Box Score ST. PAUL, Minn. - WCHA Player of the Year Matt Frattin scored the game-winning goal at 5:11 of double overtime to give North Dakota a dramatic 3-2 win over No. 5 Denver in the championship game of the 2011 Red Baron WCHA Final Five tonight at Xcel Energy Center.
North Dakota wins its second consecutive WCHA playoff championship and improves to 30-8-3. Denver falls to 24-11-5.
Dustin Jackson (Omaha, Neb.) and Anthony Maiani (Shelby Township, Mich.) scored for Denver and freshman Sam Brittain (Calgary, Alberta) was sensational with 33 saves.
Danny Kristo and Brett Davidson also scored for the Fighting Sioux and goaltender Aaron Dell had 40 saves.
"It was an honor to be part of such an incredible championship hockey game," DU head coach George Gwozdecky said. "It's important to play these type of games heading into the national tournament and I really like the way we're playing right now. Give North Dakota credit for winning the regular-season and playoff championships. They've got a darn good team."
Jackson staked DU to a 1-0 lead at 5:06 of the first period when he buried a nice centering pass from Kyle Ostrow (Calgary, Alberta). Anthony Maiani (Shelby Township, Mich.) earned the second assist on Jackson's fifth goal. DU outshot UND, 10-6, and controlled play in the opening stanza.
Kristo tied the score when his shot was kicked in by Denver's Nick Shore (Denver) near the crease at 2:32 of the second period. The Fighting Sioux took their first lead when Davidson's shot was deflected past Brittain at 8:18 of the middle stanza.
Maiani sent the game to overtime with a goal from Beau Bennett (Gardena, Calif.) and Matt Donovan (Edmond, Okla.) with 2:13 left in regulation.
Denver outshot North Dakota, 12-11, during the first overtime which featured several spectacular saves by Brittain.
North Dakota claimed the league championship when Chay Genoway's shot on goal was re-directed to Frattin, who buried the loose puck for his 35th goal of the season.
Denver outshot North Dakota, 42-36, and both teams were held scoreless on the power play.
Colorado College's Jaden Schwartz, Maiani, Donovan and Brittain joined tournament MVP Frattin and Genoway on the Final Five all-tournament team.
The Pioneers will learn their NCAA Tournament opponent during the selection show on ESPN2 HD tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m. MT.
Notes: Denver is seventh in the latest PairWise Rankings. The Pioneers are 1-4 vs. top-ranked opponents. Denver is 8-5 all-time at the Xcel Energy Center. DU scored first for the fifth time its last 14 games, including both games at the Final Five. Bennett extended his career-best point streak to six games.
