During parents’ weekend at Magness Arena, the MOM line delivered for the University of Denver.
An acronym based on their last names, MOM center Jesse Martin and wingers Kyle Ostrow and Anthony Maiani, all seniors, played like the savvy veterans they are Saturday night in a key comeback by DU.
With assists from Martin and Maiani, Ostrow scored at 8:18 and 15:16 of the third period to rally the Pioneers to a 2-2 overtime tie against Wisconsin in the finale of the teams’ two-game Western Collegiate Hockey Association series.
The Pioneers, who won 4-2 on Friday, are 2-2-2 heading into next weekend’s series at North Dakota. The Badgers’ winless weekend dropped them to 3-2-1.
“It’s not a win, but it sure feels like one when you go into the third down two goals and you’re able to battle back and be in position to win it,” said Ostrow, the team captain.
The MOM line was intact through DU’s two exhibition games this month but was split up during the first five games of the regular season to spread out experience. It was reunited Saturday and, although the seniors played well together in the first two periods, they couldn’t solve Badgers goalie Scott Gudmandson until after DU coach George Gwozdecky challenged them during the second intermission.
“He kind of gave it to our senior line, saying, ‘You better step it up if you want to stick together,’ ” Ostrow said. “It motivated us and, the first shift of the third period, we took it to them and starting clicking, and pucks started to go in the net.”
Gudmandson was terrific, stopping all 27 DU shots through two periods and 36-of-38 for the game.
Ostrow made it 2-1 with a wrist shot through traffic from the left circle, after Martin’s faceoff win.
The game-tying goal was a rebound off Maiani’s slap shot from the right circle.
“Our three senior forwards, I thought they played OK (through two periods) but they were capable of so much more. And they certainly responded,” Gwozdecky said. “They did a terrific job, and once we got that first one, the ice just tilted.”
Gwozdecky was also pleased with freshman goalie Sam Brittain (25 saves), the second line with sophomore center Drew Shore and freshmen Jason Zucker and Beau Bennett (combined 12 shots), and a power play that went 0-of-3 but produced 10 shots.
Gwozdecky dubbed it his young team’s best performance of the season.
Badgers coach Mike Eaves also was pleased with the point.
“We played hard, blocked a lot of shots. We did a lot of the things we didn’t do (Friday) night,” Eaves said. “We can walk out of here with our heads high. We got our first point in our league.”
Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com
Recap
The Post’s three stars
1. Kyle Ostrow.
DU captain scored the game’s final two goals.
2. Scott Gudmandson.
Badgers senior goalie made 36 saves, including 27-of-27 in the first two periods.
3. Anthony Maiani.
DU senior wing had an assist, a game-high seven shots and a plus-2 rating.
What you might have missed
DU again went with seven defensemen and 11 forwards, partly because of illness or injuries to forwards Dustin Jackson (mononucleosis), Nick Shore (wrist) and Jarrod Mermis (groin).
Up next
At North Dakota, Friday at 6:30 p.m.
