The No. 1 DU Pioneers (14-5-4, 6-2-3-2 NCHC) were shut out for the first time this season on Friday night, falling to the No. 14 WMU Broncos (11-5-3, 5-5-1-1 NCHC) by a score of 3-0 at Lawson Arena. Sophomore forward Dylan Gambrell (Bonney Lake, Wash.) led Denver with five shots on goal on the night while senior center Matt Marcinew (Calgary, Alta.) went 12-for-13 on faceoffs in a losing effort for the Crimson & Gold.
“We didn’t manage the game well tonight and that cost us,” Denver head coach Jim Montgomery said following Friday’s defeat. “The Broncos did a much better job of managing the game, especially in the third period, and they deserved the win. That being said, we didn’t do ourselves any favors, coming up empty on several odd-man rushes and some other good opportunities. We definitely need to do a much better job of capitalizing on our scoring chances, fostering a more aggressive net-front presence and executing with the puck if we want to get back on track tomorrow night.”
Denver’s Tanner Jaillet (Red Deer, Alta.) and Western Michigan’s Ben Blacker staged an epic goaltending duel throughout an overtly-physical, back-and-forth opening 40 minutes of play on Friday, combining to make 35 saves – several of which were of the highlight-reel variety – as an intense intraconference showdown entered its second intermission with the game deadlocked at zeroes. The Broncos broke the double shutout on a third period power play, with Frederik Tiffels converting on a close-range backhander at the 6:28 mark of the stanza to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
The Pioneers came close to getting on the scoreboard several times throughout the duration of regulation, hitting multiple posts on WMU’s net, but Blacker was able to keep the puck from crossing his goal line in laying claim to a shutout victory and capturing No. 1 Star honors. A pair of empty-net tallies from the Broncos late in regulation gave the home team the win by a three-goal margin.
These two teams will meet again tomorrow night at Lawson Arena. Denver’s next home game is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 27 vs. Nebraska-Omaha. Click HERE to view DU’s complete 2016-17 schedule.
Featured Image Credit: Denver Pioneers
