Jan. 25, 2002
Box Score
Behind 34 saves from junior goaltender Wade Dubielewicz (Invermere, B.C.) and two shorthanded goals, the No. 1-ranked University of Denver hockey team earned a 3-1 victory at Minnesota. Denver improved to 23-2-0 overall, 16-1-0 in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while the Gophers dropped to 17-5-4 (9-5-3 WCHA). The game marked the lowest goal output by Minnesota.
The Golden Gophers came out ready to face the nation's top-ranked team, outshooting Denver 6-0 through the first four minutes of the opening period. Dubielewicz was up to the task, however, stopping three great UM scoring chances in that four-minute stretch. Denver registered its first shot on Minnesota goalie Adam Hauser four minutes, eight seconds into the period, and closed the final 16 minutes of play much better than its first four, outshooting the Gophers 5-3 in that span. Minnesota had the only two power play chances of the opening period and once again Dubielewicz was asked to step up. With just forty-second remaining on UM's first power play, Jordan Leopold found Jeff Taffe all alone to the right of the Denver net. Taffe launched a one-timer from just eight-feet out, but Dubielewicz quickly slid across the crease to make the best save of the stanza. In the period, the Gophers outshot Denver 9-5.
Denver took the early lead in the second period, scoring the game's first goal on a strange play. As a Pioneer and a Gopher got tangled up at the Denver blueline, the fans all expected the play would be whistled dead. Instead, sophomore Ryan Caldwell (Deloraine, Manitoba) collected the puck, skated in on Hauser and wristed a shot from between the faceoff circles beating the UM goaltender. Seven minutes, forty-five seconds later, the Golden Gophers solved the Denver goaltender, beating Dubielewicz on a deflection of a puck that was going well wide. The Pioneers found themselves on their first power play chance of the game at 17:10, but junior Greg Barber (Kelowna, B.C.) was called for a hook, ending the Denver advantage with 24 seconds left on the opportunity. Instead of Minnesota capitalizing with the extra attacker, it was the Pioneers that regained the lead while skating shorthanded. A pass from UM's Jeff Taffe to Paul Martin at the point was too far for the Gopher defenseman to hold in the zone. As Martin tried to regroup and get back to the puck, he tripped, sending sophomore Max Bull (Faribault, Minn.) into the Minnesota zone all alone. Bull skated across the crease, went to his backhand and roofed the puck over the sprawled out Hauser, giving the Pioneers a 2-1 lead going into the second intermission. Both teams managed nine shots on net in the middle period, while UM held a slight 18-14 advantage through forty minutes of play.
With forty-seven seconds remaining on Minnesota's man-advantage, sophomore Greg Keith (Delta, B.C.) broke into the Gopher zone on a three-on-one. Keith ripped a slapshot from the right faceoff circle, giving Denver's its second shorthanded marker, and a 3-1 lead. The third Pioneer goal came just 27-seconds into the final stanza. Once again, the Gophers outshot the Pioneers, this time by a 17-7 count. Dubielewicz stood strong, earning his 12th victory of the season. Denver was 0-for-1 on the power play, while the Pioneers blanked the Golden Gophers on three man advantage opportunities. In three games this season, Denver has not allowed UM to post a power play goal on 13 tries.
Denver (23-2-0, 16-1-0) and Minnesota will close out the season series with a game tomorrow night (Saturday, Jan. 26) back at Mariucci Arena. The puck is slated to drop at 6:05 p.m. MT.
