Oct. 27, 2006

Box Score

DULUTH, Minn. - Jason Garrison tallied the game-winning goal at 1:03 in overtime to lift the host Minnesota Bulldogs to a 2-1 win over the Denver Pioneers in WCHA action tonight before 3,949 fans at the DECC. Senior goaltender Glenn Fisher (Edmonton, Alberta) starred with 36 saves, but the Pioneers were outshot 36-22 and blanked on all seven power-play opportunities. Junior Ryan Dingle (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) scored DU's lone goal, but the Pioneers fell to 3-4-0 overall and 1-2-0 in the WCHA. Minnesota Duluth improved to 2-1-2, 1-1-1.

"Glenn was outstanding once again tonight," DU head coach George Gwozdecky said. "He gave us a chance to win and that's what you ask of your senior goaltender on the road. We battled tonight, but couldn't come up with the win. We played pretty well on the small rink, but needed to convert some of our power-play opportunities."

Garrison scored the game-winning goal when he scooped up a loose puck along the left board just inside the blue line and fired a shot past a screened Fisher, who never saw the puck slide into the back of the net. Garrison's game-winner was his first goal of the season.

The teams played a scoreless game until Dingle scored at 2:58 of the third period. Dingle scooped up a loose puck in the left faceoff circle and blasted a shot high to the top left corner of an open net. UMD goaltender Alex Stalock (25 saves) came out of the net to play the puck, but DU's Brian Gifford (Moorhead, Minn.) pushed a pass to Rhett Rakhshani (Huntington Beach, Calif.), who chipped a pass off Stalock's stick to an open Dingle.

Minnesota Duluth answered when Michael Gergen tallied a pretty goal on the power play at 9:02. Gergen carried an Andrew Carroll pass in the slot and wristed a shot past Fisher high to the stick side. Ryan Geris also assisted on the play.

The teams played a scoreless first period with the Bulldogs outshooting the Pioneers, 11-8. Fisher made several key stops to keep the Bulldogs off the scoreboard and Stalock was equal to the task for UMD.

Duluth captured the momentum in the second period, but Fisher was outstanding in net. He stopped a Josh Meyers shot from the low slot by gloving the shot while lying on his left side and led a penalty kill unit that burned off four power-play opportunities. Fisher made 17 saves to keep the Bulldogs scoreless for the second consecutive stanza. DU squandered a 5-on-3 advantage in the middle of the period and Stalock denied a 2-on-0 breakout by Dingle and Ryan Helgason (Woodbury, Minn.). Dingle carried the puck down the left side and slid a pass to Helgason whose wrist shot was blocked by Stalock.

The Pioneers are now 7-for-56 on the power play after tonight's 0-for-7 effort. DU has been held without a power-play goal in three of seven games this season. Minnesota Duluth finished 1-for-8 on the power play.

The Pioneers will try for the series split tomorrow night at 6:07 p.m. MT.