{"id":26472,"date":"2004-04-11T17:51:28","date_gmt":"2004-04-11T22:51:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uscho.com\/2004\/04\/11\/o-pioneers\/"},"modified":"2010-08-17T19:55:41","modified_gmt":"2010-08-18T00:55:41","slug":"o-pioneers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp-admin.uscho.com\/2004\/04\/11\/o-pioneers\/","title":{"rendered":"O Pioneers!"},"content":{"rendered":"
Tonight they’re gonna party like it’s 1969.<\/p>\n
Led by lionhearted captain Ryan Caldwell, the Denver Pioneers survived one of the most harrowing final two minutes in NCAA championship history to bring the trophy back to Colorado’s capital for the first time since Keith Magnuson and company pulled off the feat 35 years ago.<\/p>\n
Clinging to a 1-0 lead, Denver endured penalties by Matt Laatsch (hooking) and Gabe Gauthier (delay of game for grabbing the puck before throwing it out of the zone). When Maine pulled Jimmy Howard, the Pioneers had to win this championship the hard way — defending a rare six-on-three attack.<\/p>\n
In the press conference afterwards, a reporter asked Denver coach George Gwozdecky on the approach to defending a six-on-three.<\/p>\n
“You’re kidding me,” Gwozdecky said. “Defending a six-on-three — I don’t know if we ever have. I don’t how to describe it. You’re just trying to get in the way of the shooting lanes. With a minute and a half to go, I hate to say this for any of you who are a little sensitive, but anything goes. <\/p>\n
“You’re clearing people; you’re chopping; you’re slashing. You’re doing anything to get yourself in position to block a puck, to clear a path so the goaltender can see it. It’s war out there, especially when that puck is loose.” <\/p>\n