The previous time the University of Denver hockey team assembled before a paid audience at Magness Arena, an extraordinary exhibit of talent and determination paid off for the Pioneers in a dramatic comeback victory over perennial power Boston College.
Friday night, struggling Alaska-Anchorage — playing its first game since Dec. 5 — forced second-ranked DU to play a different style. An ugly style. And the Pioneers were truly homely in a 1-1 overtime tie to begin a two-game Western Collegiate Hockey Association series.
DU coach George Gwoz- decky summed up his team’s performance as “a comedy of errors.”
“It was one of those games where you think, ‘OK, glad we got the point, (but) we certainly didn’t deserve the win,’ ” Gwozdecky said. “In fact, if we would have won the game, we would be cheating the game.”
DU’s top six forwards combined for seven shots. Joe Colborne and Kyle Ostrow failed to produce a shot, and Rhett Rakhshani and Tyler Ruegsegger combined for just three.
“Anchorage coming off a month of not playing a game, I think some of our guys, in fact too many of our guys, thought it was going to be an easier game,” Gwozdecky said. “We learned the lesson tonight, hopefully. We had a one-way conversation in the locker room after the game, and I expect our team and the guys that are in the lineup (tonight) to come out and be much more prepared to play a tougher, stronger, better-executed game and at least give ourselves a chance. I don’t want to see another frustrating game like tonight.”
Ruegsegger scored DU’s goal early in the first period, and Anchorage (6-12-1, 4-10-1 WCHA) got even with Curtis Leinweber’s goal late in the period. Two scoreless and borderline pathetic periods ensued, plus five minutes of sloppy OT.
Still, the Pioneers built on their WCHA lead, stretching it to two points over Colorado College. Minnesota-Duluth beat the visiting Tigers 5-2 on Friday to forge a second-place tie.
Ruegsegger scored his 10th of the season and 50th of his career 7:13 into the game by driving around the net and wristing the puck off the far post and in. Leinweber got the Seawolves even at 13:08 by shrugging off a defender against the side boards and beating goalie Marc Cheverie with a wrist shot from the right circle.
Neither goal was artistic, but fitting for how the game unfolded.
Footnote.
DU played without defensemen Chris Nutini and Matt Donovan. Nutini was scratched because of a leg injury, and Donovan is taking time off after helping the U.S. win the World Junior Championship gold medal Tuesday.
Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com
DU Recap
The Post’s three stars
1. Marc Cheverie.
Stopped 27 shots for the Pioneers.
2. Jon Olthuis.
UAA goalie had 31 saves.
3. Tyler Ruegsegger.
Scored DU’s goal.
What you might have missed
The Seawolves’ Kevin Clark is an undersized Sean Avery-type chatterbox, and as much as opposing players say he isn’t bothersome, the pesky senior wing sure gets a lot of after-the-whistle attention.
Up next
Alaska-Anchorage, 7 p.m. tonight at Magness Arena
Mike Chambers, The Denver Post
