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2023–24 Denver Pioneers men's ice hockey season

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2023–24 Denver Pioneers
men's ice hockey season
NCAA Division I National Champion
NCHC Tournament, Champion
NCAA Tournament, Champion
Conference2nd NCHC
Home iceMagness Arena
Rankings
USCHO#1
USA Hockey#1
Record
Overall32–9–3
Conference15–7–2
Home14–3–3
Road12–6–0
Neutral6–0–0
Coaches and captains
Head coachDavid Carle
Assistant coachesTavis MacMillan
Dallas Ferguson
Ryan Massa
Captain(s)McKade Webster
Alternate captain(s)
Denver Pioneers men's ice hockey seasons
« 2022–23 2024–25 »

The 2023–24 Denver Pioneers men's ice hockey season was the 75th season of play for the program and 11th in the NCHC. The Pioneers represented the University of Denver in the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, played their home games at Magness Arena and were coached by David Carle in his sixth season. The team won the 2024 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament for their NCAA record tenth national championship.

Season

[edit]

Personnel changes

[edit]

As Denver entered the season, the team saw very few changes to its forward contingent. With only two of its top ten point producers leaving, the Pioneers returned most of their firepower from the year before. To that already potent roster, Denver added two NHL draft picks in Sam Harris and Miko Matikka. The defense was a little more uncertain; Denver lost half of its defensive corps and would have to rely on some very green additions to take over. However, through the new pieces were as yet unproven, one had already been selected in the draft while another was expected to be a very high pick at the end of the season. Zeev Buium, younger brother of Pioneer defenseman Shai Buium, was ranked in the top 5 of North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting and promised to add speed and scoring to the Denver blueline.[1] In goal, the team was expecting to use last year's backup, Matt Davis as the starter, though he had some large shoes to fill in replacing 4-year starter Magnus Chrona.

Questions in goal

[edit]

From the start, Denver didn't seem to have any trouble scoring. Averaging nearly 5 goals per game in October, the Pios were led by the forward tandem of Massimo Rizzo and Jack Devine with Zeev Buium jumping in from the blueline. Davis, however, had a little trouble getting up to speed and didn't look ready for the starting job. After surrendering 5 goals to Augustana, a 1st-year program, Davis was put on the shelf with a lower-body injury.[2] Denver turned to freshman netminder Freddie Halyk to hold the fort and the early returns looked good. In his firs three games, Halyk allowed just 2 goals and swept long-time rival Colorado College in the first meeting of the season. Unfortunately, Arizona State was able to figure out Halyk and score 10 goals on the young netminder in the very next weekend.

After that series, the injury bug bit again and Denver lost Garrett Brown for the remainder of the season after the defenseman underwent surgery to correct a lower body issue.[3] After another less than-stellar weekend, David Carle brough in another netminder, Paxton Geisel, to help take some of the pressure off of Halyk.[4] That same weekend, Denver experienced a rare event where a game took nearly 24 hours to complete. The match against Omaha on November 18 was halted after the first period due to poor ice conditions. A patch of ice behind the Denver net didn't freeze properly and after attempting to address the problem for over an hour, the game was postponed until the following day. Because an entire period had already been played, the game resumed at the start of the second.[5]

During the Thanksgiving weekend, Halyk posted consecutive shutouts but that was more to the weakness of the team's opponent (Yale) than it was to improved play in goal. As if to illustrate that point, North Dakota lit up Halyk with 7 goals in the next game. Denver was able to use its powerful offense to escape tumbling down the rankings as it finished off the first half of the schedule but the team found itself in the middle of the NCHC standings and needing better results in goal if the team had any hope of realizing its championship aspirations.

Davis returns

[edit]

After missing over two months of actions, Matt Davis was back in goal at the start of 2024. With the Pioneers scoring in bunches, Davis was able to ease his way back into game shape and Denver began the second half of its schedule by winning five of six. The team was stymied at the end of January when North Dakota held the Pios to 2 goals in each of the two games (the first time all season that Denver had not scored at least 3 goals in a game). The losses all but guaranteed that Denver wouldn't be able to win the regular season title but the team had bigger fish to fry and were looking to secure one of the four #1 seeds in the NCAA tournament.

In a bad loss to Western Michigan, Rizzo went down to injury and it was unknown if he would return before the end of the season.[6] In the absence of the team's leading scorer, Tristan Broz was promoted to the top line and the team used their two-week break to refocus. When the Pioneers resumed, Davis finally seemed to get comfortable in goal and backstopped the team to a good finish. Denver went 6–1–1 down the stretch and scored at nearly the same rate as they had before losing Rizzo. The Pioneers ended the regular season #3 in the pairwise in a tie with UND.

