As the snow fell hard in Denver, Colorado, Utah attempted to get back on track after a tough loss last weekend to Delaware. The Utes stayed competitive throughout the entirety of this game, but two late goals from the Pioneers was too much to overcome as Denver won with a final score of 10-8.
First Half
Utah began the first half with stifling defense, turning Denver over three straight possessions that led to goals from Luke McNamara, Cade Faulkner and Jake Likes. After a tough loss last weekend to Delaware, the Utes started this game with a newfound sense of urgency, taking a 3-0 lead less than two minutes into the highly anticipated road matchup. The Pioneers closed the gap with a goal in the final two minutes of the first quarter, but Utah was able to take a comfortable 3-1 lead after 15 minutes of action.
Both teams exchanged goals to start the second quarter as Cody Hart bounced in his first goal of the game, extending Utah’s lead to 4-2 with 9:49 remaining in the second quarter. Denver hung around, however, cashing in another goal late in the half to once again cut the Utah lead back to just one. Both defenses took advantage of the less-than-ideal weather conditions throughout the first half as just 7 total goals were scored from the two storied programs. After two quarters of action, the Utes took a 4-3 lead into halftime with plenty of work left to do in the second half to complete the road upset.
Second Half
Denver came out of the halftime locker room firing on all cylinders as three quick unanswered goals gave the Pioneers a 6-4 lead with 9:56 remaining in the third quarter. Utah needed to answer quickly to stay competitive against a veteran Denver team, and Ryan Stines was able to do just that. With 8:28 to go in the quarter, an absolute rip from Stines found the back of the net, cutting the Denver lead back to one goal. Utah kept the foot on the gas following the Stines goal as Faulkner cashed in his second goal of the game, tying this one up at six goals apiece just under halfway through the third quarter.
Colin Lenskold was a man on a mission down the stretch of the third quarter, saving multiple Denver shot attempts, which eventually led to McNamara’s second goal of the day as the Utes took back the lead, 7-6. Lenskold and the Utah defense held strong down the stretch of the third quarter, neutralizing the Denver offense and taking a one-goal advantage into the final quarter of action.
The start of the fourth quarter was less than ideal for Utah as back-to-back goals from the Pioneers allowed them to take back the lead 8-7 off of a man-up opportunity. The Utes had an answer, however, as Stines found Faulkner, who cashed in his third goal of the day to tie this game back up, 8-8, with 11:28 to go in the final quarter.
Denver continued to find an answer, however, as consecutive goals gave the Pioneers a 10-8 lead with 4:30 remaining in the ballgame. Utah attempted to mount a comeback, but the Denver defense held strong as they came away with the win, 10-8.
Utes Stuffing the Stat Sheet
Faulkner led the Utes with three goals on the day while McNamara cashed in two goals as well. Likes, Hart and Stines each chipped in one goal apiece while Lenskold ended the game with 14 saves and a 58% save rate. Despite holding the Pioneers to just 10 goals, the Utes could not find enough offensive firepower late in the game to pull off the upset.
What’s Next for the Utes?
The Utes will head back on the road next weekend taking on Vermont as Utah looks to get back on track after back-to-back non-conference losses. The game will take place on Saturday, Feb. 22nd at 11:00 a.m. MST.
