Denver Cup: Denver, Air Force, Lake Superior State & Clarkson, Welcome to Boonetown

[dubbie31]

Re: Denver Cup: Denver, Air Force, Lake Superior State & Clarkson, Welcome to Booneto

This is the first year that the Denver Cup is being held on Thanksgiving weekend. Hopefully the DU boys are ready for two big OOC games.



TV this weekend

Friday - LSSU @ DU FSN Rocky Mountain Live at 7:35 PM MTand tape delayed on FCS Pacific at 12AM MT Saturday

Saturday - AFA @ DU No TV, webcast on Pioneer Vision at 7PM MT

No TV for AFA & Clarkson on Friday or LSSU & Clarkson on Saturday.

Most DU fans are very familiar with Air Force but don't know a lot about LSSU or Clarkson. Tell us about yourselves.

Liked it more when it was a tournament format and not set match ups on both days.

[AFHockeyFan]

Re: Denver Cup: Denver, Air Force, Lake Superior State & Clarkson, Welcome to Booneto

And Air Force is STILL skating circles around the EZAC. Yale? check. Clarkson? check. What else ya got?

[Puck Swami]

Re: Denver Cup: Denver, Air Force, Lake Superior State & Clarkson, Welcome to Booneto

DU beats a very plucky LSSU squad 6-3 in a game that was much closer than the score indicated. LSSU seemed to get a little tired late in the game (altitude? travel?) and the Pios were able to capitalize late with a few good bounces. Drew Shore with a statement hat trick for the Pioneers.

Expect a classic with Air Force. You know AFA will work hard. DU needs to get some rest and get ready....

[du78]

Re: Denver Cup: Denver, Air Force, Lake Superior State & Clarkson, Welcome to Booneto

Day One Results

AFA 2 Clarkson 1

DU 6 LSSU 3

Gwoz not a happy camper. Team needs to mature and playing time could be affected with those who are working the hardest will be rewarded with more ice time.

[manurespreader]

Re: Denver Cup: Denver, Air Force, Lake Superior State & Clarkson, Welcome to Booneto

DU beats a very plucky LSSU squad 6-3 in a game that was much closer than the score indicated. LSSU seemed to get a little tired late in the game (altitude? travel?) and the Pios were able to capitalize late with a few good bounces. Drew Shore with a statement hat trick for the Pioneers.

Expect a classic with Air Force. You know AFA will work hard. DU needs to get some rest and get ready....

you know it could have been the altitude etc, but the fifth goal was an absolute killer. Might have been that way no matter where. Congrats to DU for doing what it took to win.

[du78]

Re: Denver Cup: Denver, Air Force, Lake Superior State & Clarkson, Welcome to Booneto

Drew Shore Post-Game Comments

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Gwoz Post-Game Comments

[Puck Swami]

Re: Denver Cup: Denver, Air Force, Lake Superior State & Clarkson, Welcome to Booneto

DU wins the 15th of 19 Denver Cups. This was a pretty good tourney - all close games. I like that the new November Tourney dates protect the Pioneers from the World Juniors, and the Saturday turnout for AFA was very good, although really quiet without the students and band to get the atmosphere going. Hopefully we are able to get good fields in the future.

As for the tourney format, I like the showcase because it allows DU to pick its opponents, which is a scheduling necessity when so much of your PWR is based on non-conference results.

[du78]

Re: Denver Cup: Denver, Air Force, Lake Superior State & Clarkson, Welcome to Booneto

Dusty Jackson Post-Game Comments

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Drew Shore Post-Game Comments

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Gwoz Post-Game Comments

[Scarlet]

Re: Denver Cup: Denver, Air Force, Lake Superior State & Clarkson, Welcome to Booneto

First off, congrats to Denver on winning! Question - what was the reasoning of moving this tournament Thanksgiving weekend this year?

[Puck Swami]

Re: Denver Cup: Denver, Air Force, Lake Superior State & Clarkson, Welcome to Booneto

First off, congrats to Denver on winning! Question - what was the reasoning of moving this tournament Thanksgiving weekend this year?

1) DU knew they had a young team this year and qualification for the NCAA tourney could be a bubble proposition, and with 4-5 of their best players eligible for World Junior selection this year, having a Christmastime tourney would be hard to win without those players. Going forward, DU doesn't want to play high profile games without their best players in that time period. Too much PWR risk.

