The stretch run for the University of Denver hockey team is like the poor lighting at Magness Arena.
The Pioneers are fading, and unwelcome shadows are emerging all over the ice.
DU on Friday night fell to 4-5 in its past nine games after allowing a late goal by St. Cloud State captain Aaron Marvin and losing 3-2 to the unranked Huskies in the next-to-last game of the regular season.
Just after a DU power play expired, Marvin tapped in a Travis Novak feed on a 2-on-1 rush with 1:36 remaining in regulation to halt Denver’s hopes of clinching second place in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and the league’s No. 2 playoff seed.
The Pioneers conclude the two-game series and regular season tonight against the Huskies, who have a chance to end DU’s streak of not being swept in a WCHA series.
The last time DU lost back-to-back, consecutive-night league games was Nov. 14-15, 2008 — against the Huskies in St. Cloud.
The Pioneers, who saw freshman Jason Zucker go pointless and fall a point behind North Dakota senior Matt Frattin in the WCHA scoring race, must split the series to finish second and obtain the No. 2 league playoff seed. They are tied for second with Minnesota-Duluth with 35 points, six behind league champion North Dakota.
“St. Cloud did a good job from a defensive standpoint and they took advantage of some chances, and I thought we were a little too cute at times by not shooting the puck when we had great opportunities,” DU coach George Gwozdecky said.
DU played without third-leading scorer Anthony Maiani, who served a one-game suspension for breaking a team rule. Gwozdecky said the savvy forward will play tonight and be honored during the second intermission with the rest of the seniors.
“In some ways, it’s good to put a premium on a game like (tonight). I think it will be exciting,” Gwozdecky said. “Our team will be over the disappointment and probably even more prepared to win a game that is important for us, and win a game that will send out the seniors in a blaze of glory type of thing.”
DU never led but forged a 2-2 tie 3:54 into the third period on Nick Shore’s sixth career goal. He accepted a behind-the-net feed from fellow freshman Beau Bennett, took a couple steps to find the net and buried a wrist shot behind goalie Mike Lee (32 saves).
St. Cloud State, which has won three in a row but will finish no better than seventh in the WCHA, took a 2-1 lead into the third period. The Huskies took advantage of a soft goal by defenseman Brett Barta 3:19 into the game and a skilled power-play tally by Ben Hanowski late in the first period.
DU briefly tied it 1-1 on a nice give-and-go play between Drew Shore and Luke Salazar — with Salazar scoring from atop the crease — but was otherwise average in front of Lee during the first 40 minutes.
Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com
DU Recap
The Post’s three stars
1. Aaron Marvin.
Huskies senior center scored the game-winning goal.
2. Ben Hanowski.
His terrific bad-angle shot gave St. Cloud State a 2-1 lead.
3. Travis Novak.
Huskies winger had the game-winning assist.
What you might have missed
DU’s Luke Salazar had a shot clang off the left crossbar in the final minute and goalie Sam Brittain was pulled for an extra attacker.
Up next
Game 2 series and regular-season finale, tonight, 7 p.m.
