DENVER Heading into tonight’s game, Denver head coach George Gwozdecky sent a message to his team by replacing four regulars in the lineup and challenging netminder Marc Cheverie (Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia) to step up his game. The No. 10 Pioneers (7-5-1, 5-4-1 WCHA) responded by blanking top-ranked University of Minnesota (7-1-4, 6-1-3 WCHA), 4-0, in front of 6,057 fans at Magness Arena.

 

Cheverie made 34 saves to record his first career shutout and four different Pioneers scored to hand the Gophers their first loss of the season.

 

Patrick Mullen (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Luke Salazar (Thornton, Colo.), Jesse Martin (Edmonton, Alberta) and Dustin Jackson (Omaha, Neb.) were all healthy scratches tonight for the Pioneers.

 

“We felt we had to make some changes, and those changes turned out to be very effective. The players we inserted into the lineup really brought us some energy and enthusiasm, especially in the locker room,” Gwozdecky said. “I thought Marc Cheverie responded very well. He had a tough outing last night, but he was right on his game tonight.”

 

Tyler Bozak (Regina, Saskatchewan) scored the only goal of the first period, banking in a shot off Minnesota netminder Alex Kangas (27 saves) from the goal-line extended at 4:39. It was the sophomore’s ninth goal in seven career games against the Gophers.

 

Anthony Maiani (Shelby Township, Mich.) extended DU’s lead to 2-0 after two periods on a power-play goal at 4:45, with assists going to Patrick Wiercioch (Maple Ridge, British Columbia) and Joe Colborne (Calgary, Alberta). Wiercioch was making his return to the lineup tonight after missing the past two games with an upper-body injury.

 

Cheverie had perhaps the top save of the night with 4:40 remaining in the second period. The Gophers made a short-handed, 2-on-1 rush up the ice, but the netminder made a sliding pad save on Taylor Matson’s wrist shot, stopping the puck on the goal line.

 

Rhett Rakhshani (Huntington Beach, Calif.) made it a 3-0 game at 6:14 of the final frame following a strange bounce. Rakhshani’s initial shot went over the crossbar and bounced high into the air after hitting the end boards. The puck eventually settled in the crease, and the junior forward came around from behind the net and tapped in his own rebound for his fifth tally of the season.

 

The Gophers appeared to get on the scoreboard with a power-play goal at 8:23, but it was ruled that Mike Carman directed the puck into the net with his glove.

 

The Pioneers took the momentum of the waved-off tally and made it 4-0 just 48 seconds later when Brandon Vossberg (St. Paul, Minn.) stole the puck from Mike Hoeffel and skated in on a breakaway before notching an unassisted, short-handed tally.

 

“I just wanted to get the win,” said Cheverie. “That was the number one team in the country right there and we showed we could play with the big dogs. We wanted to get the win.”

 

DU’s power-play went 1-for-7 tonight after failing to score on 14 opportunities in the past two games. The Pioneers held the Gophers scoreless on six power-play chances.

 

The Pioneers return to action with another pair of home games next weekend. Denver will host Colgate on Friday (Nov. 28) at 7:37 p.m. and then welcome in-state rival Air Force on Saturday (Nov. 29) for a 7:07 p.m. tilt.

 

Notes: Senior captain J.P. Testwuide (Vail, Colo.) will miss next Friday’s game against Colgate after receiving a five-minute major and game disqualification for cross-checking at the end of the second period... Sophomore forward Stephen Cunningham (Boulder, Colo.) made his season debut tonight...DU’s last win over a No. 1 ranked team came on Jan. 19, 2007 also against Minnesota...The Pioneers are now 6-7-1 against top-ranked opponents since 2005-06...DU had scored just seven goals in its last four outings prior to tonight’s game.