Madison, Wis. – Senior goalie Glenn Fisher was the University of Denver’s backup when the Pioneers won the 2004 and 2005 national titles. But Friday night, in a game featuring the teams that have combined to win the last three NCAA championships, Fisher played like a Frozen Four hero.
Fisher outdueled Wisconsin goalie Brian Elliott, a Hobey Baker Award top-three finalist last season, in a 2-0 DU victory that improved the Pioneers to 10-1-2 in the Kohl Center since one of college hockey’s best venues opened in 1998.
It was Fisher’s second career shutout; his first came last season against the Badgers at the 15,000-seat building.
“I wish I played at ‘Wisco’ every night,” Fisher said after DU improved to 5-4 and 3-2 in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.
Fisher (27 saves) was supported with third-period goals from senior Mike Handza and redshirt freshman Brock Trotter. The latter deflated the defending national champions and sent their 13,684 fans home shaking their heads.
Handza, a fourth-line center, stuffed a rebound past Elliott 2:29 into the third after defenseman T.J. Fast rang a slap shot off the left post and crossbar to fool Elliott and two defensemen atop the crease. Trotter scored on a breakaway, off a fantastic two-line pass from defenseman Chris Butler, to double the lead with 2:45 to play.
Handza has just seven career goals, and Friday’s was his first of the season, but his last three dating to last year have been game-winners.
“Being at the right place at the right time pays off,” Handza said.
The Pioneers have gone 3-1 in their past four games, and their only defeat in that stretch was in overtime at Minnesota-Duluth. DU carried the play for most of the game Friday, outshooting Wisconsin 21-15 through two periods, and completed an outstanding night of penalty killing in the third.
Steven Cook and Geoff Paukovich took penalties at 7:58 and 12:30, respectively, but DU killed them both off to blank the Badgers on five power-play opportunities for the game.
“I thought we had some pretty good chances,” said Wisconsin coach Mike Eaves, whose team is 4-5-2, 3-3-1 in the WCHA heading into tonight’s two-game series finale. “We’re doing some things, giving some looks, and we just have to stay persistent with them.”
The game’s most telling statistic probably isn’t the most obvious. The Pioneers blocked 22 shots, twice as many as Wisconsin.
“The shots I didn’t see, the guys in front of me did an outstanding job of blocking shots, and our penalty killing was outstanding,” Fisher said.
Despite Fisher’s stellar play, DU coach George Gwozdecky said junior Peter Mannino would start between the pipes in Game 2. Gwozdecky, who at the beginning of the season said he wanted to identify a No. 1 goaltender and have him play regularly, said he’s not returning to a platoon system, but that the No. 1 job remains up for grabs.
Fisher (4-2) lowered his goals-against average to 2.14. Mannino (1-2), the 2005 Frozen Four MVP, has a 2.91 GAA.
Denver 0 0 2 – 2
Wisconsin 0 0 0 – 0
First period – None. Penalties – Likens, UW (interference), 3:13; Helgason, DU (holding), 5:59; Fast, DU (slashing), 14:33; Carlson, UW (interference), 15:28; Geoffrion, UW (interference), 14:01; Olinger, UW (holding), 18:46.
Second period – None. Penalties – Cook, DU (slashing), 2:21; Fast, DU (hooking), 4:58; Brandt, UW (diving), 4:58; UW bench (too many men), 18:47.
Third period – 1, Denver, Handza 1 (Fast, Cook), 2:29. 2, Denver, Trotter 3 (Butler, Ruegsegger), 17:15. Penalties – Handza, DU (hooking), 4:45; Geoffrion, UW (slashing), 4:45; Cook, DU (holding), 7:58; Paukovich, DU (interference), 12:30; Gorowsky, UW (hooking), 19:08.
Shots on goal – DU 7-14-11-32. UW 5-10-12-27. Power play opportunities – DU 0 of 6. UW 0 of 5. Goalies – DU, Fisher (4-2) 27 shots-27 saves. UW, Elliott (4-5-1) 32-30. A – 13,684.
Staff writer Mike Chambers can be reached at 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com.
