DU Pioneers four wins away from standing alone in college hockey

The University of Denver comes into the NCAA Tournament on a high, within shouting distance of college hockey history.

All the Pioneers have to do now is beat a few teams in their own backyard.

DU earned the top seed in its regional bracket two time zones away in Springfield, Mass., starting with a game against UMass on Thursday. The Pioneers, fresh off an NCHC Tournament title, are four wins away from claiming their 10th national championship and breaking an all-time title record with Michigan.

“We definitely feel good about where our game is,” DU head coach David Carle said. “We've been building and it feels like we're playing eight to 10 weeks of playoff hockey now … and we're definitely confident going into the tournament.

“I liked our killer instinct (in the NCHC tournament). We ended the three-team seasons with a win over (Minnesota) Duluth here, beating St. Cloud, and then beating Omaha (in the championship) ended the season (Colorado College). It's very important to have that attitude towards you, and now we have to try to do it again on Thursday against UMass.

To advance to the Frozen Four starting April 11 in St. Paul, Minnesota, DU will have to win two games in a road environment that won't exactly be neutral. No. 4 seed UMass is about a 30-minute drive from the MassMutual Center in Springfield.

Should DU advance past the Minutemen, they will face the winners of Maine and Cornell, both of which are within a four- to five-hour bus ride from the arena. But Carle isn't focused on the fact that DU drew the short straw in the neutral regional format that has been college hockey's postseason setup since 2003.

“At the end of the day, we were going to be playing a good team somewhere (anyway),” Carle said. “At the very least I know there will be a good atmosphere, and that is something that is rare in this format, so we are looking forward to that.”

The format is expected to continue through 2026, and schools are currently offering through 2028 at regional locations. DU will host Loveland at the Budweiser Events Center in 2026 and is also making a bid to host there in '27 and '28, although the format could change in the final two years as the 'bubbling conversation' (for home regions )' continues.

“I've been pretty vocal about that (change),” Carle said. “I believe it should be a three-week tournament, do away with the bye week (before the Frozen Four) and play a single match the first week, with the top eight hosting the bottom eight. Week two, the top four host the bottom four, and then have the Frozen Four as is (at a neutral location). So the same number of games, but straight to a home site.

Frequent flyer miles aside, DU (27-9-3) is focused on continuing the momentum of winning its third NCHC Frozen Faceoff title last weekend – the program's 18th conference tournament championship, with a total of 15 previous tournament victories in the WCHA. The Pios are making their 15th appearance in the NCAAs (discounting the 2020 COVID year) since 2008.

In the NCHC tournament, DU defeated Minnesota Duluth in the quarterfinals, winning by scores of 4-0 and 5-2 at Magness Arena. Then the Pioneers rallied from four one-goal deficits to beat St. Cloud State 5-4 in overtime at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. In that same building the next night, DU scored four straight goals and defeated Omaha 4-1 for the title.

“That OT game (and two other comebacks) in the NCHC tournament was huge for us to show that we could play those types of games and win those types of games,” freshman defenseman Zeev Buium said. “That was a big step for our whole team and that was the main message throughout the tournament: we wanted to show each other what we could do in a big match and matches that mean something, to win a trophy.”

The Pioneers have lost just one game since Feb. 3: a 4-3 setback at Colorado College on March 8. Beyond that, DU has grown tremendously, thanks in large part to what senior captain and forward McKade Webster called a “kick in the butt.” ” which fell at the low point of the team's regular season in late January and the first weekend of February.

During that span, DU was swept on the road by rival North Dakota while being outscored 9-4, then suffered another blow the following weekend via a 7-2 loss to Western Michigan at home.

“Carle is not someone who normally gets excited easily, but after that he definitely got to us a little bit,” Buium said. “The biggest message was more about playing for the logo, and in the (locker) room, McKade Webster had some things to say that stuck with us. We have shown that in recent weeks and played as best as we could.”

The Pios managed to find their footing despite losing an important attacking piece in Massimo Rizzo. The junior forward missed the last 12 games due to a lower-body injury, and Carle said it is “highly doubtful” he returns during the NCAA Tournament.

Minus Rizzo, DU's other catalysts have found a late-season rhythm. Junior forward Jack Devine leads the team (and is tied for third in the nation) with 27 goals this season, the most for a DU player since 2006. On the other hand, goaltender Matt Davis posted a pair of shutout streaks throughout his career. the past five weeks.