MINNEAPOLIS — This, of course, was not the plan.
After his team absorbed a 6-3 loss to Miami (Ohio) in a semi- final game at the National Collegiate Hockey Conference Frozen Faceoff at the Target Center, University of Denver coach Jim Montgomery admitted that the way the game started was the big reason for the way it ended.
“It was actually a big emphasis to be good in the first 10 minutes,” Montgomery said. “I didn’t think we were poor, but we didn’t execute our game plan.”
The bottom line was that Denver (22-13-2) made too many mistakes and Miami (24-13-1) capitalized on too many of them. That’s why the Pioneers — still ensured an NCAA Tournament berth — will play North Dakota in the Frozen Faceoff’s third-place game Saturday.
It will be an opportunity for the Pioneers to improve their NCAA Tournament seed. It also will be a chance to make up for what happened at Target Center on Friday.
“One emphasis of our team is to have a short-term memory,” said DU’s Daniel Doremus, who had a goal and an assist. “We need to learn quickly. Fortunately this doesn’t end our season. But we have to take a lesson from tonight and turn a new page.”
Austin Czarnik and Anthony Louis each had a goal and assist for Miami, which got goals from six players. The RedHawks will play St. Cloud State in the championship game Saturday.
Miami looked quicker — and more opportunistic — from the start.
Riley Barber ended a 2-on-1 rush with the first goal just over 14 minutes into the game. The Pioneers got it back three-plus minutes later when Danton Heinen’s goalmouth screen allowed Will Bucher’s wrist shot from the point to get past RedHawks goaltender Jay Williams.
But for a long time after that, the game was all Miami. Louis skated around a defender in the left circle, cut to the net and scored with 1:02 left in the first period. Then, 4:53 into the second, Cody Murphy scored off a pass from Blake Coleman on an odd-man rush and it was 3-1.
At that point, Montgomery changed goalies, replacing Evan Cowley with Tanner Jaillet.
But the RedHawks’ lead grew to 4-1 when Cznarik skated out of the corner into the crease and scored on the backhand with 1:08 left in the period.
“We gave them six 2-on-1s in the first 30 minutes of the game,” Montgomery said. “We got that goal (to tie the game), and for the next three minutes Miami is the better team again. That’s not the way you win championships.”
Still, Denver wasn’t done.
Just 26 seconds after Cznarik’s goal, on the power play, Doremus scored on the backhand. Then, starting the third period strong, the Pioneers pulled within 4-3 at 6:05 on Trevor Moore’s goal.
But the DU surge didn’t last.
Another breakdown in the Pioneers’ own end wound up in the back of the net when Louis Bel- pedio one-timed Louis’ cross-crease pass at 9:38 past Jaillet. An empty-net goal late sealed the deal.
Cowley and Jaillet combined to make 23 saves. Williams finished with 22 saves for Miami.
“We can take a lot from this game,” said Pioneers captain Grant Arnold. “We didn’t come out and play our game the first 30 minutes. That really hurt us. … Bottom line, we have to execute our game plan.”
