NCAA Hockey: Denver Pioneers Shut Out Nebraska-Omaha, 3-0

The Denver Pioneers (20-11-4) have one more game left in the regular season after defeating the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks, 3-0, on Friday night. Freshman defenseman Scott Mayfield picked up an assist on each goal and freshman goalie Juho Olkinuora saved all 26 shots he faced to picked up his second career shutout.

Shawn Ostrow started the scoring at 6:07 in the first period with a one-timer from Mayfield and Nate Dewhurst. About seven minutes later, Jason Zucker netted his 20th goal of the season with the assists to Chris Knowlton and Mayfield.

Drew Shore scored his 20th goal of the season, an NCAA-leading 11th power play goal, at 14:55 in the second period. Brother Nick Shore and Mayfield contributed to the goal.

Though there was no scoring in the final period, Nebraska-Omaha's Jayson Megna received the open door and received a game misconduct for a check to the back at 16:17. In the final four-plus minutes of the game there were six penalties between the teams.

The Pioneers will look to continue this high note on Saturday when they close out the regular season against the Mavericks once again. The puck drops at 6:07 p.m. MT.

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The Denver Pioneers hockey team closed out its home schedule with a 5-3 victory over the North Dakota Fighting Sioux on Saturday. The team improved to 19-11-4 overall and has already clinched home-ice advantage in the first round WCHA playoffs before the end of the regular season, which ends next week against Nebraska-Omaha.

Denver and North Dakota combined for six goals in the second period, but the Pioneers came out on top with four of those goals. Nick Shore opened up the scoring at 9:23 for the 1-0 Pioneers lead. Carter Rowney tied the game three minutes later, only to see Chris Knowlton score a shorthanded goal (11) and Jason Zucker a power play goal (19) for the 3-1 Denver lead.

North Dakota saw Brock Nelson score his 21st goal just seven seconds after Zucker's score, but Scott Mayfield wound up scoring what became the game-winner with about two minutes left in the game. Knowlton scored Denver's fifth goal at 17:35 in the third period and then saw Nelson with his 22nd goal come at 18:43.

Juho Olkinuora drew the start and stopped 27 of 30 shots. Brad Eidsness played for the first two periods and was pulled for Aaron Dell in the third period. Eidsness made 19 saves and allowed four goals. Dell stopped 12 shots on 13 attempts.

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The Denver Pioneers have one last chance to end their regular season home schedule with a victory after Friday night's 4-3 loss to the North Dakota Fighting Sioux. These two teams will take the ice one last time at Magness Arena on Saturday night.

The Fighting Sioux took the 1-0 lead at 7:07 in the first period when Corban Knight netted his 12th goal of the season. Move ahead to the second period at 7:21, Denver's Paul Phillips committed one of the most costly of penalties: a tripping penalty that resulted in a penalty shot. Danny Kristo put the puck past Sam Brittain for the 2-0 lead.

Carter Rowney and Stephane Pattyn made it 4-0 in favor of North Dakota by the middle of the final frame. At that point, Adam Murray replaced Brittain in net and kept North Dakota off the board, though he faced just three shots.

At 14:34, Drew Shore finally put the Pioneers on the board, but the team didn't strike again until the final minute of the game. Joey LaLeggia scored the first goal before Jason Zucker made it a one-goal game with 11 seconds left to play.

Sam Brittain faced 32 shots and stopped 28 of them. The Pioneers, however, struggled in the first period with just four shots on net. They put up 11 and 14 in each of the next two periods, but Brad Eidsness stopped 26 of those 29 shots.

Puck drops on Saturday night at 7:07 p.m. MT.

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After falling to the Wisconsin Badgers 5-2 last Saturday night and splitting the two-game road series the Denver Pioneers return home for the final home series of the regular season against North Dakota. The No. 14 Fighting Sioux are coming off of a 1-0-1 series at home against Michigan Tech and a road split with No. 3 ranked Minnesota Duluth. They are tied for fourth in the WCHA standings with Colorado College and Nebraska Omaha, three points behind the third-place Pioneers.

Denver's 5-2 loss to Wisconsin ended their recent four-game unbeaten streak. The Badgers were led by 22 saves from goalie Landon Peterson and goals from Mark Zengerle, Brandon Woods, Keegan Meuer, Michael Mersch and Justin Schultz. Pioneer goalie Sam Brittain made 30 saves in his sixth start in the last seven games and should get the call in at least one of this weekends match-ups. Whoever's between the pipes will have to deal with the Fighting Sioux's goal scoring tandem of Brock Nelson and Danny Kristo, who have 35 and 33 point on the season, respectively.

Friday night's game begins at 8:10 p.m and will be televised nationally on NBC Sports Network while Saturday's game begins at 7:07 and will be shown on Root Sports.

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The Denver Pioneers saw its three-game winning streak (and four-game unbeaten streak) disappear on Saturday night with a 5-2 loss to the Wisconsin Badgers. The Pioneers split the weekend series as a result, winning Friday's game, 3-0.

After a scoreless first period, Jason Zucker gave the Pioneers a 1-0 lead in the second period when he scored his 17th goal of the season. He netted that one at 1:34 into the period; Mark Zengerle answered for the Badgers five minutes later with the equalizer. Brendan Woods put Wisconsin in the lead right after the midway point of the period.

Keegan Meuer scored the game-winner for the Badgers at 1:11 in the third period. Drew Shore narrowed the game back to a one-goal deficit with his 18th tally of the season just 20 seconds later; however, Michael Mersch and Justin Schultz each scored a goal during the second half of the final frame.

The Pioneers were hurt by going 0-for-3 on the power play and having to be on the penalty kill four times (though the team killed three of them successfully).

Sam Brittain fell to 4-2-0 after making 30 saves on 35 shots.

The Pioneers (18-10-4) will host North Dakota at Magness Arena next weekend.

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The Denver Pioneers are now on a three-game winning streak following Friday night's 3-0 victory over the Wisconsin Badgers. Luke Salazar picked up the game-winning goal when he netted his eight goal of the season at 8:22 in the second period.

Jason Zucker, who missed the second game against Minnesota last week following an upper body hit, was back on the ice for this game and scored his 16th goal of the season at 7:46 in the third period. Nick Shore added an empty net goal at 19:29 to make it a 3-0 score. He put it at the back of the net on a 130-foot shot.

Sam Brittain improved to 4-1-0 since his return from offseason surgery back in June. He stopped all 28 shots that he faced, picking up his second career shutout.

The Pioneers (18-9-4) and Badgers (12-5-2) will finish out this WCHA series on Saturday at 6:07 p.m.

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The Denver Pioneers hope to continue their three-game unbeaten streak this weekend when they open a two-game series against the Wisconsin Badgers at the Kohl Center in Madison. Both members of the WCHA conference, the Pioneers and Badgers seasons have been going in opposite directions of late. Denver's winning streak has moved them into third place in the conference while the Badgers four-game losing streak has seen them fall to 11th with 16 points.

