ANCHORAGE, Alaska The No. 4 University of Denver Pioneers completed a two-game sweep of Alaska Anchorage with six unanswered goals en route to a 6-2 comeback win in WCHA action tonight. DU sophomore Tyler Ruegsegger (Lakewood, Colo.) tallied a career-high five points on one goal and four assists, and sophomore Brock Trotter (Brandon, Manitoba) and freshman Kyle Ostrow (Calgary, Alberta) scored two goals each as the Pioneers move into a first-place tie in the WCHA with Colorado College, a 4-2 loser tonight at St. Cloud State.

 

The Pioneers conclude the first half of their season with a 14-4 record and 11-3 mark in the WCHA. Alaska Anchorage falls to 5-7-4, 2-7-3. Peter Mannino (Farmington Hills, Mich.) stopped 25 shots in DU’s fourth consecutive win, while Jon Althuis took the loss with 15 saves.

 

The Pioneers stormed back from a 2-0 first period deficit with a season-high four-goal second period. Ostrow scored at 4:09, Tyler Bozak (Regina, Saskatchewan) buried a pretty Ruegsegger feed at 7:11, and Trotter scored the last two goals at 9:26 and 12:32. The Pioneers outshot the Seawolves, 12-9, in the middle stanza.

 

DU put the game out of reach with two additional goals in the final period. Ostrow tallied his second goal shorthanded at 1:57 after Ruegsegger stole the puck from Olthuis. Ruegsegger completed his five-point night with a breakaway empty-net goal at 6:53. UAA outshot DU, 27-21, in the contest. Both teams were blanked on the power play.

 

UAA started fast with a quick 2-0 lead in the first five minutes of the contest. Jared Tuton pushed in a rebound at 3:30 and Kevin Clark scored moments later at 4:46. UAA outshot DU, 8-6, in the opening period.

 

The Pioneers return to action at the 16th annual Wells Fargo Denver Cup on Dec. 28-29. Sacred Heart, Dartmouth and Northern Michigan join Denver in the four-team field.

 

Notes: DU improved to 13-0 when allowing two or less goals...The road sweep was the third of the season for the Pioneers. DU improved to 6-1 on Olympic-sized ice sheets...The Pioneers are 7-2 on the road this season...Peter Mannino moved into eighth place on DU’s all-time win list with his 52^nd career win...Brock Trotter’s two-goal effort was the third of his DU career...The two-goal game was the first career for Kyle Ostrow... Marc Cheverie (Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia) played the final two minutes and nine seconds in net in his collegiate debut...DU forwards Rhett Rakhshani and Tyler Ruegsegger will represent Team USA at the 2008 IIHF World Junior Championships in the Czech Republic on Dec. 26 Jan. 5.