Oct. 29, 2005

Box Score

GRAND FORKS, N.D. - All-American Matt Carle (Anchorage, Alaska) scored two goals and goaltender Peter Mannino (Farmington Hills, Mich.) stopped 25 shots to lead the back-to-back NCAA National Champion Denver Pioneers to a 7-2 win and series split against No. 6 North Dakota tonight before 11,261 fans at Engelstad Arena. Ryan Dingle (Steamboat Springs, Colo.), Gabe Gauthier (Buena Park, Calif.), Ryan Helgason (Woodbury, Minn.), Paul Stastny (St. Louis, Mo.) and Tom May (Eagan, Minn.) added goals as DU improves to 3-3 and 1-1 in the WCHA. North Dakota falls to 5-2-1, 1-1. The Pioneers turned in an inspiring performance on the road. DU played with just 10 forwards and learned late last night that freshman stalwart Brock Trotter (Brandon, Manitoba) is out for the season with a severed right achilles tendon.

"I am really proud of our team," head coach George Gwozdecky said. "We weren't happy with our start last night and our guys really responded with a great effort. We found the energy we needed and did a great job of burying our chances. I feel bad for Brock and wish him a speedy recovery."

Denver's big guns fired on all cylinders as Gauthier, Stastny and Dingle finished with three points each. Adrian Veideman (Sicamous, British Columbia), Carle, May and Helgason contributed two points each.

The rivals skated to a scoreless first period. DU matched North Dakota's energy and outshot the home team 8-6. The Pioneers pressured North Dakota on two power-play opportunities, but came up empty.

DU finally broke through on the power play with consecutive scores in the second stanza. Carle's wrist shot from Stastny beat Philippe Lamoureaux (18 saves) high to the glove side at 3:20 and Dingle's backhanded goal from the low slot trickled in to give DU a 2-0 lead at 5:09.

North Dakota's Chris Porter cut the lead to 2-1 with a breakaway power-play goal at 8:17. DU's Chris Butler (St. Louis, Mo.) jumped into the penalty kill and didn't account for Porter, who received the quick outlet pass from Matt Smaby. Taylor Chorney tied it at 12:10 when he buried a one-timer from Brian Lee on a 5-on-3 advantage.

DU regained the lead when co-captain Gauthier roofed the game-winner on a wrist shot at 14:54. Gauthier controlled a pass from Dingle in the slot and perfectly placed his shot above Lamoureax's glove. DU set the pace by outshooting UND, 12-10, in the period.

Carle gave DU a 4-2 lead with his second power-play goal of the night at 1:34 of the third period. Carle one-timed a Stastny feed from inside the right faceoff circle and beat Lamoureax to the stick side. Helgason gave DU a three-goal lead at 7:04. He fought hard for the puck and carried a couple of Fighting Sioux players on his way to his second goal of the season. Stastny iced the game with an empty-net goal at 16:43 and May scored DU's seventh goal of the night less than one minute later.

North Dakota outshot DU, 27-25, and converted two of six power-play chances. DU sparkled on the power play with a 3-for-7 effort.

DU (3-3) returns home for a two-game WCHA series against Michigan Tech on Nov. 4-5. The Pioneers will raise their 2005 NCAA National Championship banner in a pre-game ceremony on Nov. 5.