With the University of Denver students out of school until after the New Year, Magness Arena on Friday was perhaps half-filled for the first night of the Denver Cup Classic and much more subdued than usual for Pioneer hockey.
Amid the relatively quiet atmosphere, center Drew Shore had three goals and an assist and much-touted freshman winger Beau Bennett had a goal and an assist as the Pioneers stretched their winning streak to five games with a lackluster 6-3 victory over Lake Superior State of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association.
It was 4-3 as late as the final six minutes, but Shore completed his hat trick with goals at 14:41 and 18:20 of the third period to make the final score deceptive.
The Cup championship will be at stake tonight, when the Pioneers face Air Force, which beat Clarkson 2-1 in the first game of the Friday doubleheader.
“We’ve had a pretty bad start the last couple of games, and that’s something we definitely need to change, starting with (tonight),” Shore said. “They’re going to be one of the hardest teams to play against we have all year, and if we keep having these slow starts, we’re not going to be able to get it done.”
Because the tournament schedule was predetermined under a “showcase” format, the Falcons (5-6-1) and Pioneers (9-4-2) were set to meet tonight, regardless. But their victories Friday mean the matchup will determine the tournament winner. DU, which is taking a one-week break from Western Collegiate Hockey Association play, has won 14 of its previous 18 four-team Cups.
“As pleased as I am with the win and our ability to be able to score when we needed to down the stretch, our lack of effort at times defensively and our poor management of the puck at times was unacceptable,” DU coach George Gwozdecky said. “That needs to get better, without a doubt. As I told the players just a few minutes ago after the game, there’s no team that’s going to play us any harder than the Air Force Falcons will (tonight).”
Kyle Ostrow and Dustin Jackson also scored for the Pioneers, who haven’t lost since a 9-2 shellacking on the road at the hands of Colorado College on Nov. 6. Bennett’s goal was only his second of the season, but it came on a terrific shot by the Pittsburgh Penguins’ No. 1 draft choice, when his wrist shot from the right circle went off the far post and in.
Sam Brittain had 25 saves in earning his eighth win of the season in the Pioneer net.
In the first game Friday, Air Force senior defenseman Brad Sellers, a Cherry Creek High School graduate, gave the Falcons a 2-1 lead at 17:32 of the second period with his first goal of the season. Senior winger Matt Becker also scored for the Falcons, and freshman goalie Jason Torf, from Hermosa Beach, Calif., had 36 saves.
Clarkson (6-5-2) and Lake Superior State (5-8-2) will play today’s first game, at 4:07 p.m.
Terry Frei: 303-954-1895 or tfrei@denverpost.com
DU Recap
Three stars
1. Drew Shore.
Sophomore center had a hat trick and an assist for Pioneers.
2. Beau Bennett.
DU’s much-touted freshman winger added a goal and an assist.
3. Paul Phillips.
Pioneers’ sophomore defenseman was a plus-4.
What you might have missed
Dustin Jackson’s third- period goal was a win for perseverance. The Pioneers’ right wing missed all of last season with a broken leg and the first 12 games this season because of illness.
Up next
Today at Magness Arena: Clarkson vs. Lake Superior State, 4:07 p.m.; Air Force vs. Denver, 7:07 p.m.
