ST. PAUL, Minn. — In losing more than a game Saturday, the University of Denver lost its direction.
The top-ranked Pioneers, suddenly struck with injury and goaltending concerns, will stagger into this week’s NCAA Tournament in the midst of their worst stretch of the season.
After coming out flat and losing to third-ranked Wisconsin 6-3 in the WCHA Final Five consolation game, the top-seeded Pioneers finished the league playoffs 2-2 and in fourth place.
Saturday’s blowout at the Xcel Energy Center marked the first time Denver (27-9-4) dropped consecutive games this season, and the first time All-America goalie Marc Cheverie (24-6-3) was replaced because of poor play.
DU trailed 5-1 midway through the game.
“If you don’t bring your work ethic and ‘compete level,’ you don’t have a chance. It’s too competitive. Teams are too good,” DU junior center Jesse Martin said. “I think this is kind of a kick in the pants to realize that, and an opportunity for us to work on our compete level.”
Cheverie, who on Thursday was named the WCHA player of the year and a Hobey Baker Award finalist as national player of the year, was pulled after the Badgers built a 3-0 lead before the 12-minute mark of the first period. He faced just 11 shots and was similarly shaky in Friday’s 4-3 loss to North Dakota in the semifinals.
Combined, Cheverie allowed seven goals on 35 shots (an .800 save percentage). He entered the weekend leading the NCAA at .937.
“Marc has been our best player, and he’s won games for us when we haven’t played well in front of him,” DU coach George Gwozdecky said. “We weren’t playing well in front of him today (and) he wasn’t as sharp as he normally is. (Pulling him) was more about keep him from getting shelled. . . . We have to have him ready for next weekend.”
Said Cheverie: “We had some lapses, and I’ve played better. It was overall, collectively, the team not being there. I need to be better, and when I play better, the team plays better.”
The 16-team NCAA Tournament field will be announced this morning (9:30 a.m., ESPN2), and DU will receive one of four No. 1 regional seeds and begin play Friday or Saturday.
“We’d certainly like to be able to re-establish some (hunger) and we will work towards that,” Gwozdecky said. “This is Game 7 for us, the one-game, single knockout where you have to be at your best, where you have to know how to play that game.”
Wisconsin also will get a No. 1 seed. The Badgers went 2-0-1 against the Pioneers.
” ‘Wisco’ is a team I can see us playing in the long run, and giving up a game like that, and producing the effort that we gave, it’s tough to swallow,” DU senior defenseman Cody Brookwell said. “We’ll go back to the drawing board Monday and try to figure this out.”
Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com
DU Recap
The Post’s three stars
1. Blake Geoffrion.
Senior center scored his second goal of the game to give the Badgers a 4-1 lead.
2. Derek Stepan.
UW sophomore had a goal and two assists.
3. Adam Murray.
DU freshman goalie (34 saves) played remarkably well against top-rated offense.
What you might have missed
DU sophomore wing Nate Dewhurst scored his first career goal in the third period to make it 5-3. Dewhurst replaced the injured Anthony Maiani on the Jesse Martin-centered second line with Kyle Ostrow.
Up next
NCAA Tournament regional opener, opponent TBD, Friday or Saturday
Mike Chambers, The Denver Post
Wisconsin 3 2 1 — 6
Denver 0 1 2 — 3
First period — 1, Wisconsin, Street 14 (Bendickson), C. Johnson), 2:21. 2, Wisconsin, Stepan 10 (unassisted), 4:58. 3, Wisconsin, Geoffrion 24 (Stepan, Davies), 11:08 (pp). Penalties — Ryder, DU (boarding), 10:34; Bohmbach, UW (slashing), 14:36; Bohmbach, UW (unsportsmanlike conduct), 14:36; Ryder, DU (unsportsmanlike conduct), 14:36; Dolan, UW (high sticking), 19:16; Martin, DU (roughing), 19:49; B. Smith, UW (roughing), 19:49.
Second period — 4, Denver, Rakhshani 21 (Colborne), :25 (pp). 5, Wisconsin, Geoffrion 25 (C. Smith, Bohmbach), 8:54. 6, Wisconsin, Dolan 3 (Bohmbach, McDonagh), 11:30. Penalties — Grotting, UW (interference), 4:38; Vossberg, DU (slashing), 4:38; Dolan, UW (interference), 13:37; McDonagh, UW (elbowing), 19:20.
Third period — 7, Denver, Martin 14 (Shore, Donovan), 4:40 (pp). 8, Denver, Dewhurst 1 (Gifford, Shore), 6:22. 9, Wisconsin, Davies 18 (B. Smith, Stepan), 16:16. Penalties — B. Smith, UW (cross checking), 3:44; Gifford, DU (cross checking), 8:53; Rakhshani, DU (roughing), 18:37; Gardiner, UW (double-minor, contact to head), 18:37.
Shots — UW 18-13-17 — 48. DU 10-13-13 — 36. Power plays — UW 1 of 2. DU 2 of 6. Goalies — UW, Gudmandson (17-4-4) 36 shots-33 saves. DU, Cheverie (11:08) 11-8, Murray (37-34). A — 12,544.
