DU Pioneers sweep the series against Western Michigan with a 4-2 win

The Western Michigan Broncos came out looking for revenge on the DU Pioneers tonight, setting a fast pace from the initial puck drop. The uptempo, aggressive play from both teams created a revolving door to the penalty box as they combined for 17 penalties, nine for Western Michigan and eight for Denver.

The first period was filled with back-and-forth play as the teams matched each other step for step, and it wasn’t until the final minute of play that a goal was scored. During a two-man advantage for Denver, Henrik Borgstrom got his fourth goal of the young season. Unfortunately for the Broncos, the goal came before the first penalty expired, so the team started the middle frame a man down and on the wrong side of a 1-0 score.

Coming into the second with a 9-5 shot and 1-0 goal advantage, DU set to work immediately, peppering Broncos goaltender Trevor Gorsuch with shots. A snappy glove save at the expiration of the second penalty gave Western Michigan a chance to settle things down a bit and regroup. Taking that breath worked because Sheldon Dries evened it up on the scoreboard for the Broncos shortly thereafter. It was a spectacular goal as Dries made a diving reach for the puck in the crease, hitting a wide-open net as Pioneers goaltender Tanner Jaillet had bit the wrong way and could not recover in time to get a pad on the puck.

The Broncos weren’t done scoring, however, and in a reversal of fortune, the team nabbed another goal in their own two-man advantage, giving Western Michigan its first lead of the weekend. With 1:20 still left on the second penalty, the Pioneers still had work to do. After the successful kill, it was the Broncos turn in the box, and Jarid Lukosevicius made them pay. It started with Borgstrom who slid the puck up to the blueline and a waiting Will Butcher. Butcher sent a blistering shot from the point toward the net, and a perfectly-timed tip from Jarid Lukosevicius guided the puck past Gorsuch to tie up the game at two goals each.

 I don’t know if (Western Michigan) is going to get swept in a series very often. That’s a top-four team and will be a team that gets home ice. It’s nice to get off to a great start in the NCHC. Now we’ve just got to take a week off and regroup and get ready for North Dakota. – Jim Montgomery, DU Head Coach

Just 2:29 into the third period, Borgstrom and Butcher continued their point production on the night by setting up Dylan Gambrell. Gambrell retook the lead on a sweet little floater from the top of the circle. Despite a hard-working effort by the Broncos which included some tough, physical play, the Pioneers would not relinquish the lead again. In fact, DU extended the lead to 4-2 on a pretty little goal from Matt Marcinew off of a pretty little pass by Gambrell. The clock would eventually wind down, and the Pioneers skated away with the series sweep.

Three DU Stars:
1 – Henrik Borgstrom (1g, 2a)
2 – Will Butcher (3 assists)
3 – Dylan Gambrell (1g, 1a)

The Pioneers have a week off next weekend and hit the ice again in North Dakota against the Fighting Hawks on November 11th. Avalanche prospect Tyson Jost is a big part of North Dakota topping the league as his two goals and five assists put him third in scoring on the team.