As a youngster in Highlands Ranch, David Makowski set his sights on attending the University of Denver and playing hockey for the Pioneers.
He has fulfilled that dream, but there were detours, including family moves to Southern California and St. Louis, and then a three-season stay in junior hockey after his 2007 graduation from Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis.
As a 21-year-old freshman, Makowski has settled in with the Pioneers this fall and has three goals and eight assists heading into DU’s Denver Cup games at Magness Arena against Lake Superior State at 7:37 tonight and Air Force at 7:07 p.m. Saturday. He was named the Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s rookie of the week after getting a goal and two assists in two victories over Bemidji State last weekend.
“This place is unbelievable, and I’m really excited to be here,” Makowski said. “The wait was hard at times, but it was definitely worth it.”
Makowski played for the St. Louis Bandits in the North American Hockey League in 2007-08 and then joined the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League. The understanding was that he would come to DU in 2009-10 if defenseman Patrick Wiercioch turned pro and opened up a scholarship. However, Wiercioch didn’t sign with the Ottawa Senators until the spring of 2010, so Makowski remained with the Gamblers — who play across the street from Lambeau Field, in the Resch Center — for two full seasons before coming to the Hilltop this fall.
“It was a good situation in Green Bay,” Makowski said. “I had a great coach, teammates and host family. So that made it a good experience for me. . . . I always joke around that if I could change my birth certificate and go back, I would.”
DU assistant Steve Miller, who recruited Makowski, acknowledged it was difficult to have to ask the defenseman to be patient.
“We said, ‘We want you. If Patrick signs, you’re coming in right away; if he doesn’t, we need you to play another year of junior hockey,’ ” Miller said. “Miami (of Ohio) was there right down to the end, and I thought at one point we were going to lose him to Miami, because Miami wanted him for last year. We were fortunate to recruit and sell him on that, and it’s turned out well.
“He’s played very well as a freshman. He doesn’t look like a freshman.”
Makowski entered DU with about 20 credit hours after taking science and math classes both in Green Bay and St. Louis, but he was starting from scratch in collegiate hockey.
“Once he got through six games or so and has gotten comfortable at this level, and in our system, and competing against the teams we’re competing against, he’s gotten better and better,” DU coach George Gwozdecky said.
In addition to DU’s two games in the showcase-format tournament, Air Force meets Clarkson today at 4:37 p.m., and Clarkson faces Lake Superior State on Saturday at 4:07 p.m.
Terry Frei: 303-954-1895 or tfrei@denverpost.com
This weekend’s games
DENVER CUP CLASSIC
Today: Air Force (4-6-1) vs. Clarkson (6-4-2), 4:37 p.m.; Lake Superior State (5-7-2) vs. Denver (8-4-2), 7:37 p.m.
Saturday: Clarkson vs. Lake Superior State, 4:07 p.m.; Air Force vs. Denver, 7:07 p.m.
Where: Magness Arena, University of Denver
TV: Lake Superior State-DU on FSN
Radio: Both DU games on 87.7 FM. Both Air Force games on 1300 AM.
Notes: With pre-scheduled games, the tournament is labeled a “showcase” format, with the champion based on total points and then tiebreakers, if necessary . . . . Forward Domenic Monardo leads Lake Superior State in scoring, with seven goals and seven assists for 14 points. . . . Air Force comes in off an unbeaten two-game road trip to New York (1-1 tie vs. Canisius and a 7-4 win over Niagara). . . . Clarkson also is on a bit of a roll, having beaten Harvard and St. Lawrence, both by 3-1 scores, last weekend. . . . Air Force isn’t hoping for a repeat of history, since its only previous meeting with Clarkson resulted in a 17-0 loss in 1982. . . . Lake Superior State is in seventh place in the 10-team Central Collegiate Hockey Association with a 3-6-1 league mark after dropping two games to Michigan last weekend.
ALASKA-ANCHORAGE (3-7-2, 2-5-1 WESTERN COLLEGIATE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION) AT COLORADO COLLEGE (5-6-1, 2-4 WCHA)
What: WCHA two-game series
When: Tonight (7:30 p.m.) and Saturday (7 p.m.)
Where: World Arena, Colorado Springs
TV/Radio: None/103.9 FM
Notes: CC was off last weekend and beat Air Force and lost to Yale two weeks ago. . . . CC sophomore winger William Rapuzzi is from Anchorage, and six of his 11 career goals have come against the Seawolves. . . . Senior Tommy Grant (three goals, six assists) and freshman Jordan Kwas (2-7) lead the Seawolves in scoring with nine points each.
