Friday night Kim and I headed to the season opener for the #1 ranked University of Denver hockey team.  Their opponent for the night was the University of Vermont Catamounts.  Despite a huge student crowd, the arena was much less crowded than I was expecting.  Our seats were on the student section end, which we like, but we were down a little to far and would have spent the entire game standing.  Fortunately we were able to move nearly anywhere we wanted in the higher rows to find a good sitting view.

Me and Boone, the unofficial mascot of DU.

The game started off a little rough for the Pioneers with Vermont scoring the first goal of the game.  Denver was able to quickly add a goal of their own, but Vermont added another before the end of the first period.  The scoring didn’t stop there, with Vermont adding another five minutes into the second.  Again, DU was able to score one of their own, only to have Vermont add yet another, making the score 4-2 at the end of the second.  The third period was all DU.  They added a goal within thirty seconds of the start of the period and were able to sneak in two more before the end of the game, the last one coming with two minutes left.  It was good to see a 5-4 win for the Pioneers, but I think everyone was expecting a little more.  Unfortunately they went on to lose the rematch on Saturday, 6-4.