Davis Peaking at the Right Time for Denver in Goal
by Avash Kalra/Senior Writer (@AvashKalra)
Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
That’s according to philosopher Jean-Jacque Rousseau, anyway. Three-hundred years later, it’s not clear if that’s how it has felt for Denver’s junior goaltender Matt Davis for the last three years — first, waiting for his chance to play behind one of the greatest goaltenders in Pioneers history in Magnus Chrona, then battling through injury, and then on top of it all, having to silence doubters who had seen him struggle at times earlier this season.
For certain, as Denver heads to the Frozen Four and a marquee matchup against Boston University on Thursday afternoon, it’s all a lot sweeter for Davis now.
The junior from Calgary played well to spell an injured Chrona last season, going 8-1 overall in nine starts. This year, for the first time, he entered the season as ‘the guy’ for head coach David Carle’s team. For Davis, it was a long time coming.
“I learned a lot throughout that whole process,” said Davis, who watched from the bench as a freshman when Chrona backstopped DU to its ninth national championship in program history. “Those two years behind Magnus were really big for me. Looking back, it might have been tough, but it was probably best for me to wait and to continue to develop my game to make sure I was fully ready going in.
“It’s hard, but it’s the nature of the position, especially at a program like Denver. Opportunities are slim and hard to come by. So when you get it, you just have to run with it. That’s what I’ve had to do.”
Even those plans seemed to be thwarted, though, when Davis was sidelined for two months early in the season after an injury sustained in late October. The holiday break allowed a re-set, and since Jan. 4, Davis has started all 24 games for the Pioneers. He’s finished 23 of those games. And since being pulled during a 7-2 loss to Western Michigan on Feb. 3 — a moment that several players this week have identified as a turning point for DU’s season — Davis is 12-1-1.
“There were certainly times in the second half where I got exposed,” Davis said, no doubt a reference to that home loss to Western Michigan. “I needed to get exposed, so I could grow and become better because of it.”
Davis credits assistant…
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