Freshman goalie Adam Murray won’t just be a game-day cheerleader and mop-up guy behind the University of Denver’s 6-foot-3 junior Marc Cheverie, a preseason all-Western Collegiate Hockey Association selection. Cheverie and Murray will alternate starts for at least the first quarter of the season, coach George Gwozdecky said Tuesday.
That means Murray, 18, is scheduled to start Saturday in the two-game series finale against visiting Vermont.
“He’s certainly going to get some significant playing time early in the year,” Gwozdecky said of Murray, who played last season for the U.S. under-18 team in Ann Arbor, Mich. “We plan on platooning Marc and Adam for at least the first six to 10 games and see where that gets us. At that point, we’ll make a decision as to where we’re going to go, but that’s the plan.”
Gwozdecky said the decision had nothing to do with how his goalies have prepared for the season or performed in training camp.
“This was a discussion that took place going into last spring,” he said.
Last season, Cheverie went 23-12-5 and led the WCHA with a .918 save percentage in league games (.921 overall). He was 20th nationally with a 2.34 goals-against average. His backup was walk-on Lars Paulgaard, now third on the depth chart.
“Obviously, you’d like to play every game, but it’s out of my hands,” Cheverie said. “I think the positive is, over the rest of my career, this is how it’s going to be. There’s always going to be competition, so this is a little more realistic than it was last year. We have more depth and, overall, I think it’s a good problem to have for the team.”
Footnote.
Sophomore defenseman Patrick Wiercioch returned to practice Tuesday after a bout with the flu kept him out of Sunday’s 3-2 exhibition victory over Calgary. Wiercioch, a preseason All-American, will play the point on the No. 1 power play alongside freshman Matt Donovan. . . . Tyler Ruegsegger will move from the point to center, between Rhett Rakhshani and Joe Colborne.
Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com
