Behind goals from freshmen forwards Jarrod Mermis, Beau Bennett and Jason Zucker and 28 saves from classmate Sam Brittain, the University of Denver on Saturday night continued its climb toward a second consecutive league championship.
The fourth-ranked Pioneers extended their unbeaten streak to eight games (5-0-3) and completed a two- game sweep over Alaska-Anchorage with a 5-1 victory at Magness Arena. Seniors Kyle Ostrow and Anthony Maiani also scored as DU remained atop the Western Collegiate Hockey Association standings after leapfrogging North Dakota with Friday’s 3-2 win over the Seawolves.
Denver (16-5-5, 12-3-3 WCHA) enters its second January bye week a point ahead of the Fighting Sioux and Minnesota-Duluth. Each team has 10 games remaining before the conference playoffs begin March 11.
Alaska-Anchorage, which led 1-0 before allowing three goals in the final four minutes of the first period, was swept for the first time since Oct. 22-23 at Minnesota-Duluth. It was the Pioneers’ first sweep since winning the Denver Cup on Nov. 26-27.
“It’s nice to get a sweep,” said Ostrow, who scored 1:36 into the second period to give the Pioneers a 4-1 lead. “It’s nice to also be in first place right now, but with 10 games left, anything can really happen. We know it’s nice to win the WCHA regular-season (title), but it really doesn’t mean anything in the end. What we really want to focus on is to just grow.”
DU coach George Gwozdecky was pleased with the result but unhappy with how his team played after going ahead 4-1. The Pioneers were outshot 12-7 in the second period.
“We finished around the net when we had our chances, especially early, but Sam Brittain was the difference for us (because) we lost complete interest in the game,” Gwozdecky said. “That second period, it could have easily been 5-4 or 6-4 Anchorage after two if Sam hadn’t played the way he did.”
Zucker scored his team-leading 17th goal 4:29 into the third period for the final margin, and DU outshot the Seawolves 16-8 in the period and 32-29 for the game.
Trailing 1-0 early, Mermis capped a great tick-tack-toe play with Bennett and Nick Shore to tie it at 16:43 with his first career goal. At 18:56, Maiani scored on a short-handed breakaway during a delayed penalty, and after the penalty was enforced (a new NCAA rule), Bennett made it 3-1 by dancing around a defender and sliding the puck through the legs of goalie Rob Gunderson during a four- on-four sequence.
Ostrow’s ensuing goal was his third of the series, and he finished with his second consecutive multipoint game. DU’s captain is on a six-game scoring streak (five goals, five assists).
Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com