This series will feature the nation's two highest scoring defensemen in Denver's Joey LaLeggia, who has 10 goals and 21 assists through 29 games and Wisconsin's Justin Schultz, who has racked up 12 goals and 26 assists in 28 games. The Badgers losing streak consisted of two road losses to North Dakota followed by a home sweep to St. Cloud State. Even with the two recent losses, the Badgers still hold a 9-4-1 record at home and will be a dangerous match-up for the Pioneers.

With only six games to go, Denver has a chance to continue rising in the WCHA standings before the playoffs begin on March 9th. Currently in third place with 28 points, Denver is only two points behind conference leader Minnesota, and is just coming off of a two-game sweep of the Golden Gophers.

The Denver Pioneers swept the Minnesota Gophers over the weekend by picking up a 4-3 overtime victory on Saturday night. The Pioneers defeated the Gophers on Friday night, 5-3, to open up the season.

Minnesota took a lead just 38 seconds into the game when Erik Haula netted his 12th goal of the season. Zach Budish made it 2-0 Minnesota with a power play at 15:17 in the second period, but Chris Knowlton answered back two minutes and change later on with his 10th goal of the season.

In the third period, Luke Salazar and Nick Shore each put in a power play goal for the Pioneers while Nico Sacchetti wedged a goal in between those two for Minnesota. The teams then went into overtime, but Nick Shore struck again and won the game for the Pioneers just 17 seconds into the extra fame.

The Pioneers are now 17-9-4 and will visit the Wisconsin Badgers next week.

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The Denver Pioneers hockey team knocked off the top-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers on Friday night with a 5-3 win, but lost their star forward Jason Zucker when he suffered an injury on an vicious hit by Gophers player Kyle Rau. It's unclear how long Zucker will be out of action, but there are already further repercussions of the play.

Related: VIDEO: Kyle Rau Delivers Hit On Jason Zucker In Minnesota Vs. Denver

On Saturday afternoon, Twitter feed @GopherPuckLive reported that Rau will not be participating in Saturday night's game against Bemidji St.. Rau has been suspended for one game due to the hit on Zucker.

It is a good thing that the NCAA is enforcing punishment on unnecessary and dangerous hits like this one. Hopefully Zucker will be back soon and will not suffer any long-term effects. It's a good sign that he was able to leave the ice under his own power, but he stayed down for a very long time after the hit.

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It wasn't quite a Pyrrhic victory for the Denver Pioneers on Friday night, but the 5-3 win over the No. 1/2 Minnesota Golden Gophers saw star forward Jason Zucker leave the game due to an upper body blow by Kyle Rau. He eventually left the ice with the help of trainers, but he was announced as out for the remainder of the game. His status has not been updated further.

Minnesota opened the scoring in the first period with a Nate Condon goal at 9:08, but just 40 seconds later the Pioneers answered back with Shawn Ostrow finding the back of the net. Dustin Jackson and Nate Dewhurst followed roughly three minutes and eight minutes later, respectively.

Minnesota answered back with a Rau goal at 1:56 in the second period, a power play goal. However, Zucker responded with a goal for the Pioneers. At 6:38 in the second period, Rau delivered the hit that caused Zucker to leave the game with an injury. Rau was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct to end his night.

Chris Knowlton extended the lead to 5-2, but Zach Budish got credit for a goal that hit off his skate. Seth Helgeson originally looked as though he had the goal, but after a lengthy review the referees confirmed the goal and gave it to Budish because of the deflection.

Denver's Sam Brittain stopped 31 of 34 shots while Minnesota's Kent Patterson allowed all five goals on 34 shots.

The two teams will play on Saturday night at 7:07 p.m. MT. Root Sports will have the broadcast.

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The No. 14 Denver Pioneers hope to rebound from losing the Gold Pan Trophy to Colorado College by taking down the No. 1 ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers in a two game series Friday and Saturday at Magness Arena. Tonight's game will be nationally televised on NBC Sports Network and Saturday's game will be available on Root Sports.

The Pioneers were not able to hold onto a two goal lead in the Tuesday night tie with the Tigers as penalties gave CC the opportunity to claw their way back into the game. Early goals by senior Nate Dewhurst and Drew Shore put Denver up 2-0 eleven minutes into the contest. Two second period goals by Colorado College evened up the score and it stayed that way through the end of overtime.

Denver has won it's last four games at Magness Arena, but tonight they welcome a Golden Gopher team that has won their last three games. The Gophers are one of the top defensive teams in the nation, but they can score as well. In fact, Minnesota has the second ranked offense and defense so far this season. The Pioneers are 8-2 in their last 10 meetings against the Gophers, but they fell 7-3 the last time the two teams met in 2011.

The Denver Pioneers needed a victory on Saturday night to retain the Gold Pan over the Colorado College Tigers for the third straight years, but that failed to come true. The Pioneers had a 2-0 lead after the first period and saw it turn into a 2-2 tie by the middle of the second period. The game ended with that same score, securing the Gold Pan for the Tigers. The Tigers won the season series, 2-1-1.

Nate Dewhurst put the Pioneers on the board at 2:34 into the first period with his first goal of the season. Drew Shore scored his 17th goal of the season on the power play about six minutes later. Jason Zucker and Joey LaLeggia each picked up their 19th assists on that goal.

Colorado College struck back in the second with Jaden Schwartz's 10th goal coming at 7:29 in the second period. About three minutes later, Jeff Collett tied the game at two with a power play goal. The teams then skated to a 2-2 tie.

Juho Olkinuora started the second game in place of Sam Brittain. He made 33 saves on 35 shots. Josh Thorimbert and Joe Howe split time in the net for the Tigers, stopping 31 of 33 shots.

The Pioneers are now 15-9-4 (10-6-4 WCHA) and will welcome the Minnesota Gophers to Magness Arena next week.

The 2012 Battle for the Gold Pan could return to the possession of the Colorado College Tigers for the first time in three years. On Friday night, the Tigers defeated the Denver Pioneers, 2-0, to take a 2-1 lead in the series. Game 4 takes place on Saturday night at 7:07 p.m. MT. The game will shift from Magness Arena to CC's World Arena.

The Pioneers need a win to split the series and keep the Gold Pan for another year, which they failed to do on Friday night. The Tigers' Jaden Schwartz opened the scoring with a power play goal at 11:48 in the opening period, providing him with his ninth goal of the season. His brother, Rylan Schwartz, and Gabe Guentzel assisted on the play. David Civitarese tallied an empty-net goal with 50 seconds left in the game to make it 2-0.

The Pioneers were able to get 29 shots on net against Josh Thorimbert, but Jason Zucker, the Shore Bros., Drew and Nick, and the rest were unable to put anything past the netminder. Ty Loney's suspension also cooled down the offense, as he had six goals and 12 points in the last seven games.

