Notwithstanding one shot he never saw, University of Denver goalie Peter Mannino on Saturday night stopped everything No. 2 Colorado College threw at him in a 5-1 victory.
The only thing the sophomore couldn’t reach out and touch was the Gold Pan, the traveling trophy that further proves the No. 15 Pioneers are the state’s best college hockey team.
The original Gold Pan, which DU has reported missing for more than a year, is being replaced by a new mining utensil that isn’t supposed to be ready until early March. That’s when DU and CC play two more games to conclude their four-game, regular-season series. But the Pioneers already clinched state bragging rights for the third consecutive season by virtue of their two-game weekend sweep, capped by Saturday’s win before the 26th consecutive sellout crowd at Magness Arena.
DU’s fifth consecutive win over CC came a night after the Pioneers scored four unanswered goals to win 4-2 in Colorado Springs. The Gold Pan must be won outright, and DU’s three-goal third period in Game 2 ensured the Pioneers would clinch it early.
“Right when you come in you hear about the rivalry and tradition of CC and DU, and you want to dive into it and contribute,” Mannino said after stopping 30 shots to improve to 5-0 career against the Tigers. “To be successful like this is awesome.”
All of DU’s nine goals on the weekend came on special teams. The Pioneers, who scored two power-play goals and a 4-on-4 tally Friday, went 4-of-6 on the power play Saturday, and J.D. Corbin finally scored his first goal of the season on a shorthanded breakaway.
Sophomore wing Ryan Dingle of Steamboat Springs paced DU with two goals and an assist, and senior center Gabe Gauthier and freshman defenseman Chris Butler both contributed a goal and two assists.
Denver, which has outscored CC 21-5 during its five-game winning streak, led 2-0 late in the second period before a relatively harmless wrist shot from Tigers defenseman Brian Salcido found its way through heavy traffic and behind Mannino with 0.7 seconds left in the period.
DU kept Tigers star Brett Sterling, who leads the country with 16 goals and 27 points, without a point for the seventh consecutive game. Sterling has produced a point against the Pioneers in just one of his 14 career games.
“There are more important things to worry about than whether I am scoring against this team,” Sterling said. “It’s a matter of getting our team going when we play these guys. But it happens. I missed three open nets.”
Mike Chambers can be reached at 303-820-5453 or mchambers@denverpost.com.
