Even George Gwozdecky can’t stop talking about the Rockies. And as the University of Denver hockey coach prepares his team for Friday’s season opener, he can’t help but draw parallels between his young team and the Rockies’ postseason push.
“It is as inspiring a story that I have experienced,” Gwozdecky said of the Rockies’ magical run. “In many ways it reminds me of some of our previous teams, especially the 2004 national championship team.”
Gwozdecky, who has the youngest team in his 14 years at DU, uses the Rockies as an example of how he wants his Pioneers to play this season – together.
For Gwozdecky, that means trying to blend five top-end players with a handful of untapped veterans and 12 freshmen.
The Pioneers, who have just three eligible seniors and feature 19 underclassmen, have lost four players early to the professional ranks since January, and six in the past 18 months. The Pioneers went from the proven talent level of the New York Yankees to the unproven talent level of the Rockies.
Which is exactly Gwozdecky’s point.
Finding chemistry and playing together may be the Pioneers’ only chance of returning to the NCAA Tournament, which concludes at the Pepsi Center for the Frozen Four in April.
“Everybody has talent at the level they play at,” Gwozdecky said. “Usually, the intangible things allow that talent to be successful on a consistent basis.”
He has a good nucleus to work around. The Pioneers have a solid goaltender in senior Peter Mannino, who is pegged to start every game; one of the top defensemen in the country in junior Chris Butler; and three forwards who were college hockey’s most productive threesome last season as freshmen.
Sophomores Brock Trotter, Rhett Rakhshani and Tyler Ruegsegger are coming off a combined 110 points. Trotter led the team last season with 40 points (16 goals). Rakhshani had 36 points (team-high 26 assists) and Ruegsegger chipped in 34 points (15 goals) and led the team with a plus-15 rating.
“We have experience and we have talent at the critical positions, starting in goal,” Gwozdecky said. “Peter Mannino is going to carry the mail. … Potentially, he could be the best goalie in the country.”
As a freshman in 2005, Mannino went 18-4-1 and led DU to its second straight NCAA title. The Frozen Four MVP compiled a save percentage of .927 that season, best in DU history.
He wasn’t as stingy as a sophomore or junior, going a combined 20-14-3 while sharing duties with Glenn Fisher, and Mannino’s career save percentage has dropped to .917, second in team history behind now-New York Islanders backup Wade Dubielewicz (.923).
Mannino was one of four DU freshmen to take the opening faceoff in the 2005 NCAA title game, along with Andrew Thomas, Paul Stastny and Ryan Dingle. Many believed that was the beginning of a dynasty, but the Pioneers haven’t made the 16-team national field since, and Stastny and Dingle have moved on to the pros.
Mannino seems poised to go out where he came in.
“I just want to be that confident, last line of defense for the team, and let them know that goaltending is not something they need to worry about,” he said. “I put everything in the past, for our class and our program in general, but we haven’t been in the tournament the last two years. It’s disappointing.”
No need to explain that to Butler, Trotter, Rakhshani and Ruegsegger. They came to DU to win national titles, but those expectations could have steered them in a dangerous direction.
DU played itself out of the past two NCAA Tournaments with late-season collapses. The Pioneers finished 1-6-2 last season and 3-5-1 in 2006.
“We’re not going to get soft,” Butler said. “We’re not going to go downhill the last half of the season. I see us continually improving and making the tournament.”
As for making the Frozen Four, which returns to Denver for the first time since 1976, Gwozdecky is taking the passive approach.
“Everybody is very aware of what’s at the end of the rainbow, so to speak, and to play in your hometown in a championship like that would be just terrific,” he said. “But I don’t think you’re going to see us talking about it or really having it on our radar screen. There are many other goals that have to be accomplished first.”
Sounds like the Rockies’ approach to the World Series.
DU’S FABULOUS FIVE
Peter Mannino
The senior goaltender was the 2005 Frozen Four MVP as a freshman after leading DU to its seventh NCAA title. He ranks second in school history in career save percentage (.919), third in shutouts (nine) and fourth in goals-against average (2.40).
Chris Butler
The hard-hitting and offensively gifted junior led DU defensemen in goals (10), points (27) and assists (17) last season and had a team-high 110 blocked shots. As a freshman, he played for the U.S. world junior team and was DU’s freshman of the year.
Brock Trotter
The sophomore forward overcame a severed Achilles tendon in 2005 to lead DU in scoring last season (40 points) as a redshirt freshman. He was the first freshman to lead the Pioneers in scoring since Dave Shields in 1987 and has 45 points in 45 career games.
Tyler Ruegsegger
The hard-shooting forward, a Lakewood native, is the first Coloradan to receive a scholarship and play at DU straight out of high school. He is coming off a freshman season in which he led the team with a plus-15 rating and was third in goals (15).
Rhett Rakhshani
Was third on the team in scoring as a freshman forward last season (36 points), including a team-high 26 assists. The California native of Iranian decent likely will play for the U.S. junior team in the world championship.
Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com
