Of course, it’s too early to mention University of Denver goalie Peter Mannino as a player of the year candidate and suggest that the Pioneers’ freshman class can make up for the four early departures since January. But judging from what unfolded this weekend at Magness Arena, DU could have a big- time player on a nicely developing team.
The 10th-ranked Pioneers are off to a sizzling start behind their senior goalie and four freshman forwards. Mannino backstopped a 3-1 victory Saturday night over perennial power Maine and two more freshmen collected their first goals.
The victory capped a two- game sweep of the No. 15 Black Bears, who have advanced to the Frozen Four the past two years, and got DU off to a 2-0 start in its 59th season.
The Pioneers rode Mannino’s 10th career shutout in a 2-0 win on opening night Friday.
“I think it’s very noticeable how hard our team competes and even more noticeable that when we do make blunders how phenomenal Peter can be in making us look good,” DU coach George Gwozdecky said.
Maine coach Tim Whitehead said DU “outplayed us and deserved the series” and that the Bears didn’t have much of a chance with Mannino in goal.
“He’s very, very impressive,” Whitehead said. “He made some big stops, and timely ones, and lots of different types of saves. Saves through traffic, saves going across the net, saves on the rush. He brought out the full repertoire.”
Overall, he said of DU: “We know where the bar is now.”
Freshmen accounted for three of DU’s five goals in the series. Kyle Ostrow scored Friday and classmates Jesse Martin and Anthony Maiani delivered Saturday.
The most heralded freshman also was impressive. Tyler Bozak took the opening faceoff that led to Brock Trotter’s breakaway goal six seconds into the game, and Gwozdecky had Bozak take two draws in the final minute when Maine pulled 6-foot-7 goalie Ben Bishop for a sixth attacker.
“I like what I see right now,” Gwozdecky said of his freshmen. “Maiani, Martin, Ostrow, Bozak – they’ve done a wonderful job. They’ve taken a lot in, in a short time.”
Sophomore Tyler Ruegsegger centered a line with Martin and Maiani and set up the freshmen’s two goals with by creating turnovers off the forecheck. Ruegsegger, whose forechecking heroics turned a 1-1 game into a 3-1 lead in the second period, had a goal and two assists for the series.
“The forecheck, we’ve really been trying to get in there,” Ruegsegger said. “We knew Bishop would move the puck and come out and play it. We created turnovers and they turned into scoring chances.”
DU played the series without sophomore Rhett Rakhshani, who had a team-high 26 assists last season. Rakhshani suffered a concussion last Sunday in an exhibition game and sat out for precautionary reasons. He likely will play Thursday when DU begins a two-game series at Notre Dame.
Last season, freshmen accounted for nearly half of DU scoring, with Trotter, Rakh- shani and Ruegsegger finishing first, third and fourth on the team with 110 combined points.
Five freshman forwards, including fourth-liner Dustin Jackson, are replacing Ryan Dingle and Geoff Paukovich – who both signed NHL deals after their junior years – and the graduated J.D. Corbin, Ryan Helgason and Mike Handza.
“We’re adjusting pretty well,” Maiani said.
Maine 1 0 0 – 1
Denver 2 1 0 – 3
First period – 1, Denver, Trotter 1, :06. 2, Maine, Tyler 1 (Duffy, Ryan), 3:49 (5×3 PP). 3, Denver, Martin 1 (Ruegsegger, Mullen), 13:34. Penalties – Butler, DU (boarding), 2:48; Thomas, DU (interference), 3:13; Jackson, DU (cross checking), 7:10; Orsini, UM (tripping), 9:35; Randall, UM (hooking), 16:30. Second period – Second period _ 4, Denver, Maiani 1 (Ruegsegger), 18:37. Penalties – Delmore, UM (elbowing), 2:26; Thomas, DU (roughing), 4:59; House, UM (tripping), Thomas, DU (tripping), 11:58; Butler, DU (cross checking), 16:11. Third period – None. Penalties – Butler, DU (roughing), 4:04; Danis-Pepin, UM (holding), 12:52;
Shots on goal – UM 9-6-15-30. DU 15-10-5-30. Power plays – UM 1 of 7. DU 0 of 5. Goalies – UM, Bishop (0-2) 30 shots-27 saves. DU, Mannino (2-0) 30-29. A – 6,046.
Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com
DU Recap
Three stars
1. Tyler Ruegsegger. DU’s hard-working sophomore center from Lakewood created two goals on the forecheck and had a goal and three points for the series.
2. Peter Mannino. Senior goalie and 2005 Frozen Four MVP allowed just one goal in the series.
3. Brock Trotter. Last season’s top scorer was ready to play, scoring six seconds into the game.
What you might have missed
Coach George Gwozdecky is within one victory of his 300th triumph in 14 seasons at DU. He is 299-191-40 and has the second-most wins in program history behind Murray Armstrong (460-215-
31, from 1956-77).
Up next
The Pioneers play Thursday at Notre Dame, starting a two-game series against the Irish.
