DULUTH, Minn. — If Minnesota-Duluth learned anything in three earlier games against Denver this season, it’s this: Outshooting a team doesn’t guarantee a win, and taking penalties isn’t a good idea.
Entering Saturday night’s Western Collegiate Hockey Association game at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center, Denver had beaten UMD in all three meetings despite being outshot in all three.
UMD finally reversed that trend with a 4-2 victory before a sellout crowd of 5,323.
The No. 14-ranked Bulldogs (15-9-6, 9-8-5) got a quick three-goal lead in the first period, including a power-play score, and shut down first- place Denver on the man advantage.
The Pioneers (17-9-3, 13-7-2) won 4-3 Friday with four power-play goals.
“We knew we had to play better than on Friday when we got some bounces and won a game,” DU captain J.P. Testwuide said. “You have to give Duluth full credit. We had some chances, especially in the second period, but we didn’t bury our chances. And they closed the door when they had to.”
The victory put UMD alone in fifth in the WCHA, pending St. Cloud State’s late game at Alaska-Anchorage. A sweep at Minnesota put Wisconsin into a tie with Denver for first.
Saturday’s game matched the WCHA’s top-ranked goalies in all games — UMD junior Alex Stalock and DU sophomore Marc Cheverie.
The Bulldogs got to Cheverie with goals from MacGregor Sharp, Evan Oberg and Drew Akins.
“The Bulldogs came out and put us on our heels early and our transition game struggled,” DU coach George Gwozdecky said. “But we’re still in first place and still control our own destiny.”
Sharp connected one second after a UMD power play 8:25 into the game, from the right circle, and then goals 86 seconds apart gave UMD a cushion.
Defenseman Oberg smacked a shot from the high slot with 7:32 left on a power play, and Akins handcuffed Cheverie from the left side with 6:06 to go.
No. 8-ranked Denver got into the game as Kyle Ostrow scored with 2:34 remaining in the first period. As the Pioneers tried to get closer, UMD got the only goal of the second period. Gergen broke his stick at the start of a shift, got another from Akins, and then drove a 70-foot shot from just inside the offensive blue line with 40 seconds left in the period. He beat Cheverie to the far side for his seventh goal of the season and a 4-1 lead.
The Pioneers did get a power-play goal by Rhett Rakh- shani at 4:55 of the third period, his team-leading 13th of the season, but that was it. Denver was 1-of-7 on power plays, and UMD led in shots on goal 39-24.
Denver 1 0 1 — 2
Minnesota-Duluth 3 1 0 — 4
First period — 1. UMD, MacGregor Sharp 12 (Josh Meyers, Mike Connolly), 8:25; 2. UMD, Evan Oberg 6 (Justin Fontaine, Meyers), 12:28 (pp); 3. UMD, Drew Akins 5 (Trent Palm, Matt Greer), 13:54; 4. Denver, Kyle Ostrow 9 (Dustin Jackson, Brian Gifford), 17:26. Penalties — Sharp, UMD (high-sticking), 4:32; Anthony Maiani, Denver (roughing), 4:32; Gifford, Denver (holding), 6:24; Jay Cascalenda, UMD (holding), 8:55; Cody Brookwell, Denver (holding), 12:18.
Second period — 5. UMD, Michael Gergen 7 (Meyers, Montgomery), 19:20. Penalties — Mike Montgomery, UMD (cross-checking), :29; Joe Colborne, Denver (hooking), :44; Palm, UMD (hooking), 2:42; M. Connolly, UMD (unsportsmanlike conduct), 5:13; Jackson, Denver (unsportsmanlike conduct), 5:13; Jesse Martin, Denver (hooking), 6:51; Jack Connolly, UMD (high-sticking), 7:40; Martin, Denver (interference), 13:53; Oberg, UMD (roughing), 18:28; M. Connolly, UMD (roughing), 18:28; John Lee, Denver (roughing), 18:28; Rhett Rakhshani, Denver (roughing), 18:28.
Third period — 6. Denver, Rakhshani 13 (Tyler Ruegsegger), 4:55 (pp). Penalties — J. Connolly, UMD (too many men on ice), 3:38; Jackson, Denver (cross-checking), 5:16; Colborne, Denver (hooking), 6:40; Gergen, UMD (holding), 11:03; Montgomery, UMD (holding), 13:43; Lee, Denver (cross-checking), 15:37; Patrick Mullen, Denver (5-minute slashing major, game misconduct), 20:00.
Shots on goal — Denver 9-6-9–24; UMD 13-12-14–39. Goalies — Marc Cheverie (17-9-3), Denver (39 shots-35 saves); Alex Stalock (14-9-6), UMD (24 shots-26 saves). Power plays — Denver 1-of-7, UMD 1-of-8. Referees — Brad Shepherd, C.J. Beaurline. Linesmen — Jared Moen, Matt Ulwelling. A — 5,323.