Goalie Sam Brittain made his second start in net since returning from knee surgery last June. He stopped 33 of 35 shots. However, it is doubtful that he will play on Saturday night. Juho Olkinuora or Adam Murray could expect to play.

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The Denver Pioneers hockey team has a chance to win the Gold Pan for the third straight year after winning the 2010 Cup with a 2-1-1 season series victory and retaining it in 2011 with a 2-2-0 split. The season series between the two teams currently stands 1-1, meaning the Pioneers need just one victory to retain the Gold Pan for another year.

In the first contest, the Pioneers picked up a 5-4 victory over the Tigers to end a four-game winless streak. The Pioneers scored four goals in the second to take a 5-3 lead into the final period. On Dec. 2, the Tigers defeated the Pioneers on an overtime penalty shot to pick up the 4-3 victory.

The Pioneers, however, will be without several players. Freshman Ty Loney, who has scored six goals and totaled 12 points over the last seven games, was suspended indefinitely and will not play on Friday. He could be back on Saturday, but there is no indication how long the suspension will last. Beau Bennett and David Makowski will be out for the Pioneers while goalie Sam Brittain, who recently came back from June knee surgery, is likely to play in only Friday's game.

Drew Shore leads the Pioneers with 16 goals and 39 points while Jason Zucker comes in second with 14 goals and 32 points.

The Tigers split a series with the Minnesota Gophers two weeks ago and had last weekend off. They will make the trip to Magness Arena despite the heavy snow in the area. Brothers Rylan and Jaden Schwartz lead the team with 28 and 25 points, respectively. Rylan leads the team with 18 goals while Jaden leads with 17 assists. Josh Thorimbert and Joe Howe have split time in net this season, the former posting a 2.21 goals against average in 15 games.

Game time/date: 7:37 p.m. MT, Friday, Feb. 3, 2012

Location: Magness Arena, Denver, CO

TV: ROOT Sports

Radio: 102.3 ESPN

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The Colorado College Tigers pulled off the upset on Friday night over the No. 2/4 Minnesota Gophers, but they were unable to come through with another victory on Saturday night. The Gophers won a tight 2-1 contest over the Tigers.

Colorado College's Jaden Schwartz put the Tigers in the 1-0 lead with less than five minutes left in the first period, but Nate Condon scored a shorthanded goal for the Gophers a couple of minutes later to tie the game. Nico Sachetti won the game for the Gophers with his first goal of the season coming at five minutes into the second period.

Tigers goalie Josh Thorimbert stopped 35 of 37 shots he faced while his teammates put just 20 shots on net against Kent Patterson. The Tigers are now 14-9-1.

The Air Force Falcons picked up a victory over the Army Black Knights on the road one night after tying the school. This time the Falcons won, 4-2. John Kruse and Paul Weisgarber each scored a goal over the first and second periods, respectively, before the Black Knights responded with their first goal in the third period. However, Jason Fabian scored a goal at 7:36 in the final period and added a second one with 25 games left in game. Army added its last goal with seven seconds left in the game.

Jason Torf stopped 16 of 18 shots and saw his opponent, Rob Tadazak, allow three goals on 27 shots. The Falcons improved to 11-7-5.

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The Colorado College Tigers upset the No. 2/4 Minnesota Gophers on Friday night. The Tigers, lurking outside of the top 10, needed a last-minute goal to pull off the victory.

After a scoreless first period, Colorado College put the first point on the board with Nick Dineen's 13th goal of the season just barely four minutes into the second period. The Tigers stayed in control of the game for the rest of the period and well into the third period.

However, Nick Bjugstad netted his 20th goal of the season at 18:43 in the final period of the game. But with 36 seconds left in the game, Tim Hall came up big time by scoring just his second goal of the season.

Josh Thorimbert faced 39 shots and stopped 38 of them. His teammates fired off 27 shots and saw Kent Patterson save 25 of them. The Tigers improved to 14-8-1 and will look for a second victory over the Gophers on Saturday at 4:07 p.m. MT.

The Air Force Falcons tied the Army Black Knights, 3-3, in overtime. In the first two periods, the Falcons answered each Army goal with one of their own, but the tables turned in the third period. Paul Weisgarber scored at 4:27 in the period and the Falcons were close to picking up the victory. That is, before Mark Dube netted a shorthanded goal at 16:21 in the period. Nothing happened in overtime, leaving the game tied at three.

Stephen Caple made 18 saves on 21 shot while his teammates put 30 on the board. The Falcons moved to 10-7-5 and will play at West Point again on Saturday night.

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The Air Force Falcons hockey team might have picked up its signature win of the season with a 2-1 victory over the No. 6 Colorado College Tigers. This battle between two schools in Colorado Springs saw the Falcons pick up a 2-0 lead by the end of the second period. Scott Mathis scored a power play goal at 8:32 in the first period while Casey Kleisinger picked up the game-winning goal on a short-handed goal at 15:04 in the second period.

Mike Boivin put Colorado College on board at 7:50 in the final period, but that was the only goal that was put past Stephen Caple, who made 33 saves. Air Force had just 17 shots on net, but the team was able to slip two past Josh Thorimbert.

The Falcons improved to 10-4-2 while the Tigers are 11-6-0.

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The Denver Pioneers improved to 9-7-3 with a 3-1 victory over Union on Friday night. All of the scoring took place in the first period. The Pioneers scored the first three goals of the game off the sticks of Drew Shore (10), Joey LaLeggia (7) and Shawn Ostrow (6). Jeremy Walsh avoided the shutout for Union by scoring at 14:45 in the period.

Juho Olkinuora faced an onslaught of shots from Union, but he stopped 42 of 43 shots. His teammates put 28 on Union's net.

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The Colorado College Tigers picked up a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota State Mavericks on Friday night. Jeff Collett scored at 12:51 of the second period to put the Tigers in the 1-0 lead, but Matt Leitner tied the game for the Mavericks with under five minutes remaining in regulation

David Civitarese netted his fourth goal when he delivered the overtime score at 1:28 into the five-minute period. Josh Thorimbert picked up his fifth win of the season by making 37 saves on 38 shots. The Tigers are now 10-5-0 as they head into Saturday night's finale against the Mavericks.

The Denver Pioneers improved to 8-6-3- with a 3-2 overtime victory over the St. Cloud State Huskies. All three of the Pioneers' goals came on the power play, Jason Zucker netting one in the first period and Drew Shore with one in the second period and the other the game-winner in overtime. Goalie Juho Olkinuora made 26 saves on 28 shots. The series concludes on Saturday night.

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Though the Denver Pioneers picked up a 3-2 victory over the Bemidji State Beavers, the team received some bad news about forward Beau Bennett. He will miss six to eight weeks after undergoing wrist surgery on Thursday, reports the Denver Post.