NCHC tournament

[edit]

Denver's opponent in the conference quarter finals was Minnesota Duluth, who were in the midst of a terrible season. The Pios were able to easily handle the Bulldogs in the first game and looked ready to do the same in the rematch. After Denver scored three goals in the second, UMD made things interesting by getting a pair in the third. Broz and Rieger Lorenz ended the comeback attempt with empty-net goals and allowed the Pioneers to advance to Saint Paul.

Now facing St. Cloud State, Davis had a fairly poor night and allowed 4 goals on just 25 shots. St. Cloud got in the lead four times but each Husky goal was followed by one from the Pioneers. The two teams each scored twice in the first two periods but then went dry in the third. In overtime, the two teams were fairly even through the first 6 minutes, however, Zeev Buium continued to earn his plaudits when he got a break in on goal from the blueline, avoided two defenders, and slid the puck around the St. Cloud goaltender for the winning marker.[7]

Denver was able to get a bit of good news prior to the championship as North Dakota had lost in the other semifinal, meaning that Denver was guaranteed to finish ahead of the Hawks in the PairWise. With a #1 seed now guaranteed, Denver met Omaha for the conference title. Early on, it appeared that the Pioneers would fall victim to the same thing that befell North Dakota; despite outplaying the Mavericks, Denver was held scoreless in the first thanks to a tremendous effort in goal from the Omaha netminder. The Pios were trailing entering the second but it didn't take long for McKade Webster to change that. Before 5 minutes had passed, the team's captain had scored twice and altered the complexion of the game. Omaha could no longer hold back and wait for their chances but they were still having trouble getting shots on goal. Denver suffocated the Mavs in the third, allowing only 3 shots on Davis while adding two more goal to their total to skate away with the championship and the #3 overall seed for the NCAA tournament.[8]

NCAA tournament

[edit]

While Denver was the top seed from the western teams, a confluence of NCAA rules caused the Pioneers to be placed in the Northeast region. Not only did the team open the tournament 1,800 miles from home, but they were set against the bracket's host, Massachusetts. Playing in front of a hostile crowd, Denver had to fight through an inspired performance from the Minutemen and found it very difficult to score. Boston Buckberger got Denver the first lead of the game in the second but it didn't last long. In a sequence where Davis made a series of saves, but wasn't able to freeze the puck, UMass tied the match off of a second rebound. The Pioneers had several chances to score afterwards but weren't able to light the lamp and their season was only kept alive by the brilliant play of Davis. Both teams had their chances in overtime, with Devine failing to convert on multiple opportunities, but neither could find the net. with about 90 seconds left in the first OT, Denver avoided disaster when Davis tried to stop the puck behind his cage. Instead, the rubber was deflected to an oncoming UMass player who passed to a wide-open teammate right in front of the vacant net. Denver was only saved by the puck hopping over his stick when he went to shoot and their title chase remained alive. The game went into a fifth period and both sides continued to probe at one another, looking for the elusive game-winner. In the second half of the period, Broz fired a shot from the high slot and it sailed just past the outstretched glove of the Massachusetts goalie into the cage. Harris had made contact with the netminder prior to the goal and it was reviewed for interference but the officials deemed that Harris had been pushed in by a UMass defender and the goal was allowed to stand.[9]

In the regional final, Denver was opposed by Cornell, the #1 defense in the nation. With the goals expected to be at a premium, the Pioneers would again need a big game from Davis. However, less than 7 minutes into the game, Denver found itself behind thanks to a scramble that was reminiscent of the lone goal from UMass. Cornell's stingy defense put the clamps on Denver through the entire game and limited the Pios to just 18 shots on goal, however, one of the few turnovers in the Big Red's defensive end resulted in a quick goal when Matikka fired in his 20th of the season near the end of the first. Davis was able to turn aside all further Cornell attempts and allow his team to take advantage of a second Cornell blunder when they got their first power play of the match. With just 4 seconds left in the middle frame, Harris was able to tip a shot through the legs of the Cornell netminder and it had just enough pace to slide into the goal. Denver played defense for nearly the entire third period, trying to win a 1-goal game. The play proved to be dangerous as Cornell had several good looks on goal but their chances either failed to connect or were stopped by Davis. Denver became the beneficiary of a second cornell penalty with two and half minutes to play that disrupted the comeback attempt. When the Big Red were finally able to pull their goaltender for an extra attacker, just 30 seconds remained in the match and Denver managed to hold off Cornell for the final buzzer.[10]

