1967–68 Denver Pioneers men's ice hockey season

The 1967–68 Denver Pioneers men's ice hockey team represented University of Denver in college ice hockey. In its 12th year under head coach Murray Armstrong the team compiled a 28–5–1 record and reached the NCAA tournament for the seventh time. The Pioneers defeated North Dakota 4–0 in the championship game at the Duluth Arena Auditorium in Duluth, Minnesota, the third championship meeting between he two teams. Gerry Powers recorded the first shutout in the championship game and tied the record for lowest tournament goals against average (0.50).

1967–68 Denver Pioneers men's ice hockey season
National Champion
WCHA, Champion
WCHA Tournament, Co-Champion
NCAA Tournament, Champion
Conference1st WCHA
Home iceDU Arena
Record
Overall28–5–1
Conference15–3–0
Home19–0–0
Road6–3–0
Neutral3–2–1
Coaches and Captains
Head CoachMurray Armstrong
Captain(s)Jim Wiste
Cliff Koroll[1]
Denver Pioneers men's ice hockey seasons
« 1966–67 1968–69 »

Season

Denver opened their season looking for revenge against North Dakota who had ended their campaign the year before. After earning a split on the road the Pioneers went east, winning a game against Minnesota–Duluth before continuing onto Houghton to take on perennial power Michigan Tech. The Huskies stymied Denver in both games, holding the Pioneers to single goal in each and putting Denver under .500 both overall and in conference. Denver returned home and began to climb out the hole the following week with a pair of wins over Michigan followed by an easy win over NAIA Bemidji State.

Denver spent their winter holiday playing in the Broadmoor World Tournament against four different national teams who were gearing up for the 1968 Winter Olympics. Denver went 1–2–1 in the series but acquitted themselves well against strong competition. The experience against the national teams helped the Pioneers go on a streak unparalleled in the history of the program. Denver won two games against the visiting Alberta Golden Bears before returning to their conference schedule and began to run roughshod over the opposition. Denver's offence, which had played well over the first part of the season, exploded after the new year and would score no fewer than 3 goals in their remaining 22 contests. The defense too buckled down and the Gerry Powers would only surrender more than three goals once in their remaining contests.

Denver would spend the final five weeks of the regular season at home and use that to their advantage by winning 17 straight games to enter the WCHA playoffs as the top seed, having defeated North Dakota and Michigan Tech by a combined 27–6 to guarantee their WCHA championship. Denver opened the conference tournament at home against UMD and dispatched the bulldogs 11–4 before hosting Minnesota in the second round. This was the first meeting between the two all season due to the Gopher's continued refusal to play Denver because of their recruiting conflict[2] but the lack of familiarity didn't hamper Denver in the slightest and the Pioneers won the series 16–3.

With another WCHA championship under their belt Denver was given the top western seed in the 1968 NCAA Tournament and opened against Boston College at the Duluth Arena Auditorium. Powers showed up to play in the National Tournament and held BC to a single goal, ensuring that Denver's 4 goals would send the program to its 6th title game. In the final Denver met North Dakota once more and two western powers battled for the championship. Powers and his counterpart Mike Curran both kept the game scoreless through two periods of play but Bob Trembecky broke the tie with a power play marker early in the third. Denver kept its attack going, firing a total of 14 shots in the final frame with three more finding the back of the net, while North Dakota faltered and was unable to score. Denver's 4–0 win was their fourth championship and the first time that any team was shutout in the title game. The win was also Denver 22nd straight victory, a program record both overall and for one season.

For tying the NCAA record by allowing only 1 goal in the tournament, Gerry Powers won the tournament MOP and was named to the All-Tournament first team along with Keith Magnuson and Trembecky. Tim Gould, Jim Wiste and Tom Gilmore made the second team. Magnuson and Wiste were named to the AHCA All-American West Team and the All-WCHA First Team while Powers and Cliff Koroll made the All-WCHA Second Team. Magnuson was named as the WCHA Most Valuable Player while Murray Armstrong won his second WCHA Coach of the Year award.

Standings

1967–68 Western Collegiate Hockey Association standings
Conference Overall
GP W L T PCT GF GA GP W L T GF GA
Denver†*181530.833843234285118365
Michigan Tech201550.750764732229113182
North Dakota*221381.6147857332010311380
Michigan181170.611836027189015284
Minnesota221390.59198713119120132109
Michigan State206131.3255782291116292111
Colorado College204160.2004010629920084108
Minnesota-Duluth244200.1675410928523071144
Championship: North Dakota, Denver
indicates conference regular season champion
* indicates conference tournament champion

