They stalled on takeoff Friday night, dragged down by a pesky pack of upstarts. And they nearly crashed and burned Saturday in the early going.
But the No. 5-ranked Denver Pioneers hockey team started flying in the second period Saturday.
Nolan Zajac slipped out of the penalty box and into a jet stream up the ice for the deciding goal, lifting Denver from its grounding as the Pioneers defeated Air Force 3-1 at half-full Magness Arena.
Zajac’s goal was a burst of team speed. With less than three minutes remaining in the second period, defenseman Blake Hillman cleared a long pass up the middle of the ice to Zajac, who sprinted out of the box.
He split two Falcons defenders for a one-on-one with goaltender Billy Christopoulos. Zajac’s wrister missed, but suddenly, DU’s entire side was at the net.
“That was a smart-looking play, to snap a pass out 70-80 feet for a breakaway,” Denver coach Jim Montgomery said.
Evan Janssen’s rebound try in front of the net was turned away as Christopoulos dived to his right. But with the goaltender recovering, DU’s Logan O’Connor cycled the puck back to Zajac on the backside for an easy goal.
In a flash, Denver erased a season-opening disappointment.
The Pioneers, whose postseason run put them in the Elite Eight last season, opened this season with an air of hype.
But Air Force, sporting a young roster of 27 underclassmen, upset Denver 5-4 in overtime Friday at the academy. The shock had hardly worn off the next day before DU’s home opener. It was just the Falcons’ second victory over the Pioneers since 1980.
DU’s rebound Saturday gave them a 35-3-1 advantage over Air Force all time.
But not without worry for Denver.
Air Force’s Evan Feno got double-teamed by two DU defenders in the corner in the first period, but he squeezed the puck to Dylan Abood at the blue line. His wrist shot from the left side squeaked by blinded Pioneers goalie Evan Cowley for the opening score.
DU tied the game later in the first when Matt Marcinew took a teed-up feed from Matt VanVoorhis for a slap-shot goal.
In the third period, Nick Neville’s slapper from the point found a hole through traffic to give Denver a two-goal cushion.
“Our third period made us look like a team starting to come together,” Montgomery said.
Nick Groke: ngroke@denverpost.com or @nickgroke
