Minneapolis – The University of Denver hockey team pulled off something extraordinary before a sellout crowd of 10,119 on Friday night.
The No. 5 Pioneers defeated top-ranked Minnesota 1-0 to snap the Gophers’ 21-game unbeaten streak at Mariucci Arena.
Denver triumphed at Mariucci for the first time since Nov. 1, 2003. The Gophers, who absorbed their first shutout of the season, had not lost in the building since Jan. 14, 2006, against North Dakota.
Senior goalie Glenn Fisher was sensational in producing his third career shutout, each coming this season. He stopped 31 shots, including a poke check on Blake Wheeler’s bid from the doorstep that redirected the puck over the net with a couple of seconds remaining.
Junior Geoff Paukovich scored the winner with a power-play goal 10:04 into the second period. From atop the crease, the Englewood native redirected a snap shot from freshman Keith Seabrook past Gophers goalie and Colorado Springs native Kellen Briggs.
Paukovich’s fourth goal of the season was his third game-winner.
“All we try to do on the second power play is lob pucks in on net, and I was lucky enough to get a stick on it,” Paukovich said. “It was a great shot by Seabs.”
Fisher, who will likely play in today’s finale of the two-game Western Collegiate Hockey Association series because of the groin injury suffered by junior Peter Mannino, is probably one of the few goalies to produce shutouts at Wisconsin and at Minnesota in the same season. He got the 2-0 win against the Badgers on Nov. 10.
“The crowd is great here, just like Wisconsin,” Fisher said. “I feed off it. It’s a fun atmosphere to play in. Tonight, the guys blocked a lot of shots, and the other ones I was able to see. And we got lucky off a couple posts.”
Denver (18-7-2, 10-5-2 WCHA) blocked 14 shots and the Gophers (20-3-3, 12-2-3) missed the net eight times, including twice off iron.
“Our guys did a terrific job, and Glenn didn’t make too many mistakes,” DU coach George Gwozdecky said of his team’s ninth win in its past 10 games. “He did a lot of it himself. He didn’t give them a lot to shoot at, and they missed a lot of shots. When you have to be that specific, it makes it hard for the shooters.”
Minnesota enters today’s game having scored just three goals in its past four games. But Gophers coach Don Lucia said that has more to do with playing tough goalies than being in an offensive funk.
“It was a hard-fought game. Both goaltenders were very good, and the difference was that they got one on the power play,” Lucia said. “It was the type of game I expected. Denver is a good hockey team; they’re good defensively and when they have the lead they’re hard to play against.”
Staff writer Mike Chambers can be reached at 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com.
