MADISON, Wis. The Kohl Center magic continues for the Denver Pioneers. Freshman Joe Colborne (Calgary, Alberta) and Brian Gifford (Moorhead, Minn.) provided late-game heroics as No. 8 Denver rallied for 4-3 overtime win at No. 13 Wisconsin before 13,940 fans at Kohl Center. DU (18-9-4, 14-7-3 WCHA) remains first in the WCHA with 31 points, while Wisconsin is third with 28 points.

 

DU also improves to 12-2-2 all-time at the Kohl Center with the important road win. The Pioneers were outshot 35-21 and outplayed much of the game, but stole the win when Colborne tied it on a 6-on-5 advantage with 15 seconds remaining and won it on a Gifford backhanded shot past Shane Connelly (17 saves) 41 seconds into overtime.

 

Kyle Ostrow (Calgary, Alberta) and Tyler Ruegsegger (Lakewood, Colo.) also scored for Denver and goaltender Marc Cheverie (Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia) starred with 32 saves.

 

“We are capable of playing much better, but we’re obviously happy with the result,” DU head coach George Gwozdecky said. “Wisconsin played really well, but we hung in there until the very end and got a big road win. Joe and Brian came through at the end and I thought Cheverie was terrific in net.”

 

Wisconsin jumped to a 2-1 lead after a dominate first period. The Badgers outshot DU, 15-3, and Blake Geoffrion scored on the power play at 3:17 and Patrick Johnson scored at 9:34. DU got back in the game at 13:33 when Ostrow redirected a J.P. Testwuide (Vail, Colo.) one-timer from the top of the right circle.

 

Ruegsegger tied it at 2-2 when he banged home a Gifford (Moorhead, Minn.) rebound 21 seconds into the middle stanza.

 

Davies regained the lead for Wisconsin when he beat Cheverie with a blast on a 3-on-1 advantage at 2:12 of the third period. DU was outshot in every period, except overtime when DU scored on its second shot.

 

The Pioneers finished 1-for-3 on the power play, while Wisconsin was 1-for-4.

 

Denver and Wisconsin play game two of the series tomorrow night at 6:07 p.m.