The intense rivalry between the University of Denver and North Dakota won’t have a chance to simmer when the teams engage in a two-game series at Magness Arena this weekend.
The Pioneers and Fighting Sioux once again are fighting for the same things — jockeying for a home-ice slot in the first round of the league playoffs and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Denver (18-10-4, 13-7-4 Western Collegiate Hockey Association) is third in the league — three points ahead of North Dakota (17-11-3, 13-10-1), which is in a three-way tie for fourth. In the national picture, the Pioneers are tied for 11th in the PairWise Rankings and the Sioux are 14th.
“These two teams mirror each other in so many ways,” DU coach George Gwozdecky said Monday. “Besides home ice for the league playoffs and everything beyond that, both teams have battled through heavy turnover, inconsistency and injuries to get to this point. It should be a great weekend of hockey.”
Each team has four regular-season games remaining. DU needs one victory and a Michigan Tech loss to clinch home-ice advantage for the first-round, best-of-three WCHA playoffs March 9-11. The Sioux could finish anywhere from first to ninth.
The league’s top six teams host the bottom six, with the winners advancing to the WCHA Final Five on March 15-17 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. The top two seeds in St. Paul will get a quarterfinal bye in the second year of the six-team format. (The name remained the same because there are five games.)
A year ago, North Dakota beat DU 3-2 in double overtime in the Final Five championship game. The following week, the Sioux eliminated the Pioneers 6-1 in an NCAA Tournament regional title game in Green Bay, Wis.
Friday’s game at DU is the first this season between the storied programs and bitter rivals.
Footnotes. DU is 8-2-1 since losing to Alabama-Huntsville on Jan. 6 in Denver. Air Force is now among the 32 teams under consideration in the PWR, at No. 28. … Colorado College sophomore Jaden Schwartz, who scored two goals and compiled four points in last weekend’s WCHA series split against Nebraska Omaha, improved to fourth nationally in points per game (averaging 1.42). DU sophomore Jason Zucker ranks eighth (1.37) and Pioneers junior Drew Shore is 10th (1.35). Shore is tied for first nationally in game-winning goals (seven). … Gwozdecky said he had no injury updates for sophomore defenseman David Makowski (upper body) and sophomore wing Beau Bennett, but neither is expected to play for the Pioneers this month. … Michigan senior Shawn Hunwick, the brother of Avalanche defenseman Matt Hunwick, ranks sixth nationally in save percentage (.932) and seventh in goals-against average (2.05). … Ferris State is on an NCAA-high 14-game unbeaten streak (11-0-3). Boston College has won seven in a row.
Front Range rankings
1. Denver (18-10-4, 13-7-4 Western Collegiate Hockey Association)
Last week: Split at Wisconsin, 3-0 win and 5-2 loss.
This week: DU hosts North Dakota (17-11-3, 13-10-1 WCHA) on Friday and Saturday.
Comment: The Pioneers need only two victories for their 11th consecutive 20-win season. It would be the nation’s second-longest active streak.
2. Air Force (16-8-7, 14-5-6 Atlantic Hockey Association)
Last week: Split against Mercyhurst, 8-0 win and 2-1 loss.
This week: Air Force plays at Robert Morris (14-13-5, 12-8-5 AHA) on Friday and Saturday.
Comment: The Falcons outshot Mercyhurst 51-19 in their loss, a tough one to absorb after their eight-goal win.
3. Colorado College (16-12-2, 13-10-1 WCHA)
Last week: Split against Nebraska Omaha, 4-3 win and 5-3 loss.
This week: The Tigers play at Minnesota Duluth (20-7-5, 14-6-4 WCHA) on Friday and Saturday.
Comment: The Tigers are 1-3 and have allowed 16 goals since claiming the Gold Pan from archrival DU.
Mike Chambers, The Denver Post
