On a night when sophomore Joe Colborne had his torrid, 12-game point streak end and leading scorer Rhett Rakhshani produced just one shot, the University of Denver got big offensive performances from junior Anthony Maiani and an unlikely senior to enhance its position in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association race.
Maiani and low-scoring senior Brandon Vossberg broke open a tight game with three- point third periods in DU’s 5-2 victory over underrated Michigan Tech on Friday night to begin a two-game WCHA series at Magness Arena.
The Pioneers’ seventh consecutive win came after St. Cloud State won at Wisconsin and North Dakota beat Minnesota-Duluth, giving DU a five-point lead over UW and UMD. SCSU remains in second, just a point back, but the Huskies have just three remaining games. DU and the rest of the MacNaughton Cup challengers have five games left.
“We know we control our own destiny,” DU coach George Gwozdecky said. “Tonight was a big one.”
Maiani and Vossberg each had a goal and two assists in the final 20 minutes, after DU led just 2-1 after two periods. Vossberg, who typically plays a third-line defensive role, flourished on the Maiani-centered line with Kyle Ostrow (goal, assist).
Vossberg scored DU’s fifth goal with a backhander from atop the crease. He entered the game with just three points, all assists, in his first 25 games this season.
“It’s easy when you play with guys like Ostrow and Maiani,” Vossberg said. “I’m just trying to do what I’ve done all season: Keep it simple, play a defensive style. But when I’m playing with those guys . . . I’m just trying to get them the puck.”
Senior defenseman Cody Brookwell and senior center Tyler Ruegsegger also scored for the Pioneers (21-6-4, 15-4-4 WCHA). Brookwell’s slap shot 1:22 into the game was his third goal in 127 career games.
Ruegsegger broke a 1-1 tie at 17:00 of the second period. He skated the puck almost end-to- end before depositing a wrist shot just inside the right post. His journey included shedding a trailing defender with speed and using forehand-backhand puck movement on a defenseman to create an open lane to the crease.
“Ruegsegger’s line (Rakh- shani, Colborne) was neutralized for most of the game, other than the great individual effort by Tyler to give us that second goal,” Gwozdecky said. “To be a contender, you have to have more than one line as a threat. Tonight, we had a different line that carried the team.”
Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com
RECAP
The Post’s three stars
1. Anthony Maiani.
Junior center had a hand in each of DU’s three third-period goals.
2. Tyler Ruegsegger.
Senior center had a goal and an assist for the Pioneers.
3. Brandon Vossberg.
Had three points for DU, including his first goal, to double his season’s production.
What you might have missed
DU goalie and Hobey Baker Award candidate Marc Cheverie allowed two goals for just the second time in his last seven games.
Up next
Series finale, tonight at Magness Arena, 7 p.m.
