AMHERST – The chants and cheers meld into a dull hum to Luke Pavicich.
UMass’ sophomore goalie blocked out his own raucous admirers and every shot the University of Denver took in Saturday’s 3-0 victory over the No. 1 Pioneers. He turned away 30 shots for his first career shutout, cementing a weekend sweep of the defending national champions.
The crowd showered him with chants of “sexy goalie,” and extended LUUUUKKKKEEEEE and bowed more and more as the game went on.
“To be honest I’m pretty zoned out in the game. You’re really in the glass most of the time,” Pavicich said. “After a save and whistle, you hear the Luuuuuuuke. But most of the time it’s just on the ice and you’re just focused and honed in.”
Pavicich never wavered against the Pioneers. He stopped 75 shots in two games.
“I knew I had a good team in front of me, we’ve got a lot of trust between us,” Pavicich said. “It just felt pretty good, to be honest.”
It was the first time the Minutemen shut out the No. 1 team in the country. UMass defeated No. 1 in consecutive games for the first time in program history and took out the top team in the polls for the eighth time.
“I’m sure everyone will say the team made a statement, but, most importantly, we made a statement to ourselves,” UMass coach Greg Carvel said. “I think this group created an identity.”
Scott Morrow gave the Minutemen and Pavicich a lead to protect inside the first minute. He ripped a long shot from an odd angle that skipped past Denver goalie Magnus Chrona 37 seconds after the puck dropped. Cal Kiefiuk assisted the play, a complete turnaround from his ejection inside the first minute Friday.
“It definitely gives you a little relief, but you’ve got to be extra honed in,” Pavicich said. “You’ve still got to be really focused and honed in on the game because if you let one in they’re right back in it.”
Pavicich didn’t let any in, and UMass defense prevented even more from reaching him. The Minutemen blocked 19 shots led by four from Aaron Bohlinger.
“It’s awesome. If you need a break once in a while them blocking shots for you or getting pucks out of the middle of those scrums keeps your energy up,” Pavicich said.
Matt Koopman made it 2-0 with 3:08 left in the second period. He followed his own rebound and sniped it in for his first goal as a Minuteman.
“Jerry (Harding) was right there and fired it off my helmet,” Koopman said. “Just shot into the open net. Glad I didn’t miss it.”
The Providence transfer scored two goals against UMass as a Friar, including one at the Mullins Center last March.
“He’s been a nice surprise,” Carvel said. “He’s better than I expected. He just does things the right way – smart player. He’s in the right spots. He does little things really well.”
The Minutemen simplified Saturday’s game compared to Friday’s disjointed fits and starts. They committed fewer penalties (three vs. five) and didn’t allow a power play goal.
“(Saturday) felt like a solid 60 minutes. I didn’t feel like the momentum shifted a lot. It was just a consistent game,” Carvel said. “We were getting together in our systems, and you have to be against that team. That team can pick you apart.”
Denver pulled Chrona with 4:33 left for an extra attacker, but it didn’t produce the same results as Friday. UMass stifled the Pioneers, and Kiefiuk put a bow on the game with an empty net goal with 1:52 remaining.
“It’s a good confidence builder, but you also can’t get too high from this,” Pavicich said. “Every weekend you’ve got to work hard, practice and prepare. Just gotta keep riding off this, though. Keep using this as confidence.”
Kyle Grabowski can be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com. Follow him on Twitter @kylegrbwsk.