No. 1 Denver Drops Series Opener vs. the state of Arizona

DENVER The University of Denver's No. 1 hockey team dropped its first game of the season with a 3-2 loss to the Arizona State Sun Devils at Magness Arena on Friday night.

The Pioneers (12-1-0, 2-1-0 NCHC) and Sun Devils (5-7-1, 2-3-0 NCHC) wrap up their two-game weekend series at DU on Saturday. Game time is at 6:00 PM MT and will air on NCHC.tv and regionally on Altitude 2.

Artem Shlaine had two goals for ASU opening the scoring 35 seconds after the opening faceoff and then getting the go-ahead goal and game-winning marker with 45 seconds left in regulation time.

“I thought ASU played very well; physically they were committed,” said Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach David Carl. “I thought they were on top of us in their O-zone forecheck. They created a lot of turnovers; we kind of worked those turnovers into our rushing game. We got into a game that they wanted to run the first two periods, we didn't have a lot of fouls on time. The only real highlight of our play through two periods was the special teams. Our power play scoring and PK were perfect.”

Denver's loss ends a school-record and season-opening 12-game streak and a streak of 21 consecutive games dating back to March 9 against Colorado College. The overall winning streak was the longest of several seasons in team annals and an attempt to tie the program record of 22 straight games the team won to end the 1967-68 season en route to a championship.

Senior captain Carter King led Denver with two goals as the second defenseman Zeev Buium provided two assists. Senior Jack Devine and junior Aidan Thompson also had helpers.

YOU the goalkeeper Matt Davis finished with 27 saves on 30 shots faced.

King tied the game twice for the Pioneers, tying the score with a wrist shot on a power play with 4:27 left in the first period and then again via a loose puck at the top of the crease with 4:01 left in the final frame.

Bennett Schimek scored the other goal for the Sun Devils on a breakaway at 7:20 of the middle stanza to give ASU the 2-1 lead. Arizona State goaltender Luke Pavicich stopped 30 shots as DU finished with a 32-30 edge in shots.

The Pioneers outscored the Sun Devils 14-5 in the third period and finished with a 55-38 lead in total shot attempts in the game.

Friday's appearance marked the 13th all-time between the Western schools since they first started playing in 2017 and the first as NCHC foes. ASU joined Denver in the conference this season as the ninth member of the NCHC.

NEXT: The Pioneers conclude their home series with the ASU Sun Devils on Saturday at 6:00 PM MT before beginning their second bye of the season. DU next hits the road for a season-long, three-game road swing at Western Michigan on Dec. 6 and 7 and Colorado College on Dec. 13.

POSTGAME NOTES

• DU and Arizona State met as NCHC opponents for the first time, as the Sun Devils are in their first season as members of the conference.
• Denver scored on the power play for the 10th consecutive game dating back to Oct. 19 versus Northeastern. It is the Pioneers' longest streak since the start of the 2021-22 season.
• Aidan Thompson extended his career-long and season-opening points streak to 13 games (9g/12a) after registering an assist.
• Jack Devine now has a four-game assist/point streak (0g/6a).
• Devine had an assist and now has 128 career points (45g/83a), which puts him at 42nd on the school's all-time scoring list.
• Zeev Buium recorded his 50th career assist in his 55th career game.
• Cal Ashcroft played in his 50th career game.
• ASU picked up its first win in Denver as the Pioneers are now 6-1-0 all-time against the Sun Devils at Magness Arena.
• DU's school-record 12-game winning streak in the season opener came to an end.
• The Pioneers' 21-game overall winning streak, which dates back to March 9 against Colorado College, was the second-longest in program history, just shy of the 22-game run the team made from January 5 to March 16 1968 to match. route to the program's fourth national championship. The 21-game stretch was the longest multi-season winning streak in school annals.
• The Pioneers had their 10-game home winning streak dating back to February 24 come to an end.
• Goalkeeper Matt Davis His personal best of 20 matches came to an end. His 11-game winning streak this year was the longest of the season by a DU netminder since Tanner Jaillet also won 11 straight games from Jan. 21 through March 10, 2017.

PURPOSE SUMMARY
1st Period

0:35 ASU (0-1) Artem Shlaine opened the scoring after a wraparound chance came through Matt Davis during a scramble in the crease.
15:33 DU (1-1) PPG, Carter King found rope around a wrist, shot in the high slot of passes Zeev Buium And Aidan Thompson.

2nd Period

7:20 ASU (1-2) Bennett Schimek scored on a breakaway.

3rd Period

15:59 DU (2-2) Carter King hit a loose puck near the goal area.
7:15 PM ASU (2-3) Artem Shlaine beat the DU goalie with a wrist shot from the slot.

QUOTABLES
Richard and Kitzia Goodman hockey head coach David Carl
About the game: “I thought the first shift was indicative of the game; it's a net-front, block-out situation. I don't think we were emotionally involved in the game like we were a week ago in North Dakota. I think we got the we took our foot off the gas and in came a hungry team that isn't really afraid of anyone. They're here to make their mark, and they don't really care where they play or who they play against playing it's most of the evening for us and we deserve it it to win.”

On Arizona State's game plan: “There are really good coaches in college hockey. They watch what we do, and there is a lot more film these days than there was four weeks or four games in the year. They have been able to see trends that give us success. Obviously we tried counter some of what we thought they were going to do. For the most part, I thought they clearly kept us from doing that until we got some looks in the third period and got some more offensive zone time them and their preparation. and their attention to detail because it took up most of it the night at a higher level than ours, and like I said, they deserve to win the hockey game.”

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