As the team got ready for their appearance in the Frozen Four, Denver got a boost with the return of Rizzo to the lineup. For the second game in a row, Denver got behind early, this time by allowing a goal while on the power play. Fortunately, Davis recovered quickly and didn't surrender a goal for the rest of the game. Just past the midway point of regulation, the Pioneers got a gift when Tristan Lemyre scored just his second goal of the season on a shot in tight that leaked through the Boston University netminder. Denver had been thoroughly outplayed prior to the goal but then took over for much of the next 30 minutes. Unfortunately, the Pioneers were unable to earn a second marker and needed overtime to settle the score. Luck continued to follow the Pioneers who did not once find themselves on the penalty kill in the match, despite several instances where calls could have been made. In the extra session alone, two non-calls that drew moans from the crowd went unnoticed by the referees. Just after the second such act, Broz rushed the puck up the ice and just as he got to the top of the right circle, fired a shot that went right between the legs of the CU netminder for the winning goal.[11]

National Championship

[edit]

With the championship now in their sight, Denver only had to overcome the #1 team in the nation, Boston College. Unlike the previous two games, the Pioneers did not allow an early goal and instead played a soud defensive game against the nation's #2 offense. Denver limited BC's chances in the first two periods and held the Eagles to just 12 shots on goal. The Pioneers, on the other hand, got more than that in the second period, which was when Jared Wright opened the scoring by bouncing the puck into the goal off of both the post and the back of the opposing netminder. About 5 minutes later, a tremendous pass from Zeev Buium resulted in a goal from Lorenz and Denver doubled its lead. With BC down by a pair entering the third, the Eagles' offense finally woke up and besieged the Denver cage for the rest of the game. Boston College put 23 shots on goal in the third period, but Davis saved his best performance for last and looked at ease despite the heavy workload. Even during a power play from the #2 group in the nation that produced chance after chance, Davis was unbeatable and nothing was able to get past the Pioneer netminder. The longer the Eagles went scoreless the more desperate they became and the more they pressured the Denver cage. In the end, however, their score went unchanged and Denver was able to skate away with the 10th National Championship in program history.[12]

Departures

[edit]
Player Position Nationality Cause
Michael Benning Defenseman  Canada Signed professional contract (Florida Panthers)
Magnus Chrona Goaltender  Sweden Graduation (signed with San Jose Sharks)
Casey Dornbach Forward  United States Graduation (signed with Iowa Wild)
Brett Edwards Forward  Canada Graduate transfer to Northeastern
Tyler Haskins Forward  United States Transferred to Minnesota State
Lane Krenzen Defenseman  United States Graduate transfer to Omaha
Justin Lee Defenseman  Canada Graduation (signed with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins)
Kyle Mayhew Defenseman  United States Graduation (signed with Colorado Eagles)
Carter Mazur Forward  United States Signed professional contract (Detroit Red Wings)
Owen Ozar Forward  Canada Transferred to Bowling Green

Recruiting

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Player Position Nationality Age Notes
Cale Ashcroft Defenseman  Canada 19 Calgary, AB
Garrett Brown Defenseman  United States 19 San Jose, CA; selected 99th overall in 2022
Boston Buckberger Defenseman  United States 20 Saskatoon, SK
Zeev Buium Defenseman  United States 17 Laguna Niguel, CA
Kieran Cebrian Forward  United States 20 Denver, CO
Freddie Halyk Goaltender  Canada 20 Cochrane, AB
Sam Harris Forward  United States 19 San Diego, CA; selected 133rd overall in 2023
Peter Lajoy Forward  United States 21 Evergreen, CO
Miko Matikka Forward  Finland 19 Helsinki, FIN; selected 67th overall in 2022
Paxton Geisel Goaltender  Canada 18 Estevan, SK; joined mid-season
Alex Weiermair Forward  United States 18 Los Angeles, CA

Roster

[edit]

As of September 27, 2023.[13]

