Re: Top 100 Greatest Teams of the NCAA era Tournament
#29 - 1959-1960 Denver vs. #100 - 2002-2003 New Hampshire
August 2, 2013
Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI
First Round - Midwest Regional
The Top 100 Tournament got back into action once more this morning, as the 1959-1960 Denver Pioneers took on the 2002-2003 New Hampshire Wildcats at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Mark Dinning treated the raucous capacity crowd to a beautiful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, and the game was about to begin.
Denver controlled play early on, and following a tripping call on Joshua Prudden, Grant Munro fired a slapshot that beat Wildcat Goalie Mike Ayers high to the blocker side for a powerplay goal to give Denver a 1-0 lead. Sean Collins nearly evened up the score, but Pioneer netminder George Kirkwood made a tremendous glove save to keep the Denver up by a goal. Just over halfway through the opening frame, Denver struck again. This time, Bill Masterton fed a beautiful cross ice pass over to Jerry Walker, who fired a one-timer over Ayers’ glove, and Denver was up 2-0. However, that lead would not last for long. Just 37 seconds after the Walker goal, Denver’s Al Barnhill was called for a five minute major for checking from behind, as Barnhill leveled Patrick Foley into the side boards in front of the penalty box. The Wildcats took advantage of the extended powerplay. Just thirty seconds into it, Lanny Gare found Colin Hemingway at the side of the net, and Hemingway hammered the puck home to get New Hampshire back to within one. Just under a minute later, Collins made a tremendous play along the far boards to get to the slot and roofed a wrister to tie the game at two. Finally, as the major wound down, Garrett Stafford unleashed a slap shot from the point that deflected off a Denver Defenseman, and found the back of the net. All of a sudden, New Hampshire was up 3-2, and the first period would end with a Wildcat one-goal lead.
The second period began with New Hampshire piling on the pressure, but Kirkwood kept the Pioneers in the game with several impressive saves, including a beautiful kick save on a 2x1 break. Just after the six minute mark of the second, Denver finally got their first shot on goal of the period, but Ayers was up to the task. Throughout the middle of the middle frame, both sides played tremendous defense, and neither side was able to make much happen in the offensive zone, as the lone shot between the six minute mark and the twelve minute mark was a long wrister from the point by Jim Abbott that Kirkwood easily blocked aside. However, the log jam in the neutral zone would finally be broken when Tim Horst was called for an elbowing penalty with just over 7 minutes left to go in the second period. The Pioneers quickly capitalized, as Jerry Walker scored his second goal of the game just 9 seconds after the penalty. The goal knotted things up at 3, and Denver finally regained momentum. The Pioneers had a few quality chances in the final minutes of the second, but Ayers was up to task. After two periods in Milwaukee, the Pioneers and Wildcats were all square at 3 apiece.
The third stanza opened with a tremendous shift from Denver’s top line, as Masterton nearly put the Pios ahead, but his wrister from about 15 feet rang off the crossbar, and fell harmlessly into the net behind the goal. The two sides then proceeded to play a somewhat boring game in the neutral zone, as neither side was willing to give an inch. Finally, nearly halfway through the period, George Konik made a tremendous individual effort. Konik stole the puck from the Wildcat blueliner in the neutral zone, skated up the near boards, behind the net, and then fed a beautiful pass through the crease to find a streaking John MacMillan at the near post. MacMillan slammed the puck into the back of the net, and the Pioneers took a 4-3 lead. The Wildcats were stunned, and just moments after the puck was dropped to start the game again, Jerry Walker completed his hat trick on a wicked wrister from the near circle that Ayers could not reach. The Pios were up 5-3, and New Hampshire was in a daze. Coach Dick Umile took his timeout, but it would not work. Denver played tremendous defense, cancelling out any Wildcat attack into the DU zone. As the clock wore down, Umile pulled Ayers for the extra attacker, but it proved fruitless. When the final horn sounded, the Denver Pioneers were victorious by the score of 5-3. The win moved Denver through to the Second Round in the Midwest Regional, where the Pioneers will take on the winner of the 1989-1990 Wisconsin – 1973-1974 Michigan Tech matchup.
