March 12, 2006
Box Score
DENVER - Minnesota Duluth scored four goals in a span of 3:45 in the second period to erase a 1-0 lead by No. 8/7 University of Denver en route to handing the back-to-back NCAA National Champion Pioneers a 5-2 season-ending loss tonight in front of 3,382 fans at Magness Arena. UMD's win secured a 2-1 series victory for the Bulldogs (11-24-4) in the first round of the WCHA Playoffs and denied DU (21-15-3) its second consecutive trip to the Red Baron WCHA Final Five.
Sophomore center Paul Stastny (St. Louis, Mo.) had a power-play goal and one assist for DU, which finished 1-for-6 on the man advantage. Senior center Gabe Gauthier (Buena Park, Calif.) also notched one goal and one assist while sophomore left wing Ryan Dingle (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) and freshman right wing Patrick Mullen (Pittsburgh, Pa.) each added one assist for DU.
DU sophomore goaltender Peter Mannino (Farmington Hills, Mich.) took the first playoff loss of his career (6-1-0) and made 14 saves before being replaced by junior goaltender Glenn Fisher (Edmonton, Alberta) at 16:02 of the second period. Fisher finished with eight saves while Nate Ziegelmann stopped 33 shots for Minnesota Duluth, which was 2-for-7 on the power play.
"The loss is disappointing because we had a really good start to the game," DU Head Coach George Gwozdecky said. "We tried all kinds of things to get back into the game and had a bunch of flurries, but their young goaltender played really well."
Mullen played an important role in the Pioneers' early success against UMD. After halting a Bulldogs scoring chance by diving to sweep a loose puck from the crease 4:30 into the game, his pass set up Stastny's power-play score at 9:41 that give DU a 1-0 lead.
DU was unable to add to its first-period lead despite being awarded a five-minute power play at 10:25 stemming from a game-misconduct penalty on UMD's MacGregor Sharp for his check on junior right wing Ryan Helgason (Woodbury, Minn.). Before that penalty expired with both teams skating a man-down due to penalties, sophomore center Geoff Paukovich (Englewood, Colo.) was twice stopped on the doorstep by Ziegelmann, whose acrobatic glove save prevented a goal on Paukovich's second shot.
Mannino preserved the Pioneers' lead with a glove save on a breakaway attempt by Mason Raymond with 16:37 left in the second period, but Minnesota Duluth soon took control of the game.
The Bulldogs scored the next three goals, including the first two on the power play, in a span of 1:40 take a 3-1 lead at 13:57 of the second period. Mannino was replaced by Fisher after Minnesota Duluth extended its lead to 4-1 on Jason Garrison's goal at 16:02 of the second period.
DU generated several scoring chances early in the final period, including a wrist shot by junior left wing Mike Handza (Glenshaw, Pa.) that hit the post with a little less than 15 minutes left to play. DU trimmed its deficit to two goals on Gauthier's score at 15:06 of the third period with Fisher on the bench in favor of an extra skater.
The Pioneers played most of the final five minutes without a goaltender and on the attack in UMD's zone, finishing the third period with 18 shots. The Bulldogs' lead proved to be too much to overcome, however, and UMD added an empty-net goal by Andrew Carroll with less than 30 seconds remaining.