No. S/P/C Player Class Pos Height Weight DoB Hometown Previous team NHL rights
1 Alberta Freddie Halyk Freshman G 6' 5" (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 2003-08-27 Cochrane, Alberta Camrose (AJHL)
2 Illinois Sean Behrens Junior D 5' 9" (1.75 m) 178 lb (81 kg) 2003-03-31 Barrington, Illinois NTDP (USHL) COL, 61st overall 2021
3 Alberta Cale Ashcroft Freshman D 5' 11" (1.8 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 2004-08-05 St. Albert, Alberta Tri-City (USHL)
4 Illinois Jack Devine Junior F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 2003-10-02 Glencoe, Illinois NTDP (USHL) FLA, 221st overall 2022
5 California Garrett Brown Freshman D 6' 3" (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 2004-04-04 San Jose, California Waterloo (USHL) WPG, 99th overall 2022
6 Missouri McKade Webster (C) Senior F 5' 10" (1.78 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 2000-07-28 St. Louis, Missouri Green Bay (USHL) TBL, 213th overall 2019
7 Colorado Aidan Thompson Sophomore F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 2002-02-18 Fort Collins, Colorado Lincoln (USHL) CHI, 90th overall 2022
8 California Shai Buium Junior D 6' 3" (1.91 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 2003-03-26 San Diego, California Sioux City (USHL) DET, 36th overall 2021
9 Saskatchewan Boston Buckberger Freshman D 5' 11" (1.8 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 2003-06-01 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Lincoln (USHL)
10 Finland Miko Matikka Freshman F 6' 4" (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 2003-10-26 Helsinki, Finland Waterloo (USHL) ARI, 67th overall 2022
11 Sweden Lucas Ölvestad Sophomore D 6' 1" (1.85 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 2002-03-19 Stockholm, Sweden Dubuque (USHL)
12 California Sam Harris Freshman F 6' 1" (1.85 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 2003-10-14 San Diego, California Sioux Falls (USHL) MTL, 133rd overall 2023
13 British Columbia Massimo Rizzo (A) Junior F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 178 lb (81 kg) 2001-06-13 Burnaby, British Columbia Coquitlam (BCHL) PHI, 216th overall 2019
14 Alberta Rieger Lorenz Sophomore F 6' 2" (1.88 m) 192 lb (87 kg) 2004-03-30 Calgary, Alberta Okotoks (AJHL) MIN, 56th overall 2022
15 Alberta Carter King (A) Junior F 5' 10" (1.78 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 2001-08-30 Calgary, Alberta Surrey (BCHL)
16 Minnesota Tristan Broz Junior F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 183 lb (83 kg) 2002-10-10 Bloomington, Minnesota Minnesota (Big Ten) PIT, 58th overall 2021
17 Colorado Peter LaJoy Freshman F 5' 7" (1.7 m) 165 lb (75 kg) 2002-02-27 Evergreen, Colorado Danbury (NAHL)
18 Minnesota Jared Wright Sophomore F 6' 2" (1.88 m) 176 lb (80 kg) 2002-11-22 Burnsville, Minnesota Omaha (USHL) LAK, 169th overall 2022
21 Alberta Kent Anderson Sophomore D 6' 3" (1.91 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 2003-11-13 Calgary, Alberta Green Bay (USHL)
22 Wisconsin Connor Caponi (A) Senior F 5' 9" (1.75 m) 186 lb (84 kg) 2000-03-20 Milwaukee, Wisconsin Waterloo (USHL)
24 Colorado Kieran Cebrian Freshman F 6' 2" (1.88 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 2003-03-31 Denver, Colorado Tri-City (USHL)
28 California Zeev Buium Freshman D 6' 2" (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 2005-12-07 Laguna Niguel, California USNTDP (USHL)
29 Quebec Tristan Lemyre Sophomore F 5' 9" (1.75 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 2001-01-15 Mirabel, Quebec Dubuque (USHL)
30 Saskatchewan Paxton Geisel Freshman G 6' 1" (1.85 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 2004-01-18 Estevan, Saskatchewan Muskegon (USHL)
31 Missouri Jack Caruso Senior G 5' 9" (1.75 m) 187 lb (85 kg) 1999-06-07 St. Louis, Missouri Fairbanks (NAHL)
35 Alberta Matt Davis Junior G 6' 0" (1.83 m) 179 lb (81 kg) 2001-06-16 Calgary, Alberta Green Bay (USHL)
39 California Alex Weiermair Freshman F 6' 1" (1.85 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 2005-05-10 Los Angeles, California USNTDP (USHL)