Bennett had missed time earlier in the season due to his wrist problems, but he had managed to score four goals and assist on nine goals (13 points) in 10 games. He managed a a +3 over that span.

This surgery puts him on a timetable to return sometime in February. Unless he comes back at the start of February, Bennett is likely to miss the finale of the Battle for the Gold Pan against the Colorado College Tigers. But he should be back in time for the WCHA playoffs and another shot at the NCAA Tournament and the Frozen Four.

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After falling to the Colorado College Tigers last week, the Denver Pioneers came back with a 3-2 victory over the Bemidji State on Friday night. The Pioneers battled back in the third period from a 2-1 deficit that the Beavers had at the end of the second period. Jason Zucker at 3:16 in the second period and then saw Shea Walters and Jamie MacQueen put Bemidji State on the board with two goals.

Zucker came back in the third period with the game-tying goal at 12:51 and then saw Drew Shore (who assisted on Zucker's first goal) score the game-winner nearly three minutes later. Goalie Juho Olkinuora made 21 saves on 23 shots. The Pioneers are now 7-5-3 and will continue this series on Saturday.

The Colorado College Tigers, however, dropped a home game to the Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves, 6-3. The Tigers had a 2-1 lead at the end of the first period, but the Seawolves scored three goals in the second period and two in the third period. William Rapuzzi and Alexander Krushelnyski had the Colorado College first period goals while Nick Dineen had the second period score. Goalie Joe Howe allowed all six goals on 26 shots and was relieved by Courtney Lockwood late in the final period. The Tigers are 8-5-0.

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The Colorado College evened the Battle for the Gold Pan series with a 4-3 overtime victory over the Denver Pioneers on Friday night. The Pioneers had won the mid-November contest, 5-4.

The Tigers won the game on a penalty shot by Alexander Krushelnyski, who was tripped by David Makowski at 3:46 in overtime. That was Krushelnyski's second goal of the game, as he scored a power play goal at 9:51 in the first period, the first goal of the game.

Denver's Jason Zucker scored the next two goals for the Pioneers, giving the team a brief lead into the second period. Scott Winkler wound up tying the game at two just six minutes into the second period. Joe Marciano gave the Tigers the 3-2 lead with a power play goal at 14:46 in the second period.

Beau Bennett tied the game at three with less than six minutes remaining in regulation. Nick Shore picked up his second assist of the night and Zucker had his first assist of the game.

Juho Olkinuora continues to start in place of the injured Adam Murray for the Pioneers. He allowed 28 goals on 32 shots. Colorado College's Joe Howe allowed three goals on 30 shots.

The Pioneers fell to 6-5-3 while the Tigers are now 8-4-0. The next leg of the Battle for the Gold Pan doesn't take place until Feb. 2, 2012, when the Pioneers host at Magness Arena.

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The Battle for the Gold Pan Trophy continues tonight at World Arena in Colorado Springs. The Denver Pioneers took down Colorado College 5-4 on November 12 and can retain the trophy for the third straight year with a win over the Tigers.

The No. 10 ranked Pioneers are 3-2-2 so far this season with a 4-2 win over then No.1 Boston College in October. Since then Denver has dropped 4 games, including a 4-2 home loss against Miami of Ohio last Saturday. A loss against Colorado College could send DU into a troublesome slide with an upcoming four game road trip to Bemidji State and St. Cloud State. While ranked below the Tigers nationally, the Pioneers are actually a point ahead of CC in the WCHA standings and won't want to allow themselves to fall behind entering a crucial stretch in the season.

Colorado College has yet to lose a game at home this year, but are coming off of consecutive losses to the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks and hope to get back in the win column and keep the possibility of winning the Gold Pan alive. Both teams could use a win tonight in a rare nationally televised game. 

No. 10 Denver (6-4-3, 4-2-3 WCHA) travels to No. 8 Colorado College (7-4-0, 5-4-0 WCHA) for game two of the Gold Pan Trophy rivalry on Friday, Dec. 2. Puck drop is set for 8:07 p.m. MT at World Arena. The game will be televised live on CBS Sports Network. 

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The Air Force Falcons picked up their sixth win of the season by defeating the UConn Huskies on Friday night. Air Force jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first period after Kyle DeLaurell scored his seventh goal of the season at 10:18 in the frame. Chad Demers and John Kruse assisted on the play. DeLaurell and Kruse assisted on Tim Kirby's goal in the second period, the eventual game-winning score. Kirby scored on the power play for his third goal of the season.

That Air Force goal came at just 1:02 into the period. The Huskies answered back two minutes later with a power play goal of their own, scored by Sean Ambrosie. However, Cole Gunner netted the Falcons' third goal of the game at 11:32 in the second period.

After a scoreless third period, the Falcons picked up the win. Goalie Stephen Caple faced 18 shots and saved 17 of them. His teammates, thought, were able to put up 40 on Garrett Bartus.

The two teams conclude the series on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. MT.

The 2011 Denver Cup Classic got underway on Friday night with matches between the Providence Friars and the Miami (Ohio) Redhawks and the Denver Pioneers and the Princeton Tigers. In Game 1 of the Classic, the Redhawks had no issues with Providence, picking up the 6-2 win. Miami scored goals in every period of the game, including three in the second to seal the deal. Miami was able to get 40 shots on net while Providence managed just 21, never reaching double-digits in any period.

In Game 2, the Pioneers picked up a 3-0 win over the Tigers. Nick Shore put Denver up early with a goal at 1:41 in the first period. About seven minutes later, brother Drew Shore picked up his sixth goal of the season when he scored on the power play. In the second period, freshman Joe LaLeggia found the back of the net with 20 seconds left in the clock. This was his sixth goal of the season and, like Shore's goal, a power play one.

With Adam Murray out with a groin injury, freshman Juho Olkinuora put up a clean sheet, making saves on all 38 shots he faced.

The Pioneers are now 6-3-3 and will face Miami on Saturday at Magness Arena. The puck drops at 7:07 p.m. MT

The Colorado College Tigers fell to 7-3-0 on the season with a 7-6 road loss to the North Dakota Fighting Sioux on Friday night. Brock Nelson had the deciding goal of the game in the third period, the only point put on the scoreboard that period.

North Dakota opened the game with a goal just 36 second after play began. Danny Kristo put that one in the net, his first of two on the night. Carter Rowney put the Fighting Sioux up, 2-0, with a goal at 7:08 in the first period. Rylan Schwartz and Scott Winkler each added a goal for Colorado College, but Michael Parks scored in between those goals. At the end of the first period, North Dakota led, 3-2.

The Tigers led a spirited charge in the second period to take a 6-5 lead at one point, but Kristo had his second goal of the game at 13:11 in the period to tie the game. Gabe Guentzel and Nick Dineen had the first two Colorado College goals in the period, but Rylan Schwartz added the final two, recording a hat-trick in the process. He now has 10 goals on the season.