Schedule

Date Opponent# Rank# Site Result Record
Exhibition
November 10 vs. DU Hilltoppers* DU ArenaDenver, Colorado W 11–1 
November 11 vs. DU Hilltoppers* DU ArenaDenver, Colorado W 11–2 
Regular Season
November 17 at North Dakota Winter Sports BuildingGrand Forks, North Dakota W 5–1  1–0 (1–0)
November 18 at North Dakota Winter Sports BuildingGrand Forks, North Dakota L 1–3  1–1 (1–1)
November 20 at Minnesota–Duluth Duluth Arena AuditoriumDuluth, Minnesota W 6–1  2–1 (2–1)
December 1 at Michigan Tech Dee StadiumHoughton, Michigan L 1–6  2–2 (2–2)
December 2 at Michigan Tech Dee StadiumHoughton, Michigan L 1–4  2–3 (2–3)
December 8 vs. Michigan DU ArenaDenver, Colorado W 5–2  3–3 (3–3)
December 9 vs. Michigan DU ArenaDenver, Colorado W 2–1 OT 4–3 (4–3)
December 16 vs. Bemidji State* DU ArenaDenver, Colorado W 12–0  5–3 (4–3)
December 26 vs. Finnish National Team* Broadmoor World ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado (Broadmoor World Tournament) T 2–2  5–3–1 (4–3)
December 28 vs. US National Team* Broadmoor World ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado (Broadmoor World Tournament) L 4–5  5–4–1 (4–3)
December 29 vs. Italian National Team* Broadmoor World ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado (Broadmoor World Tournament) W 5–2  6–4–1 (4–3)
December 30 vs. Soviet National Team* Broadmoor World ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado (Broadmoor World Tournament) L 1–8  6–5–1 (4–3)
January 5 vs. Alberta* DU ArenaDenver, Colorado W 4–2  7–5–1 (4–3)
January 6 vs. Alberta* DU ArenaDenver, Colorado W 8–0  8–5–1 (4–3)
January 12 at Michigan State Demonstration HallEast Lansing, Michigan W 3–2  9–5–1 (5–3)
January 13 at Michigan State Demonstration HallEast Lansing, Michigan W 3–1  10–5–1 (6–3)
January 15 at Minnesota–Duluth Duluth Arena AuditoriumDuluth, Minnesota W 5–1  11–5–1 (7–3)
January 19 vs. Colorado College DU ArenaDenver, Colorado W 3–1  12–5–1 (8–3)
January 20 at Colorado College Broadmoor World ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado W 6–0  13–5–1 (9–3)
January 26 at Minnesota Nationals* DU ArenaDenver, Colorado W 5–2  14–5–1 (9–3)
January 27 at Minnesota Nationals* DU ArenaDenver, Colorado W 10–3  15–5–1 (9–3)
January 31 vs. Wisconsin* DU ArenaDenver, Colorado W 7–1  16–5–1 (9–3)
February 9 vs. Minnesota–Duluth DU ArenaDenver, Colorado W 10–2  17–5–1 (10–3)
February 10 vs. Minnesota–Duluth DU ArenaDenver, Colorado W 6–1  18–5–1 (11–3)
February 16 vs. North Dakota DU ArenaDenver, Colorado W 7–0  19–5–1 (12–3)
February 17 vs. North Dakota DU ArenaDenver, Colorado W 8–2  20–5–1 (13–3)
February 23 vs. Michigan Tech DU ArenaDenver, Colorado W 7–2  21–5–1 (14–3)
February 26 vs. Michigan Tech DU ArenaDenver, Colorado W 5–2  22–5–1 (15–3)
March 1 vs. Saskatchewan* DU ArenaDenver, Colorado W 6–0  23–5–1 (15–3)
WCHA Tournament
March 5 vs. Minnesota–Duluth* DU ArenaDenver, Colorado (WCHA First Round) W 11–4  24–5–1 (15–3)
March 8 vs. Minnesota* DU ArenaDenver, Colorado (WCHA Second Round Game 1) W 9–0  25–5–1 (15–3)
March 9 vs. Minnesota* DU ArenaDenver, Colorado (WCHA Second Round Game 2) W 7–3  26–5–1 (15–3)
NCAA Tournament
March 14 vs. Boston College* Duluth Arena AuditoriumDuluth, Minnesota (National Semifinal) W 4–1  27–5–1 (15–3)
March 16 vs. North Dakota* Duluth Arena AuditoriumDuluth, Minnesota (National Championship) W 4–0  28–5–1 (15–3)
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from USCHO.com Poll.
Source:

[1]

Roster and scoring statistics

No.NameYearPositionHometownS/P/CGamesGoalsAssistsPtsPIM
14Jim WisteSeniorCMoose Jaw, SK3421365725
15Bob TrembeckyJuniorCDrumheller, AB29243054-
17Craig PatrickSophomoreRWDetroit, MI3423264912
8Tom MillerJuniorFKitchener, ON3420274716
10Cliff KorollSeniorRWCanora, SK3418224055
16Jim ShiresSeniorLWEdmonton, AB3415233843
12Tom GilmoreSophomoreFFlin Flon, MB82028-
9Al GenovySophomoreCFlin Flon, MB121123-
3Tim GouldJuniorDSaskatoon, SK344182256
2Keith MagnusonJuniorDSaskatoon, SK345152059
13Don ThiessenSophomoreFSaskatoon, SK4610-
11Steve KeelerSophomoreRWToronto, ON50007
4Randy WardJuniorDCalgary, AB226
6Dale ZemanJuniorDSaskatoon, SK076
7Gerry JonassonSophomoreFWinnipeg, MB
5Ed HamiltonSophomoreDWinnipeg, MB
11Rich BlancheSophomoreFHamilton, ON
18Terry LeifsonJuniorFLeinan, SK
1Frank DalyJuniorGReading, MA0
1Gerry PowersJuniorGBrampton, ON34
Total

[3]

Goaltending statistics

No.NameGamesMinutesWinsLossesTiesGoals AgainstSavesShut OutsSV %GAA
1Gerry Powers3428517.9191.91
1Frank Daly0
Total3428517

1968 Championship Game

(W1) Denver vs. (W2) North Dakota

Scoring summary
Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score
1st None
2nd None
3rd DEN Bob TrembeckyGW PP Wiste and Magnuson 42:44 1–0 DEN
DEN Bob Trembecky Patrick 53:16 2–0 DEN
DEN Al Genovy Gilmore 58:06 3–0 DEN
DEN Tom Gilmore unassisted 58:25 4–0 DEN

References

  1. "Denver Hockey 2018-19 Media Guide" (PDF). Denver Pioneers. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  2. "2009-10 WCHA Yearbook 129-144" (PDF). WCHA. Retrieved 2014-06-01.
  3. "Denver Pioneers 1967-68 roster and statistics". EliteProspects. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
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