Standings

[edit]
Conference record Overall record
GP W L T OTW OTL SW PTS GF GA GP W L T GF GA
#8 North Dakota 24 15 8 1 1 4 0 49 87 67 40 26 12 2 151 105
#1 Denver * 24 15 7 2 3 0 1 45 110 80 42 30 9 3 198 119
#18 St. Cloud State 24 11 9 4 1 3 2 41 77 74 38 17 16 5 121 114
#15 Colorado College 24 14 8 2 5 2 0 41 66 56 37 21 13 3 111 93
#12 Omaha 24 13 8 3 5 0 3 40 68 74 40 23 13 4 117 112
#14 Western Michigan 24 11 13 0 1 5 0 35 78 64 38 21 16 1 136 97
Minnesota Duluth 24 8 14 2 3 3 2 28 65 80 37 12 20 5 103 125
Miami 24 1 21 2 0 2 0 7 44 100 36 7 26 3 78 135
Championship: March 23, 2024
† indicates conference regular season champion (Penrose Cup)
* indicates conference tournament champion (Frozen Faceoff Championship Trophy)
Rankings: USCHO.com Top 20 Poll

Updated: April 1, 2024

Schedule and results

[edit]
Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Decision Result Attendance Record
Regular Season
October 7 9:07 pm at Alaska* #4 Carlson CenterFairbanks, Alaska FloHockey Davis W 7–3  1,962 1–0–0
October 8 7:07 pm at Alaska* #4 Carlson CenterFairbanks, Alaska FloHockey Davis W 5–2  1,421 2–0–0
October 20 7:00 pm at #10 Providence* #2 Schneider ArenaProvidence, Rhode Island ESPN+ Davis L 3–4  3,465 2–1–0
October 21 7:00 pm at #3 Boston College* #2 Conte ForumChestnut Hill, Massachusetts ESPN+ Davis W 4–3  7,884 3–1–0
October 27 7:00 pm Augustana* #2 Magness ArenaDenver, Colorado   Davis T 5–5  5,343 3–1–1
October 28 6:00 pm Air Force* #2 Magness ArenaDenver, Colorado   Halyk W 4–0  6,278 4–1–1
November 3 7:00 pm Colorado College #2 Magness ArenaDenver, Colorado (Rivalry)   Halyk W 6–1  7,021 5–1–1 (1–0–0)
November 4 6:00 pm at Colorado College #2 Ed Robson ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado (Rivalry) SOCO CW Halyk W 5–1  3,749 6–1–1 (2–0–0)
November 10 7:00 pm at #16 Arizona State* #2 Mullett ArenaTempe, Arizona   Halyk L 5–6 OT 5,102 6–2–1
November 11 5:00 pm at #16 Arizona State* #2 Mullett ArenaTempe, Arizona   Halyk W 8–4  4,996 7–2–1
November 17 7:00 pm Omaha #3 Magness ArenaDenver, Colorado   Halyk W 8–4  5,940 8–2–1 (3–0–0)
November 18 / 19 6:00 pm / 2:00 pm Omaha #3 Magness ArenaDenver, Colorado   Halyk L 3–4  5,813 8–3–1 (3–1–0)
November 24 7:00 pm Yale* #4 Magness ArenaDenver, Colorado   Halyk W 5–0  5,817 9–3–1
November 25 6:00 pm Yale* #4 Magness ArenaDenver, Colorado   Halyk W 9–0  5,823 10–3–1
December 1 7:00 pm #2 North Dakota #3 Magness ArenaDenver, Colorado (Rivalry)   Halyk L 5–7  5,958 10–4–1 (3–2–0)
December 2 6:00 pm #2 North Dakota #3 Magness ArenaDenver, Colorado (Rivalry)   Halyk W 3–2 OT 6,136 11–4–1 (4–2–0)
December 8 5:00 pm at #13 Western Michigan #4 Lawson ArenaKalamazoo, Michigan   Halyk L 3–7  3,558 11–5–1 (4–3–0)
December 9 4:00 pm at #13 Western Michigan #4 Lawson ArenaKalamazoo, Michigan   Geisel W 6–5 OT 3,791 12–5–1 (5–3–0)
December 29 6:00 pm Minot State* #5 Magness ArenaDenver, Colorado (Exhibition)   Halyk W 9–3  6,370
January 5 7:00 pm Niagara* #6 Magness ArenaDenver, Colorado   Davis W 5–2  5,854 13–5–1
January 6 6:00 pm Niagara* #6 Magness ArenaDenver, Colorado   Davis W 6–1  6,255 14–5–1