Nelson scored the game winner against Joe Howe, who came in during the second period to relieve Josh Thorimbert.

The two teams will be back at it on Saturday evening (6:07 p.m. MT).

The Colorado College Tigers didn't let last week's 5-4 loss to the Denver Pioneers haunt them this week against the Wisconsin Badgers. They picked up a 4-2 victory over the woodland critters. Nick Dineen was the third star of the game for the Tigers, scoring the first goal and the game-winning goal. He scored the first goal on a power play nearly halfway through the first period. He scored the game-winner in the second period at 15:16, putting the Tigers up at the time, 3-1. Dineen now has six goals on the season.

Dakota Eveland scored the second Tigers goal on the penalty kill late in the period, but Wisconsin's Brendan Woods answered back with a goal while 1:12 remained on the clock in the first period. Keegan Meuer brought the game to within one at 12:01 in the third period with his third goal of the season. However, Jaden Schwartz scored 1:38 after Meuer did to give the Tigers a bit of breathing room

Tigers goalie Josh Thorimbert made the start and stopped 31 of 33 shots, improving to 2-1-0. Thorimbert was the first start of the game while Eveland was the No. 2 star.

The Tigers improved to 6-2-0 and will finish the series on Saturday night.

One week after defeating the Colorado College Tigers, 5-4, the Denver Pioneers are now on a two-game winning streak with a 7-3 defeat of the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks. The Pioneers put on an offensive showcase against goalie John Faulkner, who allowed all seven goals. Nick Shore began and ended the scoring in the game with a first period goal, his second of the season, and a second period goal. Both came on the power play. He was the only multi-goal scorer in the game.

The Mavericks played a tight game in the first period, answering the Pioneers goal for goal. Josh Archibald had his sixth of the season while Ryan Walters came up with a power play goal. Shawn Ostrow has the Pioneers' second goal of the first period.

But the Pioneers pulled away in the third period. Before Nick Shore had the final goal of the game at 17:30 in the second period, Jarrod Mermis, Chris Knowlton and Nick's brother Drew Shore each put a goal past Faulkner.

Pioneers goalie Adam Murray improved to 5-2-1 after making 33 saves on 36 attempts.

The Pioneers are now 5-3-2 and will finish the series on Saturday,

The No. 12 Denver Pioneers hockey team started to struggle when they reached No. 2 in the polls several weeks ago. The team is winless in its last four games, going 0-2-2 against the Michigan Tech Huskies and the defending Frozen Four champions, the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs. The latter shutout the Pioneers, 4-0, in the series finale last Saturday.

This week the Pioneers remain at Magness Arena to host the No. 3 team in the nation, the Colorado College Tigers. The Tigers started the season at 4-0 before losing to the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks, 7-5, last Friday. Goalie Joe Howe saw his GAA rise from a NCAA best 0.90 to 2.09. The next day Josh Thorimbert made 45 saves in a 5-2 victory, salvaging a split in the series.

For the Pioneers to win this game, Jason Zucker and Drew Shore will need to pick up the offense. Zucker and Shore have combined for seven goals this season, but few lately. Goalies Adam Murray and Juho Olkinuora also need to provide better goaltending, as the two have entered into a platoon of sorts.

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The No. 8 Denver Pioneers (3-2-2) played to a 3-3 overtime tie with the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs (4-3-2) on Friday night. The Bulldogs took over for the final half of the game, scoring the last two goals.

The Pioneers built up a 2-0 lead into the 14th minute of the game, Jarod Mermis picked up his second goal of the season when he scored at 1:04 into the first frame. Joey LaLeggia and Nick Shore picked up assists on the play. Chris Knowlton, back from suspension, scored his first goal of the season at 13:27 in the period. Nick Shore had his second assists of the night on the play.

Scott Kishel, though, had his first goal of the season for the Bulldogs at 18:18 in the first period. Daniel Doremus extended the Pioneers' lead to 3-1,at 3:33 in the second period, but the Bulldogs answered back with four minutes left in the frame when Travis Oleksuk came up with his seventh goal of the season. Team leader Jack Connolly assisted on the power play goal.

The Pioneers held a 3-2 advantage when they entered the third period. Denver ran into several penalties and they killed off the first two. The third, though, was not as successful. David Makowski went to the box at 14:58 for tripping. Brady Lamb took advantage on the power play and put the puck beyond Adam Murray for the game-tying goal. Connolly had his second assist of the game on the goal.

Neither team was able to break through in overtime, ending the game in a 3-3 tie.

Adam Murray made 43 saves on 46 shots for the Pioneers while Kenny Reiter allowed three goals on 33 shots.

The teams will finish the weekend series on Saturday at 7:07 p.m. MT

The Colorado College Tigers might not hold onto the No. 2 spot in the polls any longer than the Denver Pioneers did. The Tigers fell to the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks on Friday night, 7-5.

Goalie Joe Howe had his sterling start spoiled by allowing six of the seven goals. He faced 34 shots and stopped just 28. The Mavericks scored three in the first period, one in the second and then three in the third. Jayson Megna and Matt White each scored two goals for the Mavericks. White also had a team-high four points. 

The Tigers created an inverse pyramid with the scoring by scoring one goal in the first and third periods and three in the second. Nick Dineen netted two power play goals, but Jaden and Rylan Scwartz were held to two assists and one assist, respectively.

This series concludes on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. MT and the Tigers surely need a win to stop falling in Monday's polls.

The Air Force Falcons picked up 2-1 win against the Sacred Heart Pioneers on Friday night. Chad Demers scored late in the first period on the power play. Cole Gunner and Scott Mathis assisted on the goal. Brian Sheehan tied the game at 16:29 in the second period, but Air Force's John Kruse had the answer early in the third period. He scored the game-winning goal at 1:47 in final frame.

Goalie Stephen Caple allowed one goal on 14 shots while his team was able to get 36 shots on net against Steven Legatto.

The Pioneers are now winless after seven games. The Falcons are 4-2-2 and are unbeaten in their last six game. The series concludes on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. MT.

The Air Force Falcons hockey team played to a 3-3 overtime tie against the Canisius Griffins last weekend in their only game on the schedule then. The Falcons haven't lost since they opened the season with back-to-back losses in the 2011 Ice Breaker Tournament to North Dakota and Michigan State. That has them at 3-0-2 over their last five games and now overall at 3-2-2.

The Falcons are led on offense by Kyle DeLaurell, who has six goals and 10 points. That total is second to Cole Gunner, who has 11 points on two goals and nine assists. Stephen Caple has proven to be a strong replacement for Jason Torf in net. He has a 1.93 GAA and a .915 save percentage after making 107 saves on 117 shots.

