The University of Denver’s experience winning the past two NCAA hockey championships might help explain its recent stellar road play.
The Pioneers have won eight consecutive road games – one shy of the program record. They also went 8-0 outside Denver during the 2004 and 2005 NCAA tournaments.
“We’re such a different team from last year and the year before, so we can’t base it all on experience, but it’s certainly one of the reasons,” Pioneers coach George Gwozdecky said. DU won 3-2 and 5-3 at Alaska- Anchorage last weekend.
Gwozdecky said his team’s improving health also is a big reason for the road success. DU’s depth is a problem and the team had difficulty overcoming last month’s shoulder injuries to defensemen Adrian Veideman and Chris Butler.
“It’s not a coincidence that when we have been successful, it’s been when many or all of our regulars are in the lineup,” Gwozdecky said.
DU, idle this weekend, must transfer its success on the road to its home ice to stay atop the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. The Pioneers are tied with Wisconsin and Minnesota with a WCHA-high 28 points and have eight regular-season games remaining – five at home. DU is 1-3 in its past four games at Magness Arena.
“Based upon our great arena and our great fans, I don’t see why we wouldn’t continue to play well,” Gwozdecky said.
DU resumes action Feb. 10, when it begins a two-game series against visiting Minnesota State. The Pioneers visit Minnesota on Feb. 17-18 before hosting North Dakota on Feb. 24-25. The home-and-home series March 2-3 with Colorado College caps the regular season.
Footnotes
DU defenseman and leading scorer Matt Carle enhanced his Hobey Baker Award campaign with four assists against the Seawolves. Carle is the country’s top-scoring defenseman with 40 points, tying him with two other Hobey candidates – CC wing Brett Sterling and Boston College center Chris Collins – for third nationally. … DU’s Ryan Dingle leads the country with six game-winning goals. Sterling is in a four-way tie for second with five. … Gwoz- decky, born in Thunder Bay, Ontario, will meet Canadian hockey hero Wayne Gretzky for the first time Wednesday during the “DU Night with the Phoenix Coyotes.” The DU Hockey Alumni Association and Gretzky, the Coyotes’ co-owner and coach, put the event together.
Mike Chambers can be reached at 303-820-5453 or mchambers@denverpost.com.