January 12 7:00 pm #14 St. Cloud State #6 Magness ArenaDenver, Colorado CBSSN Davis W 5–1  6,372 15–5–1 (6–3–0)
January 13 6:00 pm #14 St. Cloud State #6 Magness ArenaDenver, Colorado   Davis T 4–4 SOL 6,201 15–5–2 (6–3–1)
January 19 6:00 pm at #19 Omaha #5 Baxter ArenaOmaha, Nebraska   Davis W 6–3  7,391 16–5–2 (7–3–1)
January 20 6:00 pm at #19 Omaha #5 Baxter ArenaOmaha, Nebraska   Davis W 6–2  6,898 17–5–2 (8–3–1)
January 26 6:07 pm at #5 North Dakota #4 Ralph Engelstad ArenaGrand Forks, North Dakota (Rivalry) CBSSN Davis L 2–5  11,610 17–6–2 (8–4–1)
January 27 5:07 pm at #5 North Dakota #4 Ralph Engelstad ArenaGrand Forks, North Dakota (Rivalry) Midco Davis L 2–4  11,702 17–7–2 (8–5–1)
February 2 7:00 pm #15 Western Michigan #5 Magness ArenaDenver, Colorado   Davis W 3–2  6,467 18–7–2 (9–5–1)
February 3 7:00 pm #15 Western Michigan #5 Magness ArenaDenver, Colorado   Davis L 2–7  6,202 18–8–2 (9–6–1)
February 16 6:07 pm at Minnesota Duluth #5 AMSOIL ArenaDuluth, Minnesota CBSSN Davis W 5–4 OT 5,598 19–8–2 (10–6–1)
February 17 6:07 pm at Minnesota Duluth #5 AMSOIL ArenaDuluth, Minnesota   Davis W 5–2  6,131 20–8–2 (11–6–1)
February 23 7:00 pm Miami #3 Magness ArenaDenver, Colorado   Davis T 3–3 SOW 6,341 20–8–3 (11–6–2)
February 24 6:00 pm Miami #3 Magness ArenaDenver, Colorado   Davis W 8–1  6,274 21–8–3 (12–6–2)
March 1 6:30 pm at #15 St. Cloud State #5 Herb Brooks National Hockey CenterSt. Cloud, Minnesota Fox 9+ Davis W 6–2  3,688 22–8–3 (13–6–2)
March 2 5:00 pm at #15 St. Cloud State #5 Herb Brooks National Hockey CenterSt. Cloud, Minnesota Fox 9+ Davis W 7–2  4,270 23–8–3 (14–6–2)
March 8 7:00 pm at #10 Colorado College #4 Ed Robson ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado (Rivalry) SOCO CW, CBSSN Davis L 3–4  3,912 23–9–3 (14–7–2)
March 9 6:00 pm #10 Colorado College #4 Magness ArenaDenver, Colorado (Rivalry)   Davis W 4–3  7,033 24–9–3 (15–7–2)
NCHC Tournament
March 15 7:07 pm Minnesota Duluth* #3 Magness ArenaDenver, Colorado (Quarterfinal Game 1)   Davis W 4–0  5,461 25–9–3
March 16 6:07 pm Minnesota Duluth* #3 Magness ArenaDenver, Colorado (Quarterfinal Game 2)   Davis W 5–2  6,005 26–9–3
March 22 6:37 pm vs. #17 St. Cloud State* #3 Xcel Energy CenterSaint Paul, Minnesota (Semifinal) CBSSN Davis W 5–4 OT 8,977 27–9–3
March 23 6:30 pm vs. #11 Omaha* #3 Xcel Energy CenterSaint Paul, Minnesota (Championship) CBSSN Davis W 4–1  6,929 28–9–3
NCAA Tournament
March 28 12:00 pm vs. #13 Massachusetts* #3 MassMutual CenterSpringfield, Massachusetts (Northeast Regional Semifinal) ESPN2 Davis W 2–1 2OT 3,894 29–9–3
March 30 2:00 pm vs. #12 Cornell* #3 MassMutual CenterSpringfield, Massachusetts (Northeast Regional Final) ESPN2 Davis W 2–1  4,407 30–9–3
April 11 3:00 pm vs. #2 Boston University* #3 Xcel Energy CenterSaint Paul, Minnesota (National Semifinal) ESPN2 Davis W 2–1 OT   31–9–3
April 13 4:00 pm vs. #1 Boston College* #3 Xcel Energy Center • Saint Paul, Minnesota (National Championship) ESPN2 Davis W 2–0    32–9–3
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from USCHO.com Poll. All times are in Mountain Time.
Source:[14]

NCAA tournament

[edit]