The Sacred Heart Pioneers enter this series 0-6. Brian Sheehan leads the team with four goals and five points. Eric Delong and Matt Gingera follow with four points each. Andrew Bodnarchuk and Steven Legatto have split time in net, but neither been able to stop the puck all that well (23 in five games for the former, 11 in three games for the latter).

Friday's game starts at 7:00 p.m. MT while Saturday's moves to 7:30 p.m. MT to allow the campus to get cleared after the Falcons football teams plays Army.

The Colorado College Tigers are sitting nicely in the polls at No. 2 following the Denver Pioneers' drop from that position to No. 8. The Tigers defeated Rennselaer, 4-1, in both games last weekend. Rylan and Jaden Schwartz combined for four goals in that series, with three scored by Rylan.

The Schwartz brothers lead this team offensively with Rylan leading the team with six goals and Jaden popping in three goals and three assists. Scott Winkler is right there with the Schwartz brothers with one goal and five assists.

Tigers goalie Joe Howe has been outstanding in net so far with just three goals allowed on 83 shots (0.90 GAA). Howe is 4-0-0 for the undefeated Tigers.

The 4-4 Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks are actually 3-1 in conference play. Their first WCHA came last Saturday against the Wisconsin Badgers in a 6-3 decision. Terry Broadhurst leads the Mavericks with seven goals, but his 11 points are second to Matt White's 12 (three goals, nine assists). Goalie John Faulkner has allowed 15 goals on 125 shots, good for an .877 save percentage and a 2.70 GAA.

The puck drops at 6:35 p.m. MT on Friday and at 6:00 p.m. MT on Saturday.

The Denver Pioneers dropped to No. 8 in the polls after going 0-1-1 against Michigan Tech, including a surprising 7-2 loss on Friday. The tea was without starting goaltender Adam Murray after the first period of that game, as he left the ice with what was called an upper body injury. Freshman Juho Olkinuora replaced him and allowed just one goal over the rest of that game before he was pulled for the extra skater with seven minutes left in the game (Tech scored three empty-netters).

During this weekend series with the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, Murray and Olkinuora might platoon this weekend and each play a game. The Bulldogs are No. 14 in the polls and 4-3-1 on the season. They recently swept the Bemidji State Beavers, 6-2 and 1-0. They are 3-0-1 in their last four games since a three-game losing streak against Notre Dame and Minnesota took place.

The Bulldogs feature plenty of offensive firepower. Travis Oleksuk leads the team in goals with six, but is second on the team in points with nine. Jack Connolly has the team lead in points with 10 (three goals, seven assists). Mike Seidel is second on the team with five goals.

Goalie Kenny Reiter is back for the Bulldogs and having a decent season so far. He is 4-2-1 this season with a 2.67 GAA. He's made 156 saves on 175 shots.

The Pioneers are led by Jason Zucker and Drew Shore, both of who have 10 points this season. Zucker is tied at four goals for the team lead with rookie defenseman Joey LaLeggia. Shore is second with three goals. Beau Bennett, who has six points, might return to the ice after missing last week's series against Michigan Tech. A teammate's skate blade cut him during practice last week.

On Friday, the puck drops at 7:37 p.m. MT. Saturday's start time is 7:07 p.m. MT. Friday's game can be seen on Root Sports.

The Air Force Falcons are back in Colorado Springs on Saturday for a game against the Canisius College Griffins. After going 1-01 against the Alabama Huntsville Chargers last week, the Falcons are back into Atlantic Hockey conference play where they are 2-0.

The Griffins are 1-2 overall and 1-0 in conference play. After dropping their first two games of the season to Quinnipiac, the Griffins bounced back with a win in their conference opener against the RIT Tigers, 3-1. Kyle Gibbons leads the team with two goals and three points. Scott Moser and Preston Shupe have the two other goals for the Griffins. Dan Morrison and Tony Capobianco have shared time in net this season, but each one is allowing four goals per game.

For their efforts against Alabama-Huntsville, Cole Gunner and Kyle DeLaurell took home AHA rookie of the week and player of the week awards, respectively. Gunner and DeLaurell each had two goals and four points to garner the acclaim. They lead the team with nine points each.

Stephen Caple remains in goal for the Falcons with Jason Torf sidelined with a groin injury. He has a 1.70 GAA in four games, allowing seven goals on 93 shots.

The Denver Pioneers' shocking 7-2 loss to the Michigan Tech Huskies on Friday could be the Colorado College Tigers' gain in the next polls. The Tigers are currently No. 3 behind the No. 2 Pioneers, but the Tigers could move up if they complete the sweep of RPI on Saturday. They won, 4-1, on Friday night.

Rylan Schwartz led the Tigers' offensive attack with two goals. He scored at 4:10 in the first period and then had the game winning power play goal at 19:46 in the second period. Scott Winkler had the assist in the first goal, while Rylan's brother, Jaden, and Gabe Guentzel helped on the second one. Rylan Schwartz now has five goals on the season.

RPI put a goal on the board 10 seconds after Rylan's goal when Patrick Cullen netted his first goal of the season. That proved to be the only goal Joe Howe allowed, making 23 saves on 24 shots. Mike Boivin and William Rapuzzi added two goals in the final 30 seconds of the game.

The Tigers and the Engineers finish this series on Saturday night at 5:00 p.m. MT.

The Denver Pioneers might have seen their grip on the No. 2 spot in the polls slip on Friday night when the Michigan Tech Huskies downed them, 7-2. More concerning, the Pioneers lost starting goalie Adam Murray to injury in the first period. The team lost star goalie Sam Brittain to knee surgery back in the summer and he is not expected back until January or February.

Juho Olkinuora relieved Murray in net after the Huskies made the score 3-1 in the first period. Tanner Kero had put the Huskies on the board first at 1:53 in the first frame, but freshman defender Joey LaLeggia knotted it at one at 4:23. Milos Gordic put another power play goal past Murray before Ryan Furne's even-strength goal just seconds later sent Murray from the game.

Olkinuora limited the scoring to just one power play goal in the second period at 3:17, Gordic's second of the game. And Olkinuora kept the Huskies off the board from that point on until 13:59 in the third period when Gordic completed the hat trick. But Olkinuora had been pulled from net at that point, making it an empty-netter. Denver continued to play without a goalie and allowed two more goals.

Paul Phillips did add a goal for the Pioneers with 56 seconds left in the game.

The Pioneers (3-2) return to the ice on Saturday against the Huskies at 5:07 p.m. MT.

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The No. 2 Denver Pioneers stay in the WCHA this weekend for a series against the Michigan Tech Huskies. The Pioneers moved up one spot to No. 2 after defeating Minnesota State last weekend, 4-2 and 10-2. Jason Zucker is off to a hot start this season with three goals and eight points through the first four games of the season. Drew Shore is tied with Zucker for the team lead in goals and is just one point behind Zucker for the season.

