DENVER – The No. 4 Denver Pioneers hockey team erased a three-goal deficit in the first period and defeated the No. 7 St. Cloud State Huskies 8-5 on Friday night at Magness Arena in a matchup of two of the top three offensive teams in the nation.
 
Denver, which entered the day leading the nation with 4.6 goals per game, used a five-goal run to turn a 4-2 deficit into a 7-4 lead. The Pioneers outshot the Huskies 50-24, marking second time this year that the Pios fired at least 50 shots on net and first since doing so on opening night versus Arizona State (55).

"It's hard to put into words to be honest, the comeback," Richard and Kitzia Goodman Head Coach David Carle said. "We felt like we were going to get punched in the mouth here at some point in these next six game stretch with St. Cloud, Duluth and Western. We were curious to see how our team would respond, and it happened within the first six minutes of the game and the first 20 minutes going down 3-0. Two bounces that end up right on their stick with empty-net goals, but I didn't mind our first period, we did carry the play at times. A young hockey team really responded in a big-time way."
 
DU (19-5-1, 12-3-0 NCHC) extended its winning streak to seven games, tying a season long, and is on a nine-game unbeaten streak (8-0-1). Denver is 15-1-1 in its last seven contests and improved to 12-0-1 at Magness Arena, with the 13-game unbeaten streak taking sole possession of the third-longest stretch at home to begin a season in program history.
 
Sophomore Carter Savoie recorded his second three-goal game of the season, while junior Bobby Brink posted a career-high five points (1g/4a). Brink is now on a nine-game point streak (3g/16a), tied for the longest of the season on the team (Carter Mazur, 7g/8a, Nov. 12-Dec. 31), and has registered 31 points (6g/25a) in the last 17 contests.
 
Brink now has 40 points (9g/31a) on the season, presently the second-most in the country behind Minnesota State's Nathan Smith (41 points).
 
Freshman defenseman Sean Behrens (0g/3a) and senior Brett Stapley (2g/1a) also had three-point outings, while seniors Cameron Wright and Cole Guttman (1g/1a) also scored. Goaltender Magnus Chrona made 19 saves.
 
Down 3-0 coming out of the first intermission, the Pioneers had a five-minute power play just 21 seconds in the second period following a major boarding penalty by St. Cloud's Nolan Walker, and Denver took advantage of the opportunity. Savoie tallied twice during the man advantage, both times finding twine from the right circle to get DU back into the game.
 
Kevin Fitzgerald second his second of the game with 5:08 left before the second break to extend the Huskies' lead back to two, but the teams went into the dressing room knotted at 4-4. Stapley scored 38 seconds after Fitzgerald, and Savoie competed his second career hat trick with 37 seconds remaining in the period. Savoie's previous three-point performance came on a six-point night (3g/3a) on Oct. 16 versus Air Force.
 
Wright gave the Pios their first lead of the game by burying a rebound 2:28 into the final stanza, and Guttman tallied the eventual game-winning goal on another big carom five minutes later.
 
Denver finished 3-for-6 on the power play while St. Cloud State (14-8-1, 6-6-1 NCHC), the NCAA's top-ranked power-play squad, went 1-for-4.
 
The Pioneers dominated possession in the final 40 minutes, outshooting the Huskies 35-9 in the final two periods. DU held a 19-3 advantage in the middle frame, with the plus-16 margin the highest for a period this season.
 
The teams wrap up the weekend series on Saturday at Magness Arena. Game time set for 6 p.m. MT, and it will be broadcasted regionally on Altitude 2 and online at NCHC.tv. It will be the final matchup of the season between the clubs, as St. Cloud is one of two conference foes that Denver will only play twice this year.
 
POSTGAME NOTES

• Denver improved to 54-49-6 all-time and 31-24-2 when hosting the Huskies.
• It was Denver's largest comeback win of the season (0-3) and the largest comeback win in the David Carle era.
• Sean Behrens extended his career-long point streak to seven games (2g/9a).
• Behrens tied his career high for assists in a game with three (Oct. 16 vs. Air Force).
• Bobby Brink recorded his 50th career assist and now has 53 in his career. He registered his third, three-assist game of the year.
• Carter Savoie took over the team lead for power-play goals (8) with both of his tallies in the second period coming with the man advantage. His two power-play goals were tied for the most in a game this season.
• Brett Stapley set a new career best for points in a season with 31 and has registered points in four the last five contests (4g/7a). He has picked up multiple points in each of the last three outings.
• Carter Savoie netted his second hat trick of the season (Oct. 16 vs. Air Force), with all his markers on Friday coming in the second period. It was the eighth-fastest hat trick by a Pioneer since the start of the 2000-01 campaign.
• In addition to his career-long nine-game point streak, Bobby Brink is also on a nine-game assist streak and has helpers in 16 of the last 17 games.
• Cole Guttman has recorded a point in four of the last five games (6g/1a). Guttman now has 30 points on the season, setting a new career high.
• Denver's four goals in the second period marked the seventh time this season that it has scored that much in a single frame.
• The Pios have now outscored opponents 51 to 15 in the second period this year.
• Cameron Wright has five goals in the last five games, while Mike Benning has recorded five points in his last five games. (1g/4a)
• Carter Mazur passed his way to his second three-assist game this season (Jan. 15 vs. Omaha).
• Denver has recorded five straight games with 40 or more shots on goal.
• DU has now scored a power-play goal in six consecutive contests.

 
 
GOAL SUMMARY
1st Period
3:37 SCSU (0-1) – Zach Okabe scored with a wide-open net from the right of the crease.
5:28 SCSU (0-2) – Jami Krannila tallied on a backhander during a rush
18:05 SCSU (0-3) – PPG, Kevin Fitzgerald found the back of the net after taking a pass from Zach Okabe during a man advantage.
 
2nd Period
1:24 DU (1-3) – PPG, Carter Savoie buried a one-time shot from Sean Behrens while stationed at the right circle during a major power play.
3:39 DU (2-3) – PPG, Carter Savoie tallied five-hole with a wrister from the right circle while the SCSU goalie was without his stick.
14:52 SCSU (2-4) – Kevin Fitzgerald scored on a 2-on-1 during 4-on-4 play.
15:30 DU (3-4) – Sean Behrens fed a pass to Brett Stapley from behind the goal line, and Stapley tallied far-side from the slot.
19:23 DU (4-4) – Carter Savoie trailed the play and buried a backhand shot during a scramble in front of the net.
 
3rd Period
2:28 DU (5-4) – PPG, Cameron Wright knocked in the rebound after Mike Benning's shot was kicked out to him by the St. Cloud goalie.
7:27 DU (6-4) – Cole Guttman scored on a rebound off a shot by Carter Mazur.
17:38 DU (7-4) – Bobby Brink took a pass from Brett Stapley, made a move to the inside and tallied from the mid-slot.
18:52 SCSU (7-5) – Jami Krannila found twine on a one-time shot from the right circle while the Huskies had their goaltender pulled for the extra attacker.
19:07 DU (8-5) – ENG, Brett Stapley added to the Pioneers' lead with an open-net marker.
 
 
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