DENVER – Power play struggles stymied the No. 2 Denver Pioneers (8-2-2, 0-2-2-1) in their 4-1 loss to No. 9 North Dakota (8-1-2, 3-0-1-1) on Saturday at Magness Arena.
 
The Fighting Hawks' third-ranked penalty kill went 6/6 against Denver, defending against two major penalties and negating three Pioneer power plays as well as 2:56 of five-on-three power play time in the third period.
 
"It was a disappointing effort all around and unfortunately we weren't able to execute," Richard and Kitzia Goodman Head Coach David Carle said. "Tip your hat to them, they came out and played better in all facets."

Cole Smith opened the scoring for North Dakota with a power-play goal at 12:59 of the first period, Josh Rieger made it 2-0 with a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle only 48 seconds later, then Smith added a shorthanded tally in the second period to make it 3-0 before the midway point of the game.

"I liked our start," Carle said. "Our first five minutes were good, then we got on our heels and they took over the next 55 minutes."
 
After failing to convert on a 5:00 power play in the first period, the Pioneers were given a second chance at 6:35 of the third. North Dakota compounded the second major penalty with a pair of minor penalties, but Denver was unable to score on nearly three minutes of a two-man advantage. Eight seconds after the Fighting Hawks returned to even strength, Slava Demin carried the puck into the Pioneers' offensive zone before slipping a pass to Emilio Pettersen to score Denver's lone goal.
 
Westin Michaud sealed North Dakota's win with an empty-netter at 19:36.

…

Slava Demin had an assist for the second consecutive game…North Dakota earned their first victory in Magness Arena since Nov. 17, 2017… The Pioneers outshot the Fighting Hawks 28-22 and 13-6 in the third period…Magnus Chrona made 18 saves…

UP NEXT: Denver men's hockey presented by Centura Health hosts Western Michigan for a two-game series on Nov. 22-23 at Magness Arena

DONATE: Fans interested in making a donation to the hockey program can do so by clicking here. Your contribution will make a direct impact on the success of YOUR Pioneers. Thank you in advance for your unwavering support of our student-athletes and their quest for excellence.  
 
SHOP PIONEERS: Get dressed for Game Day! Get your Pioneers gear at ShopPioneers.com, the official online store of University of Denver Athletics.

-OUR JOURNEY, OUR TIME- 
Visit DenverPioneers.com for complete coverage of all 17 of DU's NCAA Division I sports
Like Denver Pioneers and Denver Hockey on Facebook
Follow @DU_Pioneers and @DU_Hockey on Twitter
Follow @DenverPioneers and @DU_Hockey on Instagram