GRAND FORKS, N.D. — The largest comeback in four seasons couldn’t have come at a better time for the University of North Dakota men’s hockey team.
The Fighting Sioux rallied from a 4-1 deficit after two periods Friday to stun the University of Denver 5-4 behind a hat trick from junior forward Andrew Kozek.
Denver had built a 4-1 lead in the second period of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association showdown on goals by Jesse Martin, Tom May and Matt Glasser.
But goals 34 seconds apart by North Dakota’s Chay Genoway at 19 minutes of the second period and by Ryan Duncan at 19:34 chopped the Denver lead to 4-3 and set up the improbable comeback.
The Sioux were playing without coach Dave Hakstol, who was suspended for the series for his conduct in a game against Minnesota two weeks ago.
UND was 0-24 when trailing after two periods in games dating back to Feb. 18, 2005, and hadn’t come from three goals behind to win since Oct. 17, 2003, against Boston College.
Denver had a 16-0-1 record this season when leading after two periods, but all that changed on Kozek’s heroics. First he tied it 4-4 with his second goal of the game on a wrist shot at 10:58 of the third period.
Later, he picked up his first career hat trick and the game-winning goal at 15:15 of the third period with his 12th goal of the season. Linemate T.J. Oshie hit the goal post on his wraparound attempt, but Kozek was in front to bang in the rebound.
The victory kept alive UND’s nation-best unbeaten streak (9-0-1) and moved the Sioux (18-8-2, 15-7-1 WCHA) to within two points of first-place Colorado College in the WCHA race.
Denver, battling North Dakota for a top-three finish, slipped to 19-9-1 overall and 13-7-1 in the WCHA.
Besides the hat trick from Kozek, the Sioux got a big game from Duncan, last year’s Hobey Baker Award winner. He had a four-point game on a goal and three assists.
Jean-Philippe Lamoureux finished with 14 saves for the Sioux to 21 for Denver’s Peter Mannino.
The Sioux were 1-of-4 on the power play; DU 1-of-2.
