The solid start to goalie Peter Mannino’s senior season and the signs shown by freshmen resulted in a big gain in the rankings for the University of Denver.
The Pioneers (2-0), who outscored Maine a combined 5-1 in last weekend’s nonconference sweep at Magness Arena, are this week’s unanimous No. 5. They gained eights spots in U.S. College Hockey Online poll and five in USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine rankings.
Colorado College is ranked No. 10 in the USCHO.com poll. Both polls have North Dakota first, followed by Miami (Ohio), Minnesota and Boston College.
DU continues nonconference play Thursday and Friday at Notre Dame (1-1). The Fighting Irish, who won last season’s Central Collegiate Hockey Association regular season and playoff crowns, lost to Wisconsin 4-1 before defeating Mercyhurst 4-0 last weekend in Dayton, Ohio.
Mannino, who as a freshman was the MVP of the 2005 Frozen Four, made 54 saves against Maine and takes a .982 saves percentage and 0.50 goals-against average into South Bend, Ind. Freshmen Kyle Ostrow, Jesse Martin and Anthony Maiani had goals to spearhead DU’s 78-shot offense in the first two games.
Gophers warmed up
Minnesota (2-0) begins a two-game WCHA series Friday at Colorado College in the season opener for the Tigers.
The Gophers have already been tested, winning last weekend’s IceBreaker Tournament in St. Paul, Minn., with 4-3 victories over RPI and Michigan. Minnesota trailed RPI 3-0 before rallying, but got off to a much better start against Michigan, leading 2-0.
“We made better plays and decisions at the offensive blue line,” Minnesota coach Don Lucia told reporters after the tournament. “I really felt that from game one to game two that we would be a little more relaxed.”
CC is 2-0 in the preseason, defeating Calgary 4-3 on Oct. 6 and the U.S. under-18 team 6-3 last Saturday.
Footnotes
Air Force also opens this weekend, hosting Quinnipiac for a nonconference series beginning Friday at the Cadet Ice Arena. The Falcons, who were the only Front Range team to make the NCAA Tournament last season, also defeated Calgary (4-1) and the young Americans (4-3) in their trip through Colorado Springs…
Notre Dame’s Christiaan Minella, a sophomore forward, is from Aurora…
North Dakota’s 6-0 victory Saturday over defending NCAA champion Michigan State in the U.S. Hall of Fame Game wasn’t a blowout like the score indicated. Fighting Sioux star T.J. Oshie scored on the team’s first shot, but nearly 10 minutes into the game. North Dakota was outshot 16-11 after two periods but scored three times in the third at Grand Forks, N.D. “They’re a good team,” Sioux coach Dave Hakstol told reporters of the Spartans. “It was a hard-fought game and it was just the way the bounces went tonight.”
Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com
