Box Score DULUTH, Minn. - Top-ranked Minnesota Duluth beat No. 10 Denver, 2-1, before a sellout crowd of 5,409 in the final game tonight at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC).
Justin Faulk (power play) and Mike Connolly (shorthanded) scored and Kenny Reiter made 28 saves as the Bulldogs earned the split and improved to 12-2-2, 9-2-1 WCHA.
Anthony Maiani (Shelby Township, Mich.) scored DU's lone goal on the power play and Sam Brittain (Calgary, Alberta) made 31 saves as the Pioneers' winning streak ends at seven games. DU falls to 11-5-2, 8-3-1.
"Give Minnesota Duluth credit for outplaying us tonight," DU head coach George Gwozdecky said. "The Bulldogs certainly wanted to close the DECC with a win. I thought Sam Brittain had a great weekend, especially tonight by keeping us in the game for three periods."
The Bulldogs closed the historic DECC and its 45-year history with the win. Minnesota Duluth outshot Denver, 33-29, and scored both goals on special teams.
Faulk buried a power-play shot from the high slot at 15:22 of the first period to give Minnesota Duluth a 1-0 lead. The Bulldogs outshot the Pioneers, 14-9, and Brittain starred in net for Denver with 13 saves.
The Bulldogs dominated play in the middle stanza and capitalized on a Drew Shore (Denver) turnover and scored shorthanded when Mike Connolly solved Brittain at 18:56.
After Denver killed off a five-minute UMD power play, Maiani gave Denver new life with a goal off a faceoff from the right circle at 8:25 of the third period. Dustin Jackson (Omaha, Neb.) and Drew Shore earned assists on the goal. DU pulled Brittain with 1:48 left, but couldn't send the game to overtime. The Pioneers played a better third period and outshot Minnesota Duluth, 13-9.
Denver went 1-for-3 on the power play, while Minnesota Duluth was 1-for-6.
The Pioneers travel to Alaska Anchorage for a two-game WCHA series on Dec. 3-4.
Notes: Beau Bennett (Gardena, Calif.) missed the game with a right knee injury. DU's consecutive period scoring streak was snapped at 17 after a scoreless first stanza. Maiani extended his point streak to seven games, while Drew Shore extended his point streak to six games.
