DENVER – The No. 1 Denver Pioneers hockey team fell 3-1 to the Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks in its first game back from the holiday break on Friday night at Magness Arena.
 
Alaska used two power-play goals during a Denver major penalty early in the second period to break a 0-0 tie and then held off the Pioneers' attack for most of the remainder of the contest. Jonny Sorenson scored at 3:58 of the middle stanza and Brady Risk found twine 2:32 later while Justin Lee was serving a boarding penalty.
 
Garrett Pyke added an empty-net marker in the final minute of regulation for Fairbanks, which has now won six of its last seven contests.
 
"They made it really hard, and we struggled to adapt to how we need to play," said Richard and Kitzia Goodman hockey head coach David Carle. "Our fourth line was pretty good at being able to advance pucks up the ice. We actually got pucks below the goal line and were able to generate some chances, but it was definitely way too inconsistent with our other three lines unfortunately."
 
Friday's game marked DU's first outing in nearly three weeks, as the team last played on Dec. 17 against Lindenwood. Denver (16-5-0, 8-2-0 NCHC) and Fairbanks (11-8-2) wrap up their weekend series on Saturday at 6 p.m. MT at Magness Arena.
 
None of the goals in the contest came at even strength, as DU also capitalized on a power play with its lone tally. Sophomore Massimo Rizzo scored his ninth of the season on a one-timer off a feed from freshman Aidan Thompson during a 5-on-3 with 3:07 left in the second period. Junior Mike Benning also had an assist on the tally.
 
The Pioneers had a few good looks after Rizzo's marker, but the Nanooks played solid defensively overall and held DU to just 20 total shots in the game. Matt Radomsky, the national goaltender of the month for December, made 19 saves.
 
Denver goaltender Magnus Chrona stopped 30-of-32 shots in his first contest since Dec. 10 at Minnesota Duluth.
 
The loss ends the Pioneers' five-game home winning streak and seven-game overall winning streak, which were both season longs.
 
 
POSTGAME NOTES

• The Pioneers and Nanooks were facing each other for the fourth time in the last five seasons. Denver is now 9-3-2 all-time vs. Alaska and 4-1-2 on home ice in the series.
• Magnus Chrona was making his first start since Dec. 10 at Minnesota Duluth.
• Denver had its season-long penalty-kill streak end at nine straight kills after UAF tallied on its first power play of the game in the second period (Dec. 10-17, three games).
• Massimo Rizzo scored to extend his career-long point streak to eight games (5g/4a).
• Mike Benning had an assist to move his career-long point streak to eight games (5g/8a).
• Aidan Thompson contributed an assist and is now on a personal-best, four-game point streak (1g/3a).
• DU has scored a power-play goal in each of the last five contests, a season-long run.

 
GOAL SUMMARY
1st Period
No Scoring
 
2nd Period
3:58 UAF (0-1) – PPG, Jonny Sorenson scored from the top of the left circle 37 seconds into a major power play.
6:30 UAF (0-2) – PPG, Brady Risk scored with a wrist shot through traffic at the top of the slot as DU was still killing its major penalty.
16:53 DU (1-2) – PPG, Massimo Rizzo tallied with a one-timer from the right circle during a 5-on-3 power play.
 
3rd Period
19:15 UAF (1-3) – ENG, Garrett Pyke found the open net from the Nanook side of the neutral zone.
 
 
QUOTABLES
 
Richard and Kitzia Goodman Head Coach David Carle
On the pace after three weeks between games:
"I thought that the pace of the game was pretty good. I mean they obviously won a lot more races then we did, which was disappointing. I don't put that one the break. To me we had a really good week of practice, I just think we got out willed by a hungrier team in our own building."
 
On what the team needs to improve on for Saturday: "Got to give ourselves a chance with our work ethic and try to win more races and win more battles. You look at faceoff intensity, races to walls, how they change to us—like they out changed us probably 2-to-1 most of the night. We allowed them to be much fresher throughout the night. As the game went on, I think we actually got slower unfortunately."
 
Senior Defenseman Justin Lee
On the game: "Obviously it is disappointing. They showed up to work and we have more to give in our locker room. It is disappointing overall in our effort tonight."
 
On responding on Saturday: "We've got to learn from it and take it the right way. That is some adversity we have to face, and we have to build from that, take what we can from it and turn the page for tomorrow."
 
On the team losing 50-50 pucks: "It starts at our own end. All over the ice we have to do better to a man, and just hold ourselves more accountable and be more detailed in our game."
 
 
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