#29 - 1959-1960 Denver vs. #100 - 2002-2003 New Hampshire
August 2, 2013
Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI
First Round - Midwest Regional
The Top 100 Tournament got back into action once more this morning, as the 1959-1960 Denver Pioneers took on the 2002-2003 New Hampshire Wildcats at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Mark Dinning treated the raucous capacity crowd to a beautiful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, and the game was about to begin.
Denver controlled play early on, and following a tripping call on Joshua Prudden, Grant Munro fired a slapshot that beat Wildcat Goalie Mike Ayers high to the blocker side for a powerplay goal to give Denver a 1-0 lead. Sean Collins nearly evened up the score, but Pioneer netminder George Kirkwood made a tremendous glove save to keep the Denver up by a goal. Just over halfway through the opening frame, Denver struck again. This time, Bill Masterton fed a beautiful cross ice pass over to Jerry Walker, who fired a one-timer over Ayers’ glove, and Denver was up 2-0. However, that lead would not last for long. Just 37 seconds after the Walker goal, Denver’s Al Barnhill was called for a five minute major for checking from behind, as Barnhill leveled Patrick Foley into the side boards in front of the penalty box. The Wildcats took advantage of the extended powerplay. Just thirty seconds into it, Lanny Gare found Colin Hemingway at the side of the net, and Hemingway hammered the puck home to get New Hampshire back to within one. Just under a minute later, Collins made a tremendous play along the far boards to get to the slot and roofed a wrister to tie the game at two. Finally, as the major wound down, Garrett Stafford unleashed a slap shot from the point that deflected off a Denver Defenseman, and found the back of the net. All of a sudden, New Hampshire was up 3-2, and the first period would end with a Wildcat one-goal lead.
The second period began with New Hampshire piling on the pressure, but Kirkwood kept the Pioneers in the game with several impressive saves, including a beautiful kick save on a 2x1 break. Just after the six minute mark of the second, Denver finally got their first shot on goal of the period, but Ayers was up to the task. Throughout the middle of the middle frame, both sides played tremendous defense, and neither side was able to make much happen in the offensive zone, as the lone shot between the six minute mark and the twelve minute mark was a long wrister from the point by Jim Abbott that Kirkwood easily blocked aside. However, the log jam in the neutral zone would finally be broken when Tim Horst was called for an elbowing penalty with just over 7 minutes left to go in the second period. The Pioneers quickly capitalized, as Jerry Walker scored his second goal of the game just 9 seconds after the penalty. The goal knotted things up at 3, and Denver finally regained momentum. The Pioneers had a few quality chances in the final minutes of the second, but Ayers was up to task. After two periods in Milwaukee, the Pioneers and Wildcats were all square at 3 apiece.
The third stanza opened with a tremendous shift from Denver’s top line, as Masterton nearly put the Pios ahead, but his wrister from about 15 feet rang off the crossbar, and fell harmlessly into the net behind the goal. The two sides then proceeded to play a somewhat boring game in the neutral zone, as neither side was willing to give an inch. Finally, nearly halfway through the period, George Konik made a tremendous individual effort. Konik stole the puck from the Wildcat blueliner in the neutral zone, skated up the near boards, behind the net, and then fed a beautiful pass through the crease to find a streaking John MacMillan at the near post. MacMillan slammed the puck into the back of the net, and the Pioneers took a 4-3 lead. The Wildcats were stunned, and just moments after the puck was dropped to start the game again, Jerry Walker completed his hat trick on a wicked wrister from the near circle that Ayers could not reach. The Pios were up 5-3, and New Hampshire was in a daze. Coach Dick Umile took his timeout, but it would not work. Denver played tremendous defense, cancelling out any Wildcat attack into the DU zone. As the clock wore down, Umile pulled Ayers for the extra attacker, but it proved fruitless. When the final horn sounded, the Denver Pioneers were victorious by the score of 5-3. The win moved Denver through to the Second Round in the Midwest Regional, where the Pioneers will take on the winner of the 1989-1990 Wisconsin – 1973-1974 Michigan Tech matchup.
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