2) Getting good opponents for a Christmas tourney is much tougher now that there are so many tourneys out there. By moving it up to Nov., they hope to have a bigger pool of potential opponents

3) DU Basketball might want to do a Christmas tourney in the future.

[Laker Dude]

Re: Denver Cup: Denver, Air Force, Lake Superior State & Clarkson, Welcome to Booneto

1) DU knew they had a young team this year and qualification for the NCAA tourney could be a bubble proposition, and with 4-5 of their best players eligible for World Junior selection this year, having a Christmastime tourney would be hard to win without those players. Going forward, DU doesn't want to play high profile games without their best players in that time period. Too much PWR risk.

I was just wondering why Denver would schedule NMU 2 games on new years eve and new years day. NMU always turns it around in the second half and could be a very dangerous team to play especially with Denver potentially missing some players.

[Puck Swami]

Re: Denver Cup: Denver, Air Force, Lake Superior State & Clarkson, Welcome to Booneto

I am not sure about this decision, either. Perhaps DU thought NMU was more beatable than LSSU or AFA. Or perhaps they did not expect to fill that New Years time slot and signed NMU late, and took the home revenue rather than going on the road to someone else's tourney.

DU is likely to lose their top two scorers (Drew Shore and Jason Zucker) to the World Juniors. They could also lose Nick Shore and Beau Bennett to Team USA and Sam Brittain to Team Canada, but those last 3 picks seem more remote right now.

[vizoroo]

Re: Denver Cup: Denver, Air Force, Lake Superior State & Clarkson, Welcome to Booneto

[QUOTE=Puck Swami;4944330]1) DU knew they had a young team this year and qualification for the NCAA tourney could be a bubble proposition, and with 4-5 of their best players eligible for World Junior selection this year, having a Christmastime tourney would be hard to win without those players. Going forward, DU doesn't want to play high profile games without their best players in that time period. Too much PWR risk.
QUOTE]

As it is we may be without Jason Zucker and Drew Shore for the Northern Michigan games. (Drew was injured at camp and didn't make the final team.) Two thirds of our top line.

Beau Bennett was also on the final team at the evaluation team, but his slow start probably has hurt his chances. Nick Shore was also invited to the evaluation camp, but didn't make the final cut and his injury certainly has slowed him down. He will be eligible again next year. But if both would make it, that would be two thirds of our 2nd line.

28 players will be invited to the final camp which begins December 16, with 22 making the final team. Exhibition games start 12/19 and the tournament begins 12/26. There is a New Years Eve game--Team USA vs Sweden. The first chance to play Team Canada will be in the medal round.

I'm glad they changed the Denver Cup to Thanksgiving.

[Scarlet]

Re: Denver Cup: Denver, Air Force, Lake Superior State & Clarkson, Welcome to Booneto

1) DU knew they had a young team this year and qualification for the NCAA tourney could be a bubble proposition, and with 4-5 of their best players eligible for World Junior selection this year, having a Christmastime tourney would be hard to win without those players. Going forward, DU doesn't want to play high profile games without their best players in that time period. Too much PWR risk.

2) Getting good opponents for a Christmas tourney is much tougher now that there are so many tourneys out there. By moving it up to Nov., they hope to have a bigger pool of potential opponents

3) DU Basketball might want to do a Christmas tourney in the future.

If everyone thought that way, then there would be no more Christmas tournaments.

[Puck Swami]

Re: Denver Cup: Denver, Air Force, Lake Superior State & Clarkson, Welcome to Booneto

If everyone thought that way, then there would be no more Christmas tournaments.

I agree with you, and it's kinda sad. I like Christmas tourneys, and love non-conference play.

Only 10 years ago, missing a few players to the World Juniors was no big deal, since the best players on a team were always upperclassmen. Now, it seems like the guys going to the World Juniors are often among the best players on the college team, since the good upperclassmen are leaving early for pro hockey instead of staying in college hockey. And if a bubble team's PWR fate is going to often hinge on non-conference record, you can imagine how some coaches are much more worried about playing non-conference games without their best players.

I also think scheduling these tourney's at Christmas time is much harder than it used to be, since there are more tourneys and less teams available. Perhaps Denver can get a better field at Thanksgiving in the future. We'll see.