DENVER – no. 5 Denver Pioneers hockey defeated their opponent in their home opener, fueled by key contributions from junior defenseman Eric Pohlkamp and junior goaltender Paxton Geisel. Pohlkamp scored a crucial short-handed goal, while Geisel secured a shutout in his first game back from surgery, marking nearly two years since his last full game.
The Pioneers utilized a strong defensive strategy, employing all five defensemen and six forwards, disrupting their opponent’s offensive flow. The game featured limited penalties, benefiting denver’s power play and penalty kill units, including a significant five-minute major.
“They did a really nice job of executing, you know, all 5 D that were used, six forwards, Paxton, I thought we disrupted them,” a team representative stated. “It was nice, there wasn’t a lot of whistles. I think whistles helped the power play a lot of times, or on the kills, and especially a five-minute major. So we just got we’re able to keep the clock moving and it’s hard for them to change on the fly.”
Pohlkamp’s short-handed goal proved pivotal,shifting momentum and providing a cushion for the Pioneers. Shortly after, a goal by Fisher extended the lead. “I think so, and then obviously Fisher scored right after that, back door. So I think that gave us some momentum and kind of relaxed us a little bit because yesterday we were all kind of tensed. So it was nice to get that,” Pohlkamp saeid.
Geisel, returning from surgery, delivered a stellar performance, limiting scoring chances. “Guys played great in front of me, pretty much limiting a lot of great A’s (scoring chances). So yeah, feels good. we were on top of everything in this game,” Geisel commented. He emphasized the team’s overall enhancement and forward momentum.
The Pioneers’ penalty kill unit was notably effective, successfully navigating a significant penalty in the third period. A potential goal by the opposing team was disallowed after review, further solidifying Denver’s defensive stand.”Yeah, feels good obviously. Big PK, we were super clean with it. So luckily that goal (by Bentley) is batted in with the middle of that guy’s hand (and is disallowed). But the guys were great.Our coaching staff are phenomenal with the PK. We work on it all the time in practice, so seeing the guys execute was very nice to see,” Geisel added.
The victory resonated with both the team and the fans, particularly with many parents in attendance. “I think it’s huge. You know, it’s huge for our confidence to get the home opener. Obviously it gives us some confidence winning.. It’s nice for the fans too,they come out to this game,and I know we have a lot of parents in town. So it was nice to get this win, and hope there’s more to come,” Pohlkamp stated.
The Pioneers look to build on this success as the season progresses.
