DENVER – Jarid Lukosevicius' overtime winner with 21 seconds remaining in overtime sealed the Denver Pioneers (8-4-2, 4-4-0-0) 2-1 victory against the North Dakota Fighting Hawks (9-7-1, 3-5-0-0) on Saturday in Ralph Engelstad Arena.
 
After allowing the game-tying goal at 17:25 of the third period, the Pioneers responded with Lukosevicius' overtime winner to earn the series split against the Fighting Hawks. Lukosevicius wired his original shot wide of the goal, but Slava Demin recovered the puck at the point and took a shot for Denver's leading scorer to deflect into the net. Filip Larsson made 32 saves in his second collegiate start for the Pioneers, making 26 stops following the first period.
 
"It's the type of game and the type of weekend that we needed," Richard and Kitzia Goodman Head Coach David Carle said. "This is the team we needed to play going into break for us to learn and grow, but also for to build some confidence going into the second half so we can come back with our foot on the gas."
 
The line of Colin Staub, Jaakko Heikkinen and Ryan Barrow opened the scoring for the Pioneers with their second goal of the weekend at 1:10 of the first period. After taking a feed from Barrow behind the net, Staub found Heikkinen at the bottom of the left faceoff circle for a one-timer through the legs of Adam Scheel. Heikkinen's third goal of the season marked Denver's second shot of the game.
 
Filip Larsson shined for Denver in the second period, turning aside 16 shots in the frame and helping kill a North Dakota power play. Shortly after facing three shots on the man advantage, the freshman goalie kept his shutout bid at 11:44 of the period with three saves in quick succession, turning aside Hayden Shaw's shot from the point and two follow up attempts from a foot outside the crease. The Pioneers fired only five shots in the period, the best opportunity coming on a two-on-one rush with Barrow and Jake Durflinger in the early stages of the frame.

Denver continued to defend in the third period. The Fighting Hawks' push began to amplify at 12:14 of the third period when Ryan Barrow took a hooking penalty. North Dakota generated four shots on the man advantage, then continued to ride the momentum with Rhett Gardner's shot off the post with four minutes remaining and ultimately the game-tying goal. Jacob Bernard-Docker made it 1-1 with a wrist shot under the crossbar from the top of the circle.
 
The Pioneers finished 0/3 on the power play and 3/3 on the penalty kill.
 
TOGETHER 4 COLORADO TOY DRIVE
The Pioneers have partnered with CBS4 for the Together 4 Colorado Toy Drive to support the Denver community during the holiday season. Beginning Nov. 17, there will be toy drops at every Denver Athletics and Newman Center event thru Dec. 19. Additionally, there will be a Community Shop 'n Drop on Saturday, Dec. 15 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., hosted by the Denver Cheerleading squad at the circle drive on the north side of the Ritchie Center.
 
PIONEER MOVEMENT:
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