Perspectives change fast when one is growing.
So it was no surprise George Gwozdecky sounded more like a father than a coach after the Pioneers lost an early two-goal lead and had to settle for a 3-3 overtime tie Saturday night with Michigan Tech.
“Not concerned at all,” said Gwozdecky, pointing out most of Denver’s mistakes involved its young players. “If you would have (told) me back in early October that we’d be 7-4-1 coming into December I’d take it in a heartbeat.”
DU never trailed but couldn’t put the hardworking Huskies away, who shook off a flat first period to outwork the Pioneers for large portions down the stretch of their Western Collegiate Hockey Association matchup at Magness Arena.
Chris Butler and Brock Trotter had a goal and assist each and freshman Brandon Vossberg scored his first goal of the season for the 11th-ranked Pioneers (7-4-1, 5-2-1 WCHA).
The Huskies (6-4-2, 3-3-2) evened the score with two goals in the second period and Ryan Angelow nullified Butler’s potential game-winner early in the third period. Jordan Foote paced the Huskies with a goal and an assist.
“We got up, got a lead and sat back on our heels and thought it was going to be an easy one,” Butler said. “Playing a team like that, playing any team in the WCHA, it’s not going to be that easy.”
Peter Mannino got the start in goal for DU but couldn’t match Glenn Fisher’s 31-save shutout from Friday night. Mannino was good, making 30 saves, but he was beat to the short side by a streaking Angelow to tie the game at 3-3 in the third period.
Huskies counterpart Rob Nolan faced just 21 shots.
“They brought it tonight,” Pioneers’ senior captain Adrian Veideman said. “They were beating us to loose pucks all night, and they just wanted it.”
The Pioneers’ third line pulled them out of a slow start with Vossberg’s goal six minutes into the first period. Curling through the left circle, the freshman’s initial shot deflected off a defenseman’s hand but the puck dropped and sat for a quick finish.
Things got worse for the Huskies as Trotter put them down 2-0 on a power-play goal with four minutes remaining in the period. The redshirt freshman worked on the left side with Tyler Ruegsegger before moving in and snapping a shot over Nolan’s left shoulder.
In the second period, the Huskies scored twice to tie the game.
Foote’s shot from outside the right circle took a deflection through the skates of teammate Jimmy Kerr to beat Mannino low. Kerr made it 2-2 on a turnover in DU’s zone during the power play, skating to an open patch of ice and snapping a wrister over Mannino’s shoulder.
DENVER POST THREE STARS
1. Chris Butler – The Denver defenseman had a goal and assist and was solid in defense as DU played most the game without defenseman Andrew Thomas (game misconduct).
2. Brock Trotter – Gwozdecky called Trotter’s collision with linemate Patrick Mullen the best hit of the night. Trotter got laid out three times but managed a goal and assist to follow Friday’s game-winner.
3. Jimmy Kerr – The Alberta native got in the way for the Huskies’ first goal and tied the game 2-2 with a power-play goal in the second period.
WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
Gwozdecky’s plan to let his talented youth grow up in front of solid goaltending is working. The Pioneers have held opponents to three or fewer goals in eight consecutive games, sporting a 5-2-1 record.
NEXT
Friday vs. Air Force, 7:37 p.m., Magness Arena
Michigan Tech 0 2 1 0 – 3
Denver 2 0 1 0 – 3
First period – 1, Denver, Vossberg 1 (Paukovich 2, Brookwell 1) 5:51; 2, Denver, Trotter 5 (Ruegsegger 7, Butler 4), pp, 16:09. Penalties – Dingle, DU (holding), 10:07; Thomas, DU (hitting from behind), 10:50; Thomas, DU, (game misconduct), 10:50; Gwilliam, MT (interference), 15:36; Axtell, MT (elbowing), 18:30.
Second period – 3, Michigan Tech, Foote 3 (Skworchinski 4), 4:32; 4, Michigan Tech, Kerr 3 (Foote 2, Vlaisavljevich 1), pp, 6:00. Penalties – Veideman, DU (slashing), 5:30; Angelow, MT (boarding), 6:14; Paukovich, DU (elbowing), 9:13; Helgason, DU (cross checking), 18:15.
Third period – 5, Denver, Butler 3 (Trotter 7, Ruegsegger 8), 3:51; 6, Michigan Tech, Angelow 2 (Lord 1, Helminen 4), 5:00. Penalties – Axtell, MT (interference), 6:18; Rouleau, MT (roughing), 8:24; Veideman, DU (unsportsmanlike conduct), 8:24; Vossberg, DU (interference), 11:14; Helminen, MT (interference), 12:46.
Overtime – No scoring. Penalties – None.
Shots – MTU 9-11-9-4-33. DU 4-7-5-5-21. Saves – MTU, Nolan 21 shots-18 saves, 65 min.; DU, Mannino 33-30, 65 min.