Regional semifinal

[edit]
March 28, 2024
2:00 pm
(1) Denver2–1 (2OT)
(0–0, 1–1, 0–0, 0–0, 1–0)
(4) MassachusettsMassMutual Center
Attendance: 3,894
Game reference
Matt DavisGoaliesMichael HrabalReferees:
Tony Czech
Jonathon Sitarski
Linesmen:
Justin Cornell
Pat Richardson
(Lemyre, Caponi) Boston Buckberger (9) – 25:121–0
1–132:52 – Liam Gorman (1) (Murray, Vanroboys)
(Buckberger, Devine) Tristan Broz (15) – GW – 92:282–1
4 minPenalties4 min
43Shots47

Regional final

[edit]
March 30, 2024
4:00 pm
(1) Denver2–1
(1–1, 1–0, 0–0)
(3) CornellMassMutual Center
Attendance: 4,407
Game reference
Matt DavisGoaliesIan ShaneReferees:
Colin Kronforst
Andrew Bruggeman
Linesmen:
Sam Shikowsky
Tommy George
0–106:44 – Nick Desantis (8) (Seger, Penney)
(Webster, Buckberger) Miko Matikka (20) – 18:311–1
(S. Buium, Z. Buium) Sam Harris (14) – GW PP – 39:562–1
2 minPenalties4 min
18Shots25

National semifinal

[edit]
April 11, 2024
4:00 pm
(W1) Boston University1–2 (OT)
(1–0, 0–1, 0–0, 0–1)
(NE1) DenverXcel Energy Center
Attendance: 18,598
Game reference
Mathieu CaronGoaliesMatt DavisReferees:
Colin Kronforst
Andrew Bruggeman
Linesmen:
Samuel Shikowsky
Tommy George
(G. McCarthy) Luke Tuch (10) – SH – 7:451–0
1–135:21 – Tristan Lemyre (2) (Matikka)
1–271:09 – GWTristan Broz (16) (Behrens)
10 minPenalties2 min
34Shots29

National Championship

[edit]
April 13, 2024
5:00 pm
(E1) Boston College0–2
(0–0, 0–2, 0–0)
(NE1) DenverXcel Energy Center
Attendance: 18,694
Referees:
Joe Carusone
C. J. Hanafin
Linesmen:
Ryan Knapp
Patrick Dapuzzo
Scoring summary
Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score
1st no scoring
2nd DU Jared Wright (15) – GW Lorenz, S. Buium 29:42 1–0 DU
DU Rieger Lorenz (16) Z. Buium, Behrens 35:16 2–0 DU
3rd no scoring
Penalty summary
Period Team Player Penalty Time PIM
1st no penalties
2nd BC Mike Posma Boarding 24:31 2:00
3rd DU McKade Webster Holding 41:29 2:00
DU Jack Devine Tripping 52:06 2:00

Scoring statistics

[edit]
Name Position Games Goals Assists Points PIM
Jack Devine RW 44 27 29 56 20
Zeev Buium D 42 11 39 50 20
Massimo Rizzo C 30 10 34 44 10
Tristan Broz C 43 16 24 40 13
Shai Buium D 43 7 29 36 14
Carter King F 37 15 19 34 2
Miko Matikka RW 43 20 13 33 41
McKade Webster LW 43 14 18 32 54
Sean Behrens D 44 4 27 31 53
Rieger Lorenz C/LW 44 16 14 30 10
Aidan Thompson C 44 11 19 30 35
Boston Buckberger D 44 5 22 27 27
Jared Wright RW 44 15 10 25 8
Sam Harris LW 42 14 7 21 27
Connor Caponi F 44 5 9 14 26
Kieran Cebrian F 36 3 10 13 14
Kent Anderson D 41 3 4 7 12
Cale Ashcroft D 37 1 6 7 4
Lucas Ölvestad D 32 0 6 6 14
Alex Weiermair C 24 3 3 6 2
Tristan Lemyre C 24 2 4 6 0
Garrett Brown D 8 0 4 4 14
Matt Davis G 31 0 3 3 0
Freddie Halyk G 13 0 1 1 0
Paxton Geisel G 2 0 0 0 0
Total 202 354 556 424

[15]

Goaltending statistics

[edit]
Name Games Minutes Wins Losses Ties Goals Against Saves Shut Outs SV % GAA
Matt Davis 31 1871:55 23 5 3 73 807 2 .917 2.34
Freddie Halyk 13 720:28 8 4 0 10 265 3 .883 2.91
Paxton Geisel 2 95:14 1 0 0 7 42 0 .857 4.41
Empty Net - 25:10 - - - 5 - - - -
Total 44 2712:47 32 9 3 120 1114 5 .903 2.65

Rankings

[edit]
Poll Week
Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 (Final)
USCHO.com 4 3 (4) 2 (10) 2 (6) 2 (5) 2 (5) 3 (3) 4 (2) 3 (1) 4 (2) 5 6 6 5 (1) 4 (1) 5 6 5 3 5 4 3 3 3 1 (50)
USA Hockey 5 3 (1) 2 (9) 2 (1) 2 (5) 2 (3) 2 (3) 4 3 5 (1) 5 5 6 6 4 6 6 3 4 4 3 3 3 3 1 (34)

Note: USCHO did not release a poll in weeks 11 or 25.[16]
Note: USA Hockey did not release a poll in week 12.