Defensemen David Makowski and Joe LaLeggia have combined for nine points already this season. LaLeggia is just a freshman and expected to contribute heavily this season. Junior goalie Adam Murray has a 2.64 GAA for now, as he has been taken advantage of on opposing teams' power plays. He has allowed four goals with the man-disadvantage.

The Huskies enter this game with a 4-2 record under new coach Mel Pearson. Brett Olson has helped the team to that record with two goals and five assists. Steven Seigo and Jordan Baker are right behind him with six and five points, respectively. Jacob Johnstone and Blake Pietila, though, lead the team with three goals each.

The pucks drops at 5:07 p.m. MT

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The Colorado College Tigers hockey teams opened the 2011-12 season two weeks ago with a two-game sweep of the Bemidji State Beavers. After a week off, the Tigers start their road schedule with a visit to Troy, NY, to face the Rensselaer Engineers.

The Engineers are 1-4 this season after splitting a two-game series with Minnesota-Mankato, dropping a two-game set to Ferris State and most recently losing to ranked Notre Dame. Senior forward Joel Malchuk leads the team with two goals while Bryce Merriam has manned the net in four contests. He has allowed nine goals on 115 shots. Injuries to three key forwards this season have hurt the Engineers, but also breaking in a larger freshmen class is taking its time.

The Tigers, meanwhile, will look to continue their strong start with the continued support of the Schwartz brothers. Jaden, a top candidate for end-of-the-season awards, leads the team with four points (two goals, two assists) while Rylan has the team-high of three goals. Goalie Joe Howe has allowed one goal on 37 shots and had to relieve Josh Thorimbert in the third period of the Tigers' second game against Bemidji.

The puck drops at 5:00 p.m. MT on Friday and Saturday.

One night after a 1-1 tie with the Alabama-Huntsville Chargers, the Air Force Falcons hockey team picked up a 7-2 victory. The Falcons are now 3-2-1 after this non-conference road series.

The Chargers held a 1-0 lead at 9:32 in the first period after Craig Pierce scored, but the Falcons charged back with two goals in the latter half of the period. Casey Kleisinger picked up his third goal of the season and Chad Demers netted his first of the season on a later power play.

The Falcons soared in the second period with three goals. Alex Halloran ran scored the first on a power play goal almost four minutes into the period. Cole Gunner and Stephen Carew added the other for a 5-1 lead. Kyle DeLaurell netted his fourth and fifth goals of the season in the third period before Kyle Lysaght scored with six second left in the game.

Goalie Stephen Caple made 18 saves on 19 shot for the Falcons. Clarke Saunders fell to 0-5-1 for the Chargers after allowing all seven goals.

The Falcons face Canisius on Oct. 29 for the only game on their docket next week.

The Denver Pioneers hockey team improved to 3-1 on Saturday night after defeating the Minnesota State Mavericks, 10-2. The Pioneers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period when Jason Zucker and Joey LaLeggia scored in the first five minutes. Zucker went on to score a second goal in the second period and LaLeggia another one in the third period. Shawn Ostrow scored two goals also.

Daniel Doremus, Scott Mayfield, Jarrod Mermis and David Makowski each scored a goal. Makowski was tied with Ostrow and Drew Shore for the team lead in points with four.

Jean-Paul Lafontaine and Zach Palmquist each scored a power play goal in the third period, but Austin Lee and Phil Cook just couldn't stop the relentless Pioneers attack.

Pioneers goalie Adam Murray stopped 29 of 31 shots while Juho Olkinuora did make two saves in the third period.

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The Denver Pioneers improved to 2-1 on the season with a 4-2 victory on Friday night at Magness Arena. This was the team's first conference win and their first at home this season. Luke Salazar was the star of the game with two goals.

The Mavericks opened the scoring late in the first period (15:24) with a Jean-Paul Lafontaine goal. Evan Mosey and Justin Jokinen received assists on the play. The Pioneers were quiet until midway through the second period. Justin Zucker took a shot against Austin Lee, but it missed. Luke Salazar picked up the rebound and shot it into the back of the net, tying the game at one. Salazar came back with his second goal of the game and third of the season at 19:11 in the period.

Minnesota State's Zach Lehrke tied the game at 1:17 in the third period, but Drew Shore came back five minutes later with a power play goal (3). That was the Pioneers' first power play goal of the season. Zucker picked up his second assist of the game on the score and Beau Bennett had the secondary assist. Drew's brother, Nick, scored an empty net goal at 19:18. Bennett had his second goal of the game.

Pioneers goaltender Adam Murray made 21 saves on 23 shots for the victory.

This series concludes on Saturday night at 7:07 p.m. MT. As part of Pioneer Athletics Day on Saturday, the game will be broadcast live on Facebook.

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The Air Force Falcons nearly allowed the Alabama-Huntsville Chargers to pick up their first win of the season. However, a third-period of goal tied the game at 1-1. The game ended in a 1-1 tie after overtime.

In the second period, Air Force's Chad Demers was called for a boarding penalty at 7:11. The Chargers took advantage of the power play with a Kyle Lysaght power play goal at 8:07. It was Lysaght's first goal of the season with an assist going to Tom Durnie.

The Chargers held that lead late into the third period, but Lysaght, nearly the hero of the game, went to the box for a check from behind. Cole Gunner netted his first goal of the season on the ensuing power play to tie the game. Chad Demers and Tim Kirby picked up assists on the goal at 16:29.

The game went into overtime, but neither team was able to score. Saunders slid across the ice to stop a puck from going into the net in the extra frame. Air Force shot an amazing 56 shots on net, but could only slip one past Clarke Saunders. Air Force's Stephen Caple stopped 28 of 29 shots.

They take to the ice again on Saturday night at 6:05 p.m .MT.

The Air Force Falcons are back on the road this weekend with a two-game series with the Alabama-Huntsville Chargers, the only independent college hockey team on the Division I level. The Falcons enter this series on a two-game win streak after defeating Niagara, 3-2 OT, and downing Robert Morris, 4-2. However, the victories did not come quite that easily. Sophomore goalie Jason Torf suffered a strained groin earlier last week and missed both games.

Kyle DeLaurell leads the Falcons with three goals and two assists through four games while Cole Gunner has five assists. Stephen Caple will guard the net after going 2-0 last week with a 1.97 GAA. He made 39 saves on 44 shots.

Alabama-Huntsville is 0-6-0 this season after losses to Lake Superior State, Western Michigan and Bowling Green. Mac Roy leads the team with two goals and one assist.

It is Military Appreciation Week in Huntsville and the pucks drops at 6:05 p.m. MT on each of the next two days.

The No. 3 Denver Pioneers return to Magness Arena to start their 2011-12 season schedule with a weekend series against the Minnesota St. Mavericks. The Pioneers split their opening weekend series in Massachusetts with a 4-2 victory over the then No. 1 Boston College Eagles and a 4-3 loss to the Boston U. Terriers.

