How Good Are the Denver University Pioneers This Season? – The Hockey Writers Latest News, Analysis & More

Undefeated through 12 games, six players above a point per game, and coming off a national championship, this is none other than Denver Univeristy. Seventh-year head coach David Carle has built a foundation of NHL prospects and veterans on a roster that dares teams to make mistakes.

Denver University, the number one ranked team in the country, has always been known for its stoic hockey team, and that’s no different this season. Their next opponent? The Arizona State Sun Devils. Head coach Greg Powers has his team riding high after earning their first NCHC win in program history over the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks.

Related: Arizona State Sun Devils Earn Series Split Against Nebraska-Omaha

“We know who they are, national champions,” David Hymovitch, the Phoenix, Arizona native, said after the Sun Devils’ first NCHC win. “I know it’s not gonna be easy, but if we play like how we did tonight, we like our chances to get some points on the road and make up some ground here.”

Of course, being ranked unanimously number-one in the country begs the question: how good is Denver University?

Breaking Down the Numbers

Entering the 2024-25 season, there was no doubt Denver would be a star-studded team again, especially coming off their big national championship against Boston College. On the surface, it’s clear they’re highly talented, but just how good are they when looking at the numbers?

For starters, they have averaged nearly five goals a game (4.75) through 12 games and are only allowing 1.42 goals per game, thanks to the efforts of senior goaltender Matt Davis. That’s a substantial difference from goals for to goals against, something only a team can do when they have all three cylinders moving.

The Crimson and Gold also have one of the best penalty kills in the NCAA, allowing just three power-play goals on 37 attempts. Magness Arena, the Pioneers home, is one of the most electrifying buildings in college hockey.

The numbers look good largely due to the vast number of prospects on the team, led by 2024 Minnesota Wild first-round pick sophomore defenseman Zeev Buium.

Prospect-Filled Roster

As mentioned above, Buium is one of the biggest threats on the Pioneers’ blue line. In fact, this past weekend, against North Dakota, he registered a hat trick, marking the first time a defenseman had scored a hat trick for Denver since 2004 and the third time in NCHC history.

It doesn’t stop there as Florida Panthers 2022 seventh-round pick senior forward Jack Devine leads the team in points with one goal and 22 points in 12 games. 2023 Montreal Canadiens fifth-round pick senior forward Sam Harris is right behind Devine with a team-leading ten goals and 16 points through 12 games.

He was briefly mentioned above, but their netminder Matt Davis is also a massive reason for Denver’s success last season and this season. He’s played 11 out of the 12 games this season and has a 1.46 goals-against average (GAA) and a .937 save percentage (SV%). If anyone knows this, it’s Powers and ASU, but goaltending is vital to have any chance at success, especially now that the Sun Devils are in the NCHC.

It’s an endless list for the Pioneers in terms of prospects, and it’s clearly evident they’ve built not only an extremely talented team but a deep team that can attack with all four lines.

Arizona State Has Plate Full With Pioneers This Weekend

To say this will be a test for the Sun Devils is an understatement; this is more like a gauntlet. Most fans remember ASU’s thrilling 4-3 overtime upset win over Denver last season at Mullett Arena, but this game, of course, has NCHC implications. If ASU can pull off another upset win this weekend, it would be Denver’s first loss of the season, but that alone will be difficult. Puck drop from Denver, Colorado, for game one is at 7 pm Arizona time in what should be an exciting series.