DENVER – In their first meeting since the 2019 National Semifinal when UMass defeated Denver 4-3 in overtime, the Pioneers and Minutemen skated to a game almost as tight as their matchup less than one year ago. The outcome, however, was different.
 
With the help of Cole Guttman's game-winning goal at 17:53 of the third period, the No. 7 Denver Pioneers hockey team (12-4-3, 3-3-2-1) defeated UMass 4-2 on Friday at Magness Arena. The victory improved Denver to 4-1-1 in its last six games.
 
"It was a real gutsy effort and we stuck with it for most of the night," Richard and Kitzia Goodman Head Coach David Carle said. "We generated a lot of looks, our puck pressure was really good and our puck management for the most part was good. To come back the way we did from 1-0, 2-1, and especially in the third to get the lead and seal it out with a real good six-on-five execution, I am really proud of our guys after the layoff. That is a real good team in UMass, they play the game the right way and they play hard. This is a real good win for us tonight.
 
The teams skated to a scoreless first period despite a bizarre situation nearly giving UMass the lead. With 6:30 left in the first period, Magnus Chrona denied Jack Suter on a Minutemen two-on-one and Suter's stick wedged underneath Chrona's leg pad. Play continued as Chrona floundered in his crease and made a pair of saves before UMass scored on a long-range wrist shot that was quickly disallowed. 
 
The Minutemen broke through at 4:45 of the second period with Matthew Kessel feathering a shot from the right point through traffic and past Chrona. Denver found the equalizer less than four minutes later as Guttman pursued a puck below the goal line and centered a pass that found its way to Slava Demin for a one-timer.
 
Tied 1-1, UMass took its second lead of the night at 12:24 of the second. With the Pioneers pinned behind their own net and unable to clear the puck up the boards, the puck popped out to the front of the goal where it was quickly moved to Blake McLaughlin at the bottom of the left circle. McLaughlin put a shot into the gaping net for one of his final contributions as he was issued a five-minute major and game misconduct for elbowing shortly after the go-ahead goal.
 
Denver was unable to score on the extended man advantage but found the net after the expiration of the power play. Emilio Pettersen rang a shot off the post, one of three times the Pioneers did that on the night, and minutes later at 5:08 of the third period Demin floated a wrist shot for Tyson McLellan to deflect past Filip Lindberg.
 
Guttman's goal broke a more than 10:00 back-and-forth deadlock. Moments after his shot deflected off a defenseman's stick and the crossbar, Guttman found himself off balance on the goal line and flicked a backhand toward the net. The shot evaded Lindberg for the game-winner and the Pioneers sealed the game with Jake Durflinger's empty netter at 18:57.
…
Cole Guttman is on a four-game point and goal streak with five goals and one assist. Prior to his streak, Guttman had three goals and three assists in 14 games…Slava Demin recorded his first multi-point game of the season and fourth of his career…Magnus Chrona made 20 saves…The Pioneers went 0/5 on the power play and 4/4 on the penalty kill..

UP NEXT: Denver Hockey presented by Centura Health will close its final non-conference series of the season with a matchup against No. 9 UMass on Saturday, Jan. 4

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