Photo by: Michael Furman
In the second game of a physically intense series between two storied rivals, the No. 3 Pioneers battled back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat No. 2 North Dakota 3-2 in Magness Arena Saturday.
The Pioneers improve 8-3-1, 6-1-1 WCHA, while the Fighting Sioux fall 7-4-1, 5-4-1 WCHA.
DU moves into a three-way tie for No. 1 in the WCHA with Colorado College and Minnesota Duluth, each with 13 points.
Denver’s Joe Colborne netted two power-play goals and tallied an assist, while Kyle Ostrow scored the game-winner.
The Fighting Sioux seemed to tie the game with 43.9 seconds remaining and a six-on-four man advantage. But the goal, put in by Brad Malone, was disallowed. After a video review, it was ruled that Malone kicked it in.
“It was a great feeling,” Colborne said of the disallowed goal.
Watching the officials review the play from the penalty box, Colborne was signaling the call to his team.
“I felt a little to blame for that last goal, so when I saw that kicking motion, it felt great, and I was making sure the guys on the bench knew too,” he said.
Following Friday’s series-opener with numerous scrums following the whistle blows the officials cracked down Saturday, and WCHA Commissioner Bruce McLeod oversaw from the press box.
“I think the officiating was consistently tight all night,” head coach George Gwozdecky said.
Twenty penalties were served Saturday.
North Dakota took control of the game early in the first period on a power-play opportunity. With Denver’s Jesse Martin and John Lee in the penalty box, UND’s Danny Kristo netted the first power-play goal that got past Cheverie this season. Kristo was assisted by Malone and Evan Trupp at 3:23.
With less than three minutes remaining in the first period, UND’s Chris VandeVelde posted the Fighting Sioux’s second goal, assisted by Jason Gregoire and Kristo.
The second period continued getting physical and North Dakota took six consecutive penalties, which made the difference for the Pioneers.
“I thought our guys did a real good job of adjusting to how consistently tight they were calling the game,” Gwozdecky said.
Colborne scored his first goal 1:09 into the period, assisted by Ostrow and Drew Shore.
Just 3:13 seconds later, Colborne tied the game 2-2 assisted by Patrick Wiercioch and Tyler Ruegsegger with UND’s Ben Blood in the penalty box for contact to head.
Ostrow scored the game-winner at 8:33 in the second period, on the power-play, assisted by Colborne and captain Rhett Rakhshani.
Denver outshot North Dakota 32-26.
“I think you’re starting to see the evolution of this team in being able to check their egos at the door and be proud of the role they play, and that’s a real positive,” Gwozdecky said.
The Pioneers will host St. Cloud State on Friday and Saturday, while North Dakota hosts Ohio State and Miami in the Subway Holiday Classic.
Penalties:
1st period:
1:31 Jesse Martin (DU) – Tripping
2:22 John Lee (DU) – Unsportsmanlike conduct
10:07 Ben Blood (UND) – Contact to the head roughing
13:37 Corban Knight (UND) – Cross-checking
16:32 John Ryder (DU) – Roughing
19:18 Andrew MacWilliam (UND) – Holding
2nd period:
0:20 Rhett Rakhshani (DU) – Tripping
0:20 Derrick LaPoint (UND) – Tripping
2:09 Ben Blood (UND) – Hooking
4:45 Ben Blood (UND) – Contact to the head
6:47 Brad Malone (UND) – Slashing
13:04 Danny Kristo (UND) – Unsportsmanlike conduct
15:54 Brett Hextall (UND) – Roughing
17:22 Jesse Martin (DU) – Hooking
18:47 Brett Hextall (UND) – Unsportsmanlike conduct
3rd period:
5:32 Matt Donovan (DU) – Cross-checking
10:32 Chris VandeVelde (UND) – Slashing
16:10 Brad Malone (UND) – Interference
17:43 Joe Colborne (DU) – Hooking
19:16 Jesse Martin (DU) – Cross-checking
