2008 Woodie Awards
Hockey: Maybe next season
Pioneers fail to reach NCAA playoffs; look to next season
Brooks Kirchheimer
Issue date: 4/3/07 Section: Sports
It was the second consecutive season that started off with high hopes for the DU hockey team and ended with frustration and disappointment
"It was disappointing," said Head Coach George Gwozdecky. "If I analyzed the season my summary would be somewhat similar to last season,"
As last year's season, the just-ended season featured ups and downs and ended on a down when the Pioneers lost in the first round of the WCHA playoffs to Wisconsin.
"We had a very good first third of the season transitioning our freshmen into primary roles. A good middle third of the season when our freshmen really gained confidence and our goaltenders were outstanding and the final third of the season when we really struggled; the freshmen really started to feel the pressure and our older players were not as effective," said Gwozdecky.
A first third of the season where the Pioneers went 3-4, a second-third that featured a solid 15-3-2 mark including a 9-1-1 stretch and a final third where DU struggled with a 3-8-2 mark. The team had a hard time getting on the scoreboard and could not put together a complete hockey game.
"I don't know if it was frustrating. We really struggled in almost every game to take a lead. It just seemed that down the stretch we were fighting from behind in almost every game and with the kind of team we had, we were always much better off taking an early lead and building on it," said Gwozdecky about the final third of the season.
The NCAA West tournament was hosted by DU and held at the Pepsi Center and Denver failed to make the NCAA playoffs for a second consecutive season.
"It has probably been a little tougher this year with the regional being here in Denver. You know back in January we looked like we were a lock with just a month to go in the season, and we missed the NCAA tournament by just a mere percentage point, we were agonizingly close," said Gwozdecky about not being in post-season play for a second straight year. The Pioneers were so close to an NCAA berth that Gwozdecky was told by the tournament committee that if the Pioneers had won one more game during the season not only would the Pioneers be in the tourney, but most likely a number two seed.
"It was disappointing," said Head Coach George Gwozdecky. "If I analyzed the season my summary would be somewhat similar to last season,"
As last year's season, the just-ended season featured ups and downs and ended on a down when the Pioneers lost in the first round of the WCHA playoffs to Wisconsin.
"We had a very good first third of the season transitioning our freshmen into primary roles. A good middle third of the season when our freshmen really gained confidence and our goaltenders were outstanding and the final third of the season when we really struggled; the freshmen really started to feel the pressure and our older players were not as effective," said Gwozdecky.
A first third of the season where the Pioneers went 3-4, a second-third that featured a solid 15-3-2 mark including a 9-1-1 stretch and a final third where DU struggled with a 3-8-2 mark. The team had a hard time getting on the scoreboard and could not put together a complete hockey game.
"I don't know if it was frustrating. We really struggled in almost every game to take a lead. It just seemed that down the stretch we were fighting from behind in almost every game and with the kind of team we had, we were always much better off taking an early lead and building on it," said Gwozdecky about the final third of the season.
The NCAA West tournament was hosted by DU and held at the Pepsi Center and Denver failed to make the NCAA playoffs for a second consecutive season.
"It has probably been a little tougher this year with the regional being here in Denver. You know back in January we looked like we were a lock with just a month to go in the season, and we missed the NCAA tournament by just a mere percentage point, we were agonizingly close," said Gwozdecky about not being in post-season play for a second straight year. The Pioneers were so close to an NCAA berth that Gwozdecky was told by the tournament committee that if the Pioneers had won one more game during the season not only would the Pioneers be in the tourney, but most likely a number two seed.
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