ST. PAUL, Minn. — Denver plays Boston College for the NCAA men’s hockey championship on Saturday. Here’s some of what the Pioneers were saying on Friday.
Are you us, or are we you?
The main way Denver and Boston College win their games are similar. The two programs boast the highest scoring offenses in the nation (Denver at 4.65 goals per game, BC at 4.58), so it seems only fitting that they meet for the title.
In their first meeting this season on Oct. 21 in Chestnut Hill, Mass., Denver won a back-and-forth game 4-3 over Boston College, finishing with a 28-27 edge in shots to define a good back-and-forth game between two evenly matched juggernauts. Can we expect the same on Saturday night with the national championship on the line?
“We’ve seen what they’ve done,” Pioneers coach David Carle said. “They haven’t really looked back or taken the foot off the gas, so I’ve been very impressed with what they’ve done.
“It was just great energy and emotion out of both teams [last meeting], so I would expect very similar here on Saturday night.”
Defense stepping up at the right time
Offense has been the biggest key to winning games for the Pioneers this season. But in the first half, defense was something of a concern as many of their opponents were able to match or overtake their output. Per Carle, his team ranked in the 40’s of over 60 teams in goals allowed per game in that half.
But in the second half and particularly since March, the team defense has seen a remarkable turnaround. And that has proven to be a good thing in the NCAA tournament because Denver has managed only two goals in each of its first three games leading up to the title tilt.
Denver had scored two goals this season only three teams before the tournament and lost all three. But they won both Springfield Regional games and the national semifinal against Boston University on Thursday all by 2-1 scores, a result of not only clutch scoring but also improved defensive effort.
“To have three straight games of two or less goals and to be 3-0 in the tournament, I think that goes to show the commitment that the players have,” Carle said.
Filling big shoes
Before Carle took over as Denver coach prior to the 2018-19 season, he had been serving as an assistant coach for several years after his own playing career was cut short due to a heart issue. It was legendary coach George Gwozdecky who brought him on board at first after initially recruiting him while the school honored the scholarship it offered so he could attend.
He eventually moved on to Green Bay of the USHL, but he was back in Denver less than two years later to continue as an assistant under Jim Montgomery, helping him win the program’s eighth title in 2017. Then when Montgomery moved on after the following season, Carle who ascended to the head role at the age of 28, and he’s been a big success. Carle credits Gwozdecky for his trust when he appointed him to his staff, and he’s incorporated that into his own style to keep up the program’s commitment to winning.
“George was great about [encouragement through opportunity and trust],” Carle said. “Something that certainly I try to replicate with my staff.”
