DU Hockey Rosters Full Team on 2025-26 NCHC Academic Honor Roll

02 JAN 2026: The University of Denver men’s hockey team takes on Maine at Magness Arena in Denver, CO. ©Justin Tafoya/Clarkson Creative Photography

Photo by: Justin Tafoya/Clarkson Creative

DU Hockey Rosters Full Team on 2025-26 NCHC Academic Honor Roll

7/16/2026 12:00:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey

Pioneers also had 23 players named Distinguished Scholar-Athletes

By: Ron Knabenbauer

DENVER – The University of Denver hockey team had all 10 of its freshman from the 2025-26 season added to the NCHC's Academic Honor Roll on Thursday, with each skater also earning recognition as an NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete.

Forwards Clarke Caswell, Kyle Chyzowski, Kristian Epperson, Brendan McMorrow, Brady Milburn, Payton Nelson and Reid Varkonyi, defenseman Eric Jamieson and goaltenders Johnny Hicks and Quentin Miller earned academic recognition from the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.

Including the initial announcement in February of returning players, all 25 of Denver's student-athletes were named to the Honor Roll while its 23 total Distinguished Scholar-Athletes were tied for the most in the conference with Colorado College. DU also joined CC as the only programs to have each of its players earn Honor Roll recognition, with the Pioneers ranking second behind the Tigers in total members (27).

The 15 players that were recognized on the earlier honor roll list were Kent Anderson, Cale Ashcroft, Garrett Brown, Boston Buckberger, Hagen Burrows, Kieran Cebrian, Jake Fisher, Paxton Geisel, Sam Harris, Rieger Lorenz, Tory Pitner, Eric Pohlkamp, James Reeder, Samu Salminen and Alec Whipple. Additionally, Anderson, Ashcroft, Buckberger, Burrows, Cebrian, Fisher, Geisel, Harris, Lorenz, Pitner, Pohlkamp, Reeder and Whipple were previously named Distinguished Scholar-Athletes.

Seniors Anderson and Lorenz earned distinction for each award in all four years at Denver.

Freshmen and first-year transfers were not eligible when the honors were first announced in late February, as they had not completed a full academic year.

To be eligible for the NCHC Academic Honor Roll, a student-athlete must have compiled a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average or better, while having completed at least one full academic year at their current institution. Student-athletes that have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or better are honored as NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athletes, in addition to the Academic Honor Roll. Athletic success and playing time were not criteria for these awards.

Nine DU players picked up national honors earlier this summer as Anderson, Buckberger, Caswell, Jamieson, Milburn, Miller, Pitner, Pohlkamp and Varkonyi were selected as National All-American Scholars.

Pioneers picked up other academic honors this past spring as Anderson and Buckberger were both named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team and Academic All-America First-Team members. Additional academic honors from this past year's team include Anderson being named the recipient of the NCHC Senior Scholar-Athlete Award, Buckberger being selected to the new NCHC Academic All-Conference Team and Jamieson, Miller and Varkonyi each being recognized as DU Athletics' Scholar-Athletes of the Year for having the highest grade-point average in the school's freshman class.

As a squad, DU hockey finished the 2025-26 academic year with a 3.75 cumulative grade-point average, which ranked second-highest among all men's sports at the school.

Overall, the NCHC added 96 newcomers to its 2025-26 Academic Honor Roll for 209 total student-athletes named to the list. The league had 70 freshmen and first-year transfers earn Distinguished Scholar-Athlete accolades, which brought that total to 153.

TICKETS: Five-game mini plans and group tickets for the DU hockey's championship-defense campaign in 2026-27 are on sale now. Click here for more information.

DENVER'S HOME FOR COLLEGE SPORTS
Visit DenverPioneers.com for complete coverage of all 18 of DU's NCAA Division I sports
Like Denver Pioneers and Denver Hockey on Facebook
Follow @DU_Pioneers and @DU_Hockey on X
Follow @DenverPioneers and @DU_Hockey on Instagram