DENVER – Two first-period goals were the demise of the No. 4 Denver Pioneers (8-3-2, 0-3-2-1) as they fell to the No. 20 Western Michigan Broncos (7-4-2, 3-1-1-1) 2-1 on Friday at Magness Arena.
 
With goals at 2:21 and 10:57 of the first period, the Broncos controlled the early portion of the game and built a lead they never relinquished. Jaakko Heikkinen's goal midway through second cut the Pioneers' deficit to 2-1, but Brandon Bussi's 35 save-performance helped retain the Broncos' lead and move Denver to 0-3-2 in the last five games.
 
"We are in a hole right now and we have to dig out of it as a group," Richard and Kitzia Goodman Head Coach David Carle said. "Everyone has to work to do a little more. If we play like we did in the second period and string things together, good things will happen."
 
Mattias Samuelsson opened the scoring for Western Michigan as a rebound from Hugh McGing's shot drifted into the left circle for a long-range wrist shot. The Broncos added to their lead midway through the first with Ethen Frank burying a loose puck the Pioneers were unable to clear from their net front.  
 
Heikkinen's goal on his own rebound made it 2-1 at 10:14 of the second and highlighted a period wherein Denver outshot Western Michigan, 15-5. Griffin Mendel and Bobby Brink had assists on the play.
 
"I loved our second period," Carle said. "I thought we showed some fight and we didn't go away after hand delivering them two goals in the first period. I thought you saw Denver Hockey for a large portion of the game, specifically the second period."
 
The Pioneers' path to the game-tying goal became more difficult at 11:51 of the third with Slava Demin earning a five-minute major and game misconduct for contact to the head. Denver killed the penalty but was unable to tie the game even strength or on a two-minute power play at 17:43 of the third.  

….

Denver went 0/4 on the power play and 2/2 on the penalty kill…Magnus Chrona made 31 saves…

UP NEXT: Denver men's hockey presented by Centura Health completes its series with Western Michigan on Saturday, Nov. 23 at Magness Arena

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