GREEN BAY, Wis. — Playing across the street from Lambeau Field, the University of Denver staged a legendary comeback inside the Resch Center on Saturday.
The Pioneers, who were five minutes away from being shut out and dropping their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament opener, erased a two-goal deficit to force overtime and beat Western Michigan 3-2 in double OT.
“For those of you ready to write us off, you should know better,” DU coach George Gwozdecky said, referring to his young team’s knack for dramatic comebacks. “We certainly like to make games interesting, and that was one heck of a game.”
Freshman left wing Jason Zucker scored 11:14 into the second OT to send No. 2-seeded Denver into today’s Midwest Regional championship game (3:30 p.m., ESPNU) against No. 1 North Dakota.
With his third point of the night and second OT playoff goal in five career games, Zucker put his own rebound past goalie Jerry Kuhn (35 saves) to complete a 3-on-2 rush with linemates Luke Salazar and Drew Shore.
“Drew Shore drove the net, and I think that pulled the two ‘D’ in with him, and Luke Salazar made a great (pass) and I was able to put the puck on net and have it go in for me,” Zucker said.
DU senior center and team captain Kyle Ostrow scored a power-play goal with 4:29 remaining in regulation, and sophomore defenseman Matt Donovan tied it with a long shot through traffic with 2:36 left.
“It’s just the way our team has been this year,” Ostrow said. “We have that never-give-up attitude.”
The Pioneers (25-11-5) won their first NCAA Tournament game since completing an 8-0 stretch and capturing their second consecutive national title in 2005. They barely missed qualifying for the 2006 and 2007 national tournaments, and were upset 6-2 by Wisconsin in 2008, 4-2 by Miami (Ohio) in 2009 and 2-1 by Rochester Institute of Technology a year ago.
DU’s senior class is the first group in school history to play in four NCAA Tournaments and avoided being the first class to lose four.
“It’s a great feeling. It’s been four years that we’ve been trying to get past that first game,” Ostrow said. “We never gave up tonight, and it’s the best feeling right now to know we have another shot at going to the Frozen Four.”
The Broncos, who were playing their first NCAA Tournament game since 1996, built a 2-0 lead on goals late in the second period and early in the third.
DU outshot WMU 4-2 in the first OT, but WMU fired seven of the 11 in the second sudden-death period.
Freshman goalie Sam Brittain (30 saves) was outstanding in sudden death.
“It was obviously an unreal battle out there,” WMU coach Jeff Blashill said.
Western Michigan (19-13-10) is undoubtedly a good team, but DU will have to play a more complete game to beat No. 1 North Dakota (31-8-3) and advance to the April 7-9 Frozen Four in St. Paul, Minn.
The Pioneers and Sioux played an epic double-overtime game last weekend in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association championship game in St. Paul.
UND won 3-2 at 5:11 of the fifth period, after DU’s Anthony Maiani scored to tie it 2-2 with 2:13 remaining in regulation.
“Everyone has to recover and just come to the rink ready to play,” Shore said after DU’s second consecutive double-OT game.
“We’re excited,” Ostrow added.
Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com
DU Recap
The Post’s three stars
1. Matt Donovan.
Sophomore defenseman had the game-tying goal, game-winning assist and was DU’s best player in all areas.
2. Jason Zucker.
Freshman ended the game with his 22nd goal and had a game-high seven shots.
3. Jerry Kuhn.
WMU senior goalie was outstanding.
What you might have missed
DU sophomore Chris Knowlton nearly ended the game at the regulation buzzer, but his shot went off Kuhn, dribbled through the crease and just wide of the left post as time expired.
Up next
North Dakota, Midwest Regional title game, 3:30 p.m. MDT (ESPNU) at Green Bay, Wis.
