on the power play.
"It was really good for us," Lorenz noted of Saturday's contest. "Obviously, last night we got down two [goals] quick—I liked the resilience from our group, had to come back. And tonight I thought [we played] a full 60. Really proud of where we've come since the start of the second half here."
The Tigers have been much more competitive in recent years and the temperature of the rivalry has climbed once again among the fan bases. Both rinks over the weekend had sellout crowds, with 3,547 on Friday at Ed Robson Arena and 7,082 on Saturday at Magness Arena—an attendance record for DU's home rink.
Each student section has also brought the energy and a renewed passion hatred for the visiting squad.
"All four years I've been here, it's been awesome home and away when we play CC," Lorenz said. "It's a huge rivalry between our two programs, and I think guys play better when they are in that atmosphere."
This year's heated series in the most-played rivalry in college hockey history—352 games—might ultimately serve as an 'answer key' for Denver as it begins the postseason in three weeks' time.
The Pioneers will be forced to find ways to finish games, complete comebacks and hold onto leads during the conference and nationals tournaments, and they can look back at their series against the CC Tigers with confidence they can overcome whatever situation they're in.
RIEGER RISING
Junior forward
Rieger Lorenz is on a three-game goal streak and has four goals and five points in his last five games.
"I don't think there's a difference,"
Lorenz noted on Saturday of his recent scoring stretch. "I'm still trying to work hard and get pucks in the net. And obviously that was a nice play by Jay [Reeder] on the second goal there tonight."
His three-game with a marker ties his career long that he set as a sophomore from Nov. 11-19, 2023 and he is one-game shy of matching his personal-best point streak of four contests.
The Calgary, Alberta, native had his fifth multi-point game of the season on Saturday after tallying DU's first marker on Friday to help it rally from a two-goal deficit and ultimate tie Colorado College.
Defenseman
Eric Pohlkamp has the longest goal streak of the season by a Denver player as he went on a four-game run from Nov. 1-14.
HERE'S JOHNNY!
Freshman
Johnny Hicks has started in net each of the last four games and is unbeaten in his past five decisions after fellow rookie
Quentin Miller suffered a lower-body injury on Jan. 24 against St. Cloud State.
He has posted a 4-0-1 mark and stopped 47-of-50 shots last weekend vs. CC after making 48-of-49 saves the previous week against Minnesota Duluth. His 30 stops on Friday in Colorado Springs helped the Pios rally from a two-goal deficit.
"I said it last weekend, we've always known what we have with Johnny,"
Lorenz said. "We practiced with him all summer–all year. We're super confident [in him]. He puts the work in. He's an awesome dude. We're cheering for him, and he's been awesome for us these last [five] games."
Overall, Hicks has posted a 0.87 goals-against average, .967 save percentage and one shutout in nine appearances and four starts this season, and he recorded a shutout streak of 100:33 across three games from Jan. 16-30.
MORE NOTABLES
- Denver hockey head coach David Carle coached his 300th game last Friday, Nov. 6 at Colorado College, joining Murray Armstrong, Ralph Backstrom and George Gwozecky as DU bench bosses to reach the milestone. Carle has registered 195 wins and a .683 winning percentage through the first 300 games, with only Armstrong being posting better marks in Pioneer history with 203 victories and a .707 win-percentage.
- For the second time this season, Denver set a new single-game attendance record at Magness Arena as 7,082 fans watched the Gold Pan rivalry with Colorado College. DU's previous high mark was 7,073 in the Tigers' first visit to Denver this season on Nov. 14.
- Garrett Brown scored his first goal since Dec. 5 versus the Miami RedHawks and registered his first career game-winning marker.
- Sam Harris registered multiple points in a contest for the third time this year on Saturday
- Johnny Hicks' 17 saves on Saturday were tied for the fewest in a win this season by a DU goalie. Quentin Miller also stopped 17 shots in a win on Nov. 1 vs. Alaska Anchorage.
- The Pioneers played their eighth overtime game of the season last Friday and is 2-3-3 this season in extra time.
- Denver won its second shootout of the season on Friday and is 2-1 in the tiebreak. DU also won the shootout at nearby Air Force in the season opener on Oct. 10.
- DU tied CC for the first time on Friday since March 6, 2020 (2-2); the Pios also went on to win the shootout.
- Denver won its first shootout in NCHC play since Feb. 23, 2024 vs. Miami (1-0, three rounds).
- The Pioneers have won each of the last four shootouts vs. the Tigers dating back to Dec. 9, 2017 at CC and is 5-1 all-time in the tiebreak against their in-state foe (since 2013-14).
- Sam Harris eclipsed 100 career penalty minutes on Friday (110).
- Jake Fished scored his first career game-tying goal on Friday.
- DU closed out a stretch of six straight games and 10-of-12 outings in the state of Colorado.
- The Pios and Tigers met earlier this campaign on Nov. 14-15 in their first home-and-home series, with DU winning 2-1 at Magness Arena before holding off CC for a 3-2 victory on the road in the last meeting.
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