The University of Denver Pioneers captured their seventh-straight win over in-state rivals Colorado College on Thursday night, downing the Tigers by a score of 4-1 at Broadmoor World Arena. In a relief appearance, junior goaltender Evan Cowley (Evergreen, Colo.) made 21 saves in 40 minutes of action in backstopping DU to victory. Denver is now 9-1-3 in 2016 and 16-8-5 overall on the season (12-5-2-0, NCHC).
“This is probably the best effort we’ve had in this building in my three years with the program,” DU head coach Jim Montgomery said after the impressive road win. “We controlled the puck for at least eighty percent of the game and played smart, assertive hockey in all three zones and for all three periods. It was a good team win for us and we’re excited to now be able to focus on Saturday’s game at Coors Field.”
After the Tigers scored on the power play to take an early 1-0 lead, the Pioneers tied things up at one apiece when a net-charging Dylan Gambrell (Bonney Lake, Wash.) buried a nice feed from Boston Bruins prospect Danton Heinen (Langley, B.C.) in the 11th minute of play. Senior forward Quentin Shore (Denver, Colo.) also picked up an assist on the offensive strike.
Following a goalless second period, junior forward Trevor Moore (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) put Denver up 2-1 at the 6:54 mark of the third, pouncing on a loose puck deep in Tigers territory and firing a backhand shot to the back of CC’s net. An insurance marker off the stick of Anaheim Ducks prospect Troy Terry (Denver, Colo.) put DU up 3-1 nine-and-a-half minutes later, with Heinen sealing the win for DU by scoring his team-leading 13th goal of the season late in regulation. Denver’s ‘Pacific Rim Line’ of Moore-Gambrell-Heinen finished Thursday’s game with seven points (3G-4A) and has now combined to register 13GP-20G-42A-62P since January 1.
The Pioneers and Tigers will meet again on Saturday night (puck drop – 6:10pm) at downtown Denver’s Coors Field in a historic outdoor game dubbed the ‘Battle on Blake’.