This series against the Mavericks is the start of conference play for both teams. The Mavericks are 1-3 this season after splitting a series with Rennselaer and dropping a two-game set to Massachusetts-Lowell last weekend. Justin Jokinen leads the Mavericks with one goal and one assist. However, Jokinen might be one of six players missing from the Mavericks lineup in this series, reports the Mankato Free Press. Austin Lee and Phil Cook have each played two games, but Lee has had the early success by allowing just four goals in two games. Cook has allowed eight.

Jason Zucker leads the Pioneers offensive attack with one goal and three points, but Drew Shore is right there with two goals already. Six different skaters have already scored at least one goal through the first two games of the season. The team is still looking for its first power play goal, going 0-for-10 last weekend. Junior goaltender Adam Murray allowed two power play and two shorthanded goals over the first weekend.

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One night after upsetting the No. 1 Boston College Eagles for their first win of the season, the Denver Pioneers added their first loss of the season to the standings with a 4-3 loss to the Boston U. Terriers. The Pioneers made this a competitive game during the final period of play, but fell short.

The Terriers opened the scoring with a goal midway through the first period. Alex Chiasson came up with the goal less than a minute after David Makowski and Justin Courtnall each received two minutes for hitting after the whistle. But the Terriers really got going in the second period when they scored two short-handed goals in the first 1:02 of the frame. Before the third minute was over, Wade Megan netted a power play goal that turned into the game-winner.

Luke Salazar put the Pioneers on board after six minutes had passed in the third period. John Lee added his goal seven minutes later with assists to Nick Shore and Paul Phillips. Drew Shore added his second goal of the season with less than three minutes remaining in the game. Jason Zucker picked up an assist while Joe LaLeggia had his second assist of the game after helping on Salazar's.

Pioneers goaltender Adam Murray made 28 saves on 32 shots.

The Pioneers return home to Magness Arena for a two-game set against Minnesota State next weekend.

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The Colorado College Tigers started off their 2011-12 season with a 3-1 victory over the Bemidji State Beavers. The Tigers overcame a shaky first period and put together a solid second and third periods. Goaltender Joe Howe made 26 saves on 27 saves.

The Tigers started their fire at the start of the second period when Gabe Guentzel scored just 25 seconds into the period. Joe Howe allowed that one puck to get by him at 6:41 in the second when Mitch Cain answered following two missed shot by his teammates. Eight minutes later, Jaden Schwartz put his first point on the board with an even-handed goal. Assists went to Michael Boivin and Eamonn McDermott.

Boivin put the Tigers ahead, 3-1, at 5:45 in the third period with the help of Dakota Eveland and William Rapuzzi.

The two teams will meet again on Saturday night at 7:07 p.m. MT. The Tigers will then take a week off before resuming play on Oct. 28.

The Air Force Falcons battled back from a 2-0 deficit against the Niagara Purple Eagles to pull out a 3-2 overtime victory on Friday night. Kyle DeLaurell scored at 1:50 into extra time for the Falcons' first victory of the season. It was his second goal of the game. Assists went to Chad Demers and Cole Gunner.

Niagara scored two goals inside the first four minutes of the first period. Isaac Kohls netted the first at 2:22 and Ryan Rashid followed at 3:54. However, Kyle DeLaurell answered at 8:19 to narrow the gap. Cole Gunner and George Michalke picked up assists on the play. Brad McBride and Ryan Timar teamed up for the Falcons' second goal, the former putting it in between the pipes at 7:13 in the second period.

After a scoreless third, DeLaurell ended the game early in overtime. The Falcons will take Saturday off before they play Robert Morris on Sunday.

The Denver Pioneers hockey team has put themselves in a good position to move to No. 1 in the college hockey rankings next week. They defeated the No. 1 Boston College Eagles, 4-2, on the road.

Jason Zucker put the Pioneers in the 1-0 lead at 3:27 in the first period with a breakaway goal (an assist to Dustin Jackson), but it was a short-lived advantage. An interference call on Paul Phillips had the Eagles on the power play, and Barry Almeida shot one past Adam Murray at 6:05. The Pioneers had two more penalties in the first period, but the Eagles were unable to take advantage of either.

The Pioneers came back with a vengeance in the second period when Beau Bennett put one at the back of Boston College's net just 55 second after play resumed. Paul Phillips and Scott Mayfield received assists on the goal. Nearly eight minutes later, Drew Shore had the Pioneers up by two goals. Jason Zucker picked up his second point of the night by picking up an assist on the play (Luke Salazar had the secondary assist).

Boston College's Kevin Hayes narrowed the Pioneers' lead to 3-2 with a goal just after the 17:00 mark. Barry Almeida assisted on the play. Both players finished the game with an assist and a goal. Chad Kreider also picked up a point with an assist on Almeida's goal.

Sophomore defender David Makowski picked up an empty net goal (assist to Nick Shore) once Parker Milner left the game. Milner made 18 saves to Murray's 21.

The No. 3 Pioneers continue the season on Saturday night with a contest against the Boston University Terriers. The puck drops in Boston at 5:05 p.m. MT.

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The Air Force Falcons began their hockey season last week as a participant in the 2011 Ice Breaker Tournament, but they left the tournament with two losses and zero victories. The Falcons led both games, but coughed up the lead to North Dakota and Michigan State in the third period of each game.

Now the Falcons are back from Grand Forks, N.D., and ready to start Atlantic Hockey conference play. They open the home schedule with a game against the Niagara Purple Eagles. The Eagles are finishing a three-game road trip out west with the visit to Colorado Springs.

Niagara dropped the first game to the Michigan Wolverines, 5-0, and then tied the Rochester Institute of Technology, 0-0. Goalie Cody Campbell made 30 saves in the tie against the RIT Tigers.

The Falcons saw Casey Kleisinger score two goals the previous week while goalie Jason Torf allowed six goals and made 42 saves.

The puck drops at 7:05 p.m. MT.

The Colorado College Tigers start the 2011-12 season with a two-game series at home in the World Center this weekend. They will play a WCHA foe, the Bemidji State Beavers. The Tigers are coming off two exhibition victories, a 3-2 win over McGill University and a 5-0 victory over the U.S. Under-18 team.

The Tigers will look to sophomore forward Jaden Schwartz to capitalize on his freshman season that was cut short due to injury. He had 47 points (17 goals, 30 assists) in just 30 games. He should be a top contender for the Hobey Baker award.

The Bemidji State Beavers went 1-1 to start the season. They split a two-game series against the Miami University Redhawks last weekend. After taking the first game, 5-3, the Beavers lost a close one the next day, 3-2. Aaron McLeod and Brad Hunt are tied for the team lead with three points each. McLeod leads the team with two goals.

The puck drops at 7:37 p.m. MT on Friday night.