The game ended in storybook fashion.
Adding to the overtime drama of winning a crucial game at home Friday night was the fact University of Denver co-captain and Littleton native J.D. Corbin was the difference.
Corbin, who returned to the lineup after missing 30 games with leg and ankle injuries, scored 2:18 into overtime to propel the Pioneers to a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over North Dakota at Magness Arena.
Off an offensive faceoff won by DU’s Mike Handza, Corbin redirected a shot from defenseman Adrian Veideman past goalie Philippe Lamoureux. Another Colorado native, junior Geoff Paukovich of Englewood, tied the game at 3-3 early in the third period, and Steamboat’s Ryan Dingle and Lakewood’s Tyler Ruegsegger also scored for DU in an impressive offensive showing from Colorado-bred players.
Corbin, playing in just his fifth game of the season, declined to discuss what his first goal of his senior season meant from a personal standpoint. “All I care about is the win,” he said. “It’s playoff time, and to get a win like that is great. It’s really big for us.”
The victory was DU’s first when they trailed after two periods, and it snapped the Fighting Sioux’s NCAA-best 11- game unbeaten streak. It also increased the Pioneers’ lead from one to three points over North Dakota in the WCHA, and diminished the damage inflicted on DU by North Dakota’s top line.
Sophomores Ryan Duncan, T.J. Oshie and Jonathan Toews each scored on creative cross-crease passes and combined for all nine of the Sioux’s points. The line has scored nine goals in its past three games at Magness.
“That’s like trying to play against an NHL line,” DU coach George Gwozdecky said. “Those guys are extremely talented and play so well off each other.”
All three of the goals surrendered by DU goalie Glenn Fisher (20 saves) were from point-blank range. But DU cashed in from the doorstep three times, too, getting an off-balance backhand goal by Dingle and tap-ins from Ruegsegger and Paukovich.
Ruegsegger’s goal 6:57 into the second period gave DU a 2-1 lead, but Duncan and Toews cashed in late in the period for a 3-2 advantage.
Colorado College and Wisconsin both lost Friday, elevating DU’s chances of a top- three WCHA finish and home-ice advantage for the first round of the league playoffs.
The Pioneers conclude their two-game series against UND on Saturday night, then complete the regular season next weekend with a home-and- home series against CC.
North Dakota 1 2 0 0 – 3
Denver 1 1 1 1 – 4
First period – 1, North Dakota, Oshie 11 (Duncan, Toews), 13:41. 2, Denver, Dingle 20 (Helgason), 19:18. Penalties – Oshie, UND (interference), 3:24; Bina, UND (tripping), Thomas, DU (interference), 9:42; Genoway, UND (interference), 11:54; Trotter, DU (high sticking), 12:48.
Second period – 3, Denver, Ruegsegger 14 (Dingle, Butler), 6:57. 4, North Dakota, Duncan 25 (Oshie, Toews), 12:52 (pp). 5, North Dakota, Toews 12 (Duncan, Oshie), 16:14. Penalties – VandeVelde, UND (cross checking), 2:40; Corbin, DU (hooking), 12:41; Genoway, UND (holding), 13:02.
Third period – 6, Denver, Paukovich 8 (May, Helgason), 2:18. Penalties – Handza, DU (unsportsmanlike conduct), 11:30; Radke, UND (unsportsmanlike conduct), 11:30.
Overtime – 7, Denver, Corbin 1 (Veideman, Handza), 2:18. Penalties – none.
Shots – UND 8-9-5-1 – 23. DU 14-12-11-5 – 42. Power plays – UND 1 of 3. DU 0 of 5. Goalies – UND, Lamoureux (14-10-3) 42 shots-38 saves. DU, Fisher (13-7-1) 23-20. A – 6,117.
Mike Chambers can be reached at 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com.
