ST. PAUL, Minn. – The University of Denver hockey team fell 2-0 to the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs on Friday in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff semifinals at Xcel Energy Center.
 
Despite the loss, Denver will still make the 2022 NCAA National Tournament. The Pioneers are hosting the West Regional at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, Colorado, with the first round beginning this Thursday.
 
The Bulldogs were led by a 30-save shutout by Ryan Fanti, the conference's Goaltender of the Year. The Pioneers had 12 shots in the third period but couldn't get one to hit twine.
 
Denver netminder Magnus Chrona stopped 29-of-30 shots, with the only puck to get past him coming from Blake Biondi with 5:13 remaining in the first period.
 
The tally came after UMD forced a turnover in its own zone, and Biondi knocked in a centering pass from Jesse Jacques for the eventual game-winner.
 
After that, Chrona was perfect. He stopped all 18 shots he faced in the final 40 minutes of play, including all three on Duluth's two man-advantage chances.
 
DU, which was the No. 1 seed in the conference playoffs after winning its second Penrose Cup as regular-season champions, went 0-for-3 on the power play.
 
Kobe Roth scored the Bulldogs' other marker into an empty net with 20 second remaining.
 
Minnesota Duluth, which is the No. 4 seed of the Frozen Faceoff, will play the winner of the other semifinal matchup between No. 2 North Dakota and No. 3 Western Michigan in the NCHC Championship Game on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. MT at Xcel Energy Center.
 
POSTGAME NOTES

• The Pioneers were playing their first afternoon and neutral-site game of the season.
• Denver had its five-game winning streak come to an end. The Pios are now 22-8-1 all-time in the NCHC postseason and is 3-2-0 in games at Xcel Energy Center.
• DU was shutout for the first time this season and its first since Feb. 12, 2021 vs. North Dakota.
• Denver dropped to 2-3-0 on the year to Minnesota Duluth and is now 4-5-0 all-time vs. the Bulldogs in neutral-site contests
• Ryan Barrow played in his 164th career game, tied for the second-most in program history with Gabe Gauthier (2002-2006), Rod Summers (1986-1990) and Scott Mathias (1985-1989)

 
GOAL SUMMARY
1st Period
14:47 UMD (0-1) – Blake Biondi knocked in the puck off a centering pass from Jesse Jacques during a rush up the ice following a Denver turnover.
 
2nd Period
No Scoring
 
3rd Period
19:40 UMD (0-2) – ENG, Kobe Roth buried a shot into an open net.
 
 
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