No. 6 DU Defeats Miami 4-1 in Series Opener

DENVER – The No. 6 University of Denver hockey team scored twice in a matter of 2:20 during a major power play early in the second period and went on to defeat the Miami RedHawks 4-1 on Friday night at Magness Arena. 
 
“Proud of our guys that we were able to stay with it, stay patient, and trust that it would eventually come through,” said Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach David Carle. “Obviously, special teams were a huge factor on the night, get those two power-play goals, shut them out on the (penalty) kill, but it was a big deal.” 
 
Denver (16-5-1, 5-4-0 NCHC) wraps up its two-game home series against Miami on Saturday at 6 p.m. MT, and the outing will be broadcast on NCHC.tv. Limited tickets are available.
 
Sophomore and World Junior gold-medalist Zeev Buium ended the night with three points (1g/2a) for the Pioneers. Junior Aidan Thompson recorded two points with an assist and his sixth power-play goal of the season, tying him for first on the team.
 
Sophomore defenseman Erik Pohlkamp registered the Pios’ game-winning marker at 3:35 into the middle frame with assists from freshman Jake Fisher and junior Samu Salminen. 
 
Denver took advantage of an extended power play after MU’s Nick Donato received a five-minute major and game misconduct for checking senior Jack Devine from behind and into the boards just 28 seconds into the second period. Thompson buried a shot from the left circle at 1:15 of the frame, and Pohlkamp did the same from the right side with less than two minutes to go on the man advantage.
 
Colby Ambrosio got the RedHawks within one goal with less than two minutes remaining in the second period, making the score 2-1 entering the intermission.
 
Devine netted his third goal of the year midway through the third frame, and Buium scored his second empty-net goal of the season with 1:53 left to play.
 
Senior goaltender Matt Davis saved 18 shots throughout the night for the win for Denver. Miami goaltender Bruno Bruveris stopped 32-of-36 shots sent his way. 
 
The Pioneers finished 2-for-5 on the power play and 4-for-4 on the penalty kill.
 
UP NEXT: Denver and Miami wrap up their weekend series on Saturday at 6 p.m. MT at Magness Arena. Game time is at 6 p.m., and it will be broadcast on NCHC.tv.
 
 
POSTGAME NOTES

• Friday’s game was the first of four games that the Pios will play against the RedHawks this season, as they will play another series against each other in Oxford, Ohio, on Feb. 21-22. 
• The Pioneers stretched their unbeaten streak against the RedHawks to 15 games (14-0-1) and are now unbeaten in their last 14 matchups at Magness Arena, with Miami’s last win in Denver being Feb. 22, 2019.
• DU leads the all-time series 34-13-4 and is 20-1-1 in the past 22 outings vs. MU.
• Zeev Buium recorded his third three-point game of the season and the eighth of his career. Overall, it was also his fifth multi-assist game and sixth multi-point outing of the year.
• Buium now has 12 points in his last nine games (4g/8a) dating back to Nov. 15 at North Dakota.
• Aidan Thompson tied Sam Harris and Carter King for the team lead in goals (12) and matched Sam Harris for first on the squad in power-play markers (6).
• Jack Devine recorded his 135th career point (47g/88a), moving him into a tie with Jerry Walker for 34th place on the program’s all-time list.
• Carter King recorded his 50th career assist on Aidan Thompson’s power-play goal and is on a three-game point streak (1g/2a)
• Denver leads the nation on the power play and has scored with the man advantage in three straight games. DU has now tallied multiple times on the power play in five contests this year.
• Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach David Carle and defenseman Zeev Buium returned to the team after helping the United States win its second-straight gold medal at the IIHF World Junior Championship on Sunday.
• DU and Miami were playing their seventh-straight contest against one another at Magness Arena.
• Miami head coach Anthony Noreen is in his first season at the helm of the program and previously coached several former Pioneers with the USHL Tri-City Storm, including current student-athletes Kieran Cebrian (2020-2023) and Cale Ashcroft (2022-23).

 
GOAL SUMMARY
1st Period
No Scoring
 
2nd Period
1:15 DU (1-0) – PPG, Aidan Thompson’s shot from the left circle beat the Miami goaltender and hit the back of the cage
3:37 DU (2-0) – PPG, Eric Pohlkamp received a cross-pass from Carter King and scored on a wrist shot that went short-side from the right circle for DU’s second goal on the major power play.
18:32 MU (2-1) – Colby Ambrosio tallied on a wrist shot while streaking toward the net.
 
3rd Period
9:26 DU (3-1) – Jack Devine’s one-time shot went off a Miami players’ leg and redirected into the back of the net.
18:07 DU (4-1) – ENG, Zeev Buium scored unassisted into an open net on a shot from the point.
 
 
QUOTABLES
Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach David Carle
On Jack Devine scoring: “Sometimes that’s what it takes (scoring on a deflection). I don’t think we would’ve guessed that would be his third goal of the year in January. He always finds a way to make other people better; that’s hard to do too. So he’s shown a lot of resilience in his game, which is great for us and great for him for the future.”
 
On Eric Pohlkamp’s growth: “He’s a big part of our team; he assimilated himself in quickly. There’s ebbs and flows to offense that you generate, especially on the back end. I think a big thing for him is not getting frustrated by that. Him going through a little bit of adversity with being productive is a good thing for him. He’s a defenseman; that’s where his game needs to be great, and the offense is a secondary thing. Certainly, it’s something we lean on him and a few others on our back end to provide. At the end of the day, they need to make sure that they are keeping the puck out of our net, and I think he’s working through that process in a really positive way in the last month or so.”
 
Junior Forward Jack Devine 
On changes from first to second period: “We just stuck with it. I thought we actually played really well, and I thought they gave us a good push, but it was just consistency. With a game like that you can get frustrated about things not going your way, but you have to stick with it. Another thing was the power play–those two goals were really big, and it kind of gave us a little bit of comfort going in there.” 
 
On changes the team needs to make for the series finale: “In the third (period), they gave us a good push there, so just review that a little bit. Obviously, we had a lot of chances, so see if we can execute a little better. They’re a good team, but when we get chances, try and lengthen that lead a little bit.” 
 

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