Gophers coach Don Lucia said this is a big series at Denver this weekend.

“Denver is a real good team and we didn’t have much success against them last year,” Lucia said. “If we want to be a team toward the top of the standings at the end of the year, they are a team we have to have more success with.

“This is the only two times we see them all year long. They have only loss one game at home [they are 6-1-1 at Magness Arena] and it’s less than ideal they got swept last weekend [by St. Cloud State] because you know they will have a burr under their saddle all week getting ready for our weekend.”

George Gwozdecky remains DU’s coach. “Obviously they are very well coached,” Lucia said. “They have a high skill level. They have very good team speed. We have to find a way to go out there and get some points.”

To do that, the U has to do a better job  stopping sophomore forward Tyler Bozak. He had seven goals, three short-handed in five games against the Gophers last season. DU was 4-0-1 in those games.

“Based on last year, [Bozak] would like to play 35 games against us,” Lucia said.  “He might have had 50 goals. He is a really good player. We have to be aware of him. But good players find a way. We have to make sure that we do a better job on him this year than we did last year.”

What should encourage the Gophers a bit is that Peter Mannino, a senior goalie last season, is gone. “Mannino really had our number last year, we scored five goals in five games against him,” Lucia said. “He was terrific.”

Sophomore Mark Cheverie has replaced Mannino. He has a 2.63 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage.

“He [Cheverie] has done a nice job stepping in,” Lucia said. “He has good numbers. He is a good-sized goalie. He looks a lot like Mannino as far as size and how much net he takes up.”

As for the Gophers’s lineup, Lucia said a lot of players have bumps and bruises but everybody should be available this weekend.

 LARSON IMPRESSING

Nick Larson, a freshman from Hill-Murray, has impressed Lucia. He missed all of last season with a back injury, but is now the 13th forward. In other words, he plays if anybody gets hurt or needs a rest.

Larson has played in two games, including last Sunday in a 3-0 victory over Michigan Tech.

“The  thing we’ve seen with Nick is week by week he is improving,” Lucia said. “And at times it looks like he has a little presence out there and he seems to be getting more comfortable each and every week. He has kind of established himself as the next guy to come in based on what we have seen at this point.”

A LOOK AT THE POWER PLAY

The Gophers are using three defenseman on the power play. Sophomore Cade Fairchild with the first unit and junior David Fischer and freshman Aaron Ness with the second.

“We are still kind of rotating some different guys in and out,” Lucia said, “but I think we are starting to develop some chemistry.”

 Ness has not scored a goal yet, but Lucia is not concerned. “Aaron is going to be a really good player, he is a really good player,” Lucia said, “and he has done a nice job with us on the power play. Aaron his a pipe or two so far this year. He has set some people up with some great paasases, sometimes guys convert and sometimes they don’t.”

Lucia said Fairchild and Ness are similar in several ways. “They have terrific vision, they are both pass first, shoot second type of players,” Lucia said, “and, as a forward, you better keep your head up because you have to be ready for a pass because they can make a play most people can’t.

“This is going to be a big weekend for our defensemen because Denver is  probably the quickest team we’ve seen this year and, being in a small rink, things are going to happen in a hurry. So this will be thebiggest test our D-corps has had all year.”

* Last weekend, against struggling Michigan Tech, the Gophers emotionally had a little bit of a letdown, Lucia said.  “We were not quite as sharp as we have been,” he said, “but credit Michigan Tech. They are not an easy to play against and they make you work for everythng,  especially 5 on 5.”

* Lucia said one reason the Gophers remain unbeaten is the work of his assistants, Mike Hastings and John Hill. “Mike and John have done a good job of breaking down our opponents’ video, doing that prep work and presenting it and a game plan of what we are trying to do, and what they are going to see,” Lucia said. “The guys have responded in a positive manner just about every game all season long. … You just want to keep winning as many games as you can.”

So far the Gophers have won or tied all 10 games they have played.