DENVER Anthony Maiani (Shelby Township, Mich.) scored the game-winning goal with 17 seconds remaining in overtime to lead the No. 5/7 University of Denver Pioneers (14-6-2, 10-4-1 WCHA) to a 4-3 win over the visiting Michigan Tech Huskies (5-16-2, 1-12-2 WCHA) tonight in front of 5,039 fans at Magness Arena.
Sophomore goaltender Marc Cheverie (Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia) posted 30 saves in his 14th victory of the season. Joe Colborne (Calgary, Alberta) tallied a goal and an assist, while fellow freshman Patrick Wiercioch (Maple Ridge, British Columbia) had two assists in the Pioneer victory.
“I thought Marc Cheverie kept us in the game in the first period,” head coach George Gwozdecky said. “Marc was the difference in the game. He was tremendous tonight. Anthony is a pass-first player, but obviously he scored a big one (goal) for us tonight.”
The Huskies held a 1-0 lead after the first period after outshooting the home team, 12-8. Derek Kitti scored on a pass from Eli Vlaisavljevich at the 7:18 mark of the opening period.
J.P. Testwuide (Vail, Colo.) netted the equalizer for Denver in the fourth minute of the second period. Kyle Ostrow (Calgary, Alberta) centered a pass to the senior captain from just right of the net, and Testwuide one-timed the puck past Huskies goaltender Rob Nolan (28 saves). Nate Dewhurst (Johnston, Iowa) picked up his first career point on the play.
However, Michigan Tech battled back to regain the lead with 12:50 remaining in the middle stanza. Alex Gagne slipped a shot past Cheverie from just left of the crease to give the Huskies the 2-1 lead.
The Pioneers again evened the score, this time on a power-play goal by Colborne. Wiercioch found fellow freshman Luke Salazar (Thornton, Colo.) at center ice, and Salazar then tapped the puck to Colborne on the attack at the blueline. Colborne carried the puck to the right corner, where he fired his fifth goal of the season past Nolan with 5:49 remaining.
The teams headed into the third locked in a 2-2 tie, but Rhett Rakhshani (Huntington Beach, Calif.) gave DU its first lead of the game with seven minutes remaining in the third period. Rakhshani extended his point streak to four games with his ninth goal of the season on assists from Tyler Ruegsegger (Lakewood, Colo.) and Colborne.
The Huskies pulled Nolan with 1:02 remaining to gain the extra skater, and the advantage paid off as the visitors tied the score at 3-3 on an unassisted goal by Geoff Kinrade just six seconds later.
Both teams tallied two shots in overtime before Maiani slid the game-winner past Nolan. Jesse Martin (Edmonton, Alberta) and Wiercioch assisted on the game-winning goal.
DU outshot the Huskies 34-33 and went 2-for-5 on the power play. Michigan Tech was 0-for-2 with the man-advantage.
Denver concludes its two-game series with Michigan Tech tomorrow night at 7:07 p.m.
Notes: DU remains in first place in the WCHA with 21 points...Denver ended its 0-for-30 power play drought with two man-advantage goals tonight...Maiani (7-2128) extend his career-high point streak to 11 games while Rakhshani (9-1120) extended his current point streak to four games...Denver improves to 3-0 against Michigan Tech this season.