Awards and honors

[edit]
Player Award Ref
Matt Davis NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player [17]
Zeev Buium AHCA West First Team All-American [18]
Jack Devine
Massimo Rizzo AHCA West Second Team All-American [18]
Matt Davis NCAA All-Tournament team [17]
Sean Behrens
Zeev Buium
Tristan Broz
Rieger Lorenz
Zeev Buium NCHC Rookie of the Year [19]
Sean Behrens NCHC Defensive Defenseman of the Year [19]
Zeev Buium NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year [19]
McKade Webster Frozen Faceoff MVP [20]
Zeev Buium NCHC First Team [21]
Jack Devine
Shai Buium NCHC Second Team [21]
Massimo Rizzo
Zeev Buium NCHC Rookie Team [22]
Miko Matikka
Zeev Buium Frozen Faceoff All-Tournament Team [20]
McKade Webster
Miko Matikka
Round Pick Player NHL team
1 12 Zeev Buium Minnesota Wild
4 121 Jake Fisher Colorado Avalanche
4 128 Hagen Burrows Tampa Bay Lightning
6 185 Tory Pitner Colorado Avalanche
7 198 James Reeder Los Angeles Kings

† incoming freshman [23]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "2024 Draft Prospect Rankings". NHL.com. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  2. ^ "Matt Davis". Denver Pioneers. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  3. ^ "Winnipeg Jets prospect Garrett Brown underwent surgery today (will miss remainder of season)". Illegal Curve. November 29, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  4. ^ "Denver adds goaltender Paxton Geisel to its roster". The Rink Live. November 24, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  5. ^ "Slush Halts Denver-Omaha Hockey Tilt". Lets Go DU. November 18, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  6. ^ "Massimo Rizzo will return to the lineup in Frozen Four for Denver". The Rink Live. April 10, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  7. ^ "3-22-24 St. Cloud State vs Denver Highlights - Frozen Faceoff Semifinal". YouTube. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  8. ^ "Denver vs Omaha - NCAA College Hockey - NCHC Frozen Faceoff Final - Highlights - March 23, 2024". YouTube. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  9. ^ "Denver vs UMass - NCAA College Hockey - Highlights - March 28, 2024". YouTube. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  10. ^ "Denver vs Cornell - NCAA College Hockey - Highlights - March 30, 2024". YouTube. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  11. ^ "Boston University vs Denver - NCAA Hockey Frozen Four Semi Final - Highlights - April 11, 2024". YouTube. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  12. ^ "Boston University vs Denver - NCAA Hockey Frozen Four Semi Final - Highlights - April 11, 2024". YouTube. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  13. ^ "2023-24 Men's Ice Hockey Roster". Denver Pioneers. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  14. ^ "2023-24 Men's Ice Hockey Schedule". Denver Pioneers. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  15. ^ "Denver Univ. 2023-2024 Skater Stats". Elite Prospects. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  16. ^ "USCHO Division I Men's Poll". USCHO.com. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  17. ^ a b "Hang 10! Denver Stifles Boston College for Record 10th NCAA Title". College Hockey Inc. April 13, 2024. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  18. ^ a b "Top 25 men's college hockey players earn distinction as CCM/AHCA Hockey All-Americans for 2023-24 season". USCHO.com. April 12, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  19. ^ a b c Weisman, Michael (March 21, 2024). "NCHC Unveils 2023-2024 Individual Award Winners". nchchockey.com. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  20. ^ a b "Denver Wins 2024 NCHC Frozen Faceoff". NCHC. March 24, 2024. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  21. ^ a b Weisman, Michael (March 13, 2024). "NCHC Unveils 2023-2024 All-Conference Teams". nchchockey.com. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  22. ^ Weisman, Michael (March 12, 2024). "NCHC Reveals 2023-24 All-Rookie Team". nchchockey. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  23. ^ "NCAA player rankings, selections in 2024 NHL Draft". USCHO.com. Retrieved June 29, 2024.