Oct. 30, 2004

Final Stats

MADISON, Wis. - Jeff Drummond's (Leduc, Alberta) red-hot play helped Denver to a 5-3 win over Wisconsin and a Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) series split tonight before 12,035 fans at Kohl Center. Drummond tallied two goals and one assist as the 10th-ranked Pioneers improve to 4-3 overall and 3-1 in the WCHA. Denver also ends fifth-ranked Wisconsin's five-game winning streak as the Badgers fall to 5-1 and 3-1.

"I am really proud of the way our team responded tonight," head coach George Gwozdecky said. "We played with great effort and character and got a much-deserved road win. Jeff Drummond played one heck of a series and Peter Mannino was really good in net tonight."

Drummond big night included the game-winning goal at the end of the second period. He also staked Denver to an early 1-0 lead and assisted on Gabe Gauthier's (Buena Park, Calif.) third goal of the season. Drummond has scored nine points on four goals and five assists in the last four games. Gauthier added a goal and an assist and freshman Peter Mannino (Farmington Hills, Mich.) made 22 saves to get the win.

Denver jumped out to a 2-1 lead in the first period on goals from Drummond and Luke Fulghum (Colorado Springs, Colo.). Drummond struck first with a pretty give-and-go play with J.D. Corbin (Littleton, Colo.) just 23 seconds into the game. Wisconsin's Davis Drewiske tied it less than 10 minutes later on a 4-on-4 goal, but Fulghum's blast at 12:17 beat Bernd Bruckler through the five-hole. Brett Skinner (Brandon, Manitoba) started the play with a great outlet pass to Fulghum, who surprised Bruckler with the quick wrist shot just outside the right faceoff circle.

Ryan MacMurchy tied it for Wisconsin with a power-play goal at 4:54 of the second period. Gauthier's backhanded goal from the low slot gave Denver a 3-2 lead at 9:39. Corbin walked around two Wisconsin defenders and slid a nifty pass to Gauthier who buried his third goal of the season. Wisconsin killed off a 5-on-3 advantage late in the period and tied it at 3-3 with a power-play goal from Jake Dowell at 4:42. Drummond redirected a pass by Matt Carle (Anchorage, Alaska) on the power play at 18:17 to give the visiting Pioneers a 4-3 lead heading into the third period.

Freshman Paul Stastny's (St. Louis, Mo.) first career goal at 3:36 of the third period made the final 5-3. Denver outshot Wisconsin, 30-25, and Corbin added two assists in the win.

The Pioneers will enjoy a bye week before playing in-state rival Colorado College in home-and-home series on Nov. 12-13.