ST. PAUL, Minn. — If today’s conference playoff game between the University of Denver and Wisconsin was about academic success, the Pioneers would win 18-0, and DU captain J.P. Testwuide would be named MVP.
Testwuide, the first Colorado native to don the “C” for the Pioneers, helped kick off the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Final Five on Thursday by delivering an eloquent speech upon being named the league’s student-athlete of the year.
The Vail native and former nonscholarship recruit said his award is a “tribute” to his team’s league-record 18 all-WCHA academic award recipients — Wisconsin has zero — and he thanked school administrators and the coaching staff for establishing an environment to help “set us up” for life.
“Hockey players aren’t the smartest people in the world, some call us meatheads, but being successful in hockey is all about hard work, and at DU we carry that over to the classroom,” Testwuide said.
Turns out Testwuide doesn’t spend all his time on the ice or in the weight room, where he’s been known to bench press 340 pounds, squat 420 and clean 310. The senior defenseman is most proud of his 3.43 grade-point average.
“We set ourselves apart when it comes to academics,” Testwuide said. “My honor is a tribute to the coaches and the teachers. And being captain makes it more special, especially after coming into this program as a maybe-you’ll-play, maybe-you-won’t type of player. It’s a culmination of all the hard work.”
Testwuide, who leads the WCHA with a plus-16 rating, was among six DU award winners. Freshman defenseman Patrick Wiercioch and sophomore goalie Marc Cheverie were named to the all-WCHA second team, and junior wing Rhett Rakhshani and sophomore wing Anthony Maiani made the third team. Wiercioch and classmate Joe Colborne were named to the all-rookie team.
Player-of-the-year honors went to Wisconsin junior defenseman Jamie McBain, whose team is 0-4 against DU this season. The Badgers won’t make the NCAA Tournament as an at-large candidate, so they have to unseat DU as Final Five champions to get the league’s automatic NCAA berth.
The Pioneers, who are 8-0 in their past four trips to the Final Five, are looking for their record-extending 16th Broadmoor Trophy title and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
They will not regain the services of standout center Tyler Bozak until next week’s regionals. Bozak, who has missed 18 games with a knee injury, is in St. Paul, but will not play.
“We’re assured of the national tournament and I’m going to give it another week,” said Bozak, who amassed 21 points in DU’s first 18 games. “I want to make sure it’s fully ready when it counts the most.”
Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com
No. 3-seed Wisconsin (19-15-4) vs. No. 2 Denver (22-10-5)
What: WCHA Final Five semifinal
When: Today, 1 p.m. MDT
Where: Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minn.
TV/Radio: FSN/KCKK-1510 AM
Notes: Wisconsin, 0-4 against DU this season, ended the Pioneers’ season a year ago in the NCAA Tournament. The Pioneers can put the Badgers’ season on life support with a win today. DU is fourth in the PairWise Rankings and Wisconsin is 18th. The top 13 or 14 teams are assured of making the NCAA Tournament. . . . Nearly all of the Pioneers are sporting mohawks. . . . DU’s entire roster is in St. Paul, including junior center Tyler Ruegsegger, who sustained a season-ending knee injury last Friday. . . . DU has won this tournament the last four times it has made it to the league playoff finals (1999, 2002, 2005, 2008).
