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Good times keep rolling for DU

Pioneers skate to best start in four campaigns

Pat Rooney, Special To The Rocky

Published October 27, 2007 at midnight

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Sometimes a team can be lucky and good.

The University of Denver hockey team struck for three goals in the second period, benefiting from a fortuitous bounce on the game-breaking third tally, to earn a 5-1 victory Friday against Minnesota Duluth in the Pioneers' Western Collegiate Hockey Association opener at Magness Arena.

Kyle Ostrow and Tyler Ruegsegger each recorded a goal and an assist to lead DU's attack, while goaltender Peter Mannino made 22 saves and also had an assist in the 42nd win of his career.

Another win by Mannino in tonight's series finale (7, no television) would move the senior netminder into a 10th-place tie on the program's all-time wins list.

The Pioneers improved to 4-1, giving them their best start since the 2003-04 season, which ended with the program's first national championship in 35 years.

"I think Peter has been Mr. Reliable, Mr. Consistency," DU coach George Gwozdecky said. "He's the guy we knew prior to the season beginning that for us to be successful, he was going to have to be that guy. I think (Friday night's) score was extremely misleading. There are certain areas of our game that have to improve (tonight). But as expected, Peter has been the consistency. Whenever we mess up in front of him, he has been very, very good at making us look a lot better than we really are right now."

An uneventful first period that featured only one penalty and a combined 13 shots hardly foreshadowed the frenetic second frame.

DU had been 0-for-16 on power-play chances in its previous three games and had been held scoreless in its past 18 power-play chances overall before Ostrow, working from the right circle, fired a pass across the ice to Brock Trotter camped low on the left side.

Trotter converted the chance, ending the Pioneers' power-play drought and giving Trotter the 50th point of his career.

Minnesota Duluth (3-1-1, 2-1-0 WCHA) answered less than 1 minute later when DU freshman defenseman John Ryder whiffed on a forecheck, leaving an easy chance for Jordan Fulton against Mannino that tied the score at 1-1.

The Pioneers broke the game open with two goals in a span of less than 5 minutes later in the period. Ruegsegger got the rally started with a strong hustle play, chasing the puck down along the left wing and drawing a penalty before falling to the ice.

Ruegsegger, though, quickly got up during the delayed penalty and fed the puck to wide-open freshman Anthony Maiani between the circles, who beat Bulldogs goaltender Alex Stalock for his third goal of the young season.

Good fortune helped DU take a two-goal lead minutes later. Ostrow fired a shot that was saved by Stalock, but the rebound caromed out and deflected off the skate of Duluth defenseman Travis Gawryletz before sliding back into the net.

"That's the type of team we have this year - if a goal goes in, it's not a big deal," Ruegsegger said. "It's definitely nice when your power play gets going again. We had a good power play going and we moved the puck well."

Mannino enjoyed a strong effort by his defensemen, who limited the Bulldogs to 11 shots through two periods and killed all five of Duluth's power-play chances. Mannino did not waver as a desperate Duluth team peppered him with 12 shots in the final frame.

Ruegsegger and Brandon Jackson capped the scoring with goals late in the third.

"We played well and we played aggressive," Mannino said. "We had our third man back and we played our system really well. That was the main thing. We got our sticks on pucks and played our game."

Denver 5, Minnesota Duluth 1

Minnesota Duluth......0 1 0 - 1
Denver......0 3 2 - 5

First period - No scoring. Penalties - Mullen, DU (interference), 3:29.

Second period - 1, DU, Trotter 3 (Ostrow 1, Butler 4), pp, 1:59; 2, MD, Fulton 2 (Kemp 2, Fontaine 1), 2:41; 3, DU, Maiani 3 (Ruegsegger 3, Rakhshani 3), 6:40; 4, DU, Ostrow 3 (Thomas 2, Bozak 1), 11:39. Penalties - Oberg, MD (boarding), 1:28; Akins, MD (unsportsmanlike conduct), 7:01; Thomas, DU (unsportsmanlike conduct), 7:01; Akins, MD (slashing), 7:01; Ruegsegger, DU (interference), 7:54; Bench, DU (Too many men/served by Vossberg), 16:29; Kemp, MD (high sticking), 17:43; May, DU (unsportsmanlike conduct), 20:00; Curry, MD (unsportsmanlike conduct), 20:00

Third period - 5, Ruegsegger 2 (Rakhshani 4, Mannino 1), 17:58; 6, Vossberg 1 (Jackson 1), 18:47. Penalties - Akins, MD (hooking), 2:58; Vossberg, DU (holding the stick), 4:54; Greer, MD (interference), 11:02; Curry, MD (goaltender interference), 13:17; Gifford, DU (interference), 13:32.

Shots - MD, 4-7-12-23; DU, 9-11-10-30. Saves - MD (Stalock 25); DU (Mannino 22). Power plays - MD, 0-for-5; DU, 1-for-6. A - 6,048.

TIGERS FALL: Matt Fornataro and Jerry Pollastrone each tallied two goals to rally sixth-ranked New Hampshire (2-0) past fourth-ranked Colorado College (2-1) in Durham, N.H.

The Wildcats scored four unanswered goals after the Tigers opened a 3-1 lead in the first period.

New Hampshire 5, Colorado College 3

Colorado College......3 0 0 - 3
New Hampshire......1 1 3 - 5

First period - 1, CC, Eric Walsky (2) (Tyler Johnson), 2:12; 2, CC, Jimmy Kilpatrick (1) (Chad Rau), 9:40; 3, NH, Bobby Butler (1) (Brad Flaishans, Mike Radja), 9:48; 4, CC, PP Jack Hillen (1) (Bill Sweatt). Penalties - Cc, Nate Prosser (2-Hitting after the Whistle; NH, Phil DeSimone (2-Hitting after the Whistle).

Second period - 5, Matt Fornataro (2) (James vanRiemsdyk, Brad Flaishans), :15. Penalties - UNH, Danny Dries (2-Interference), NH, Jamie Fritsch (2-Hitting from Behind), CC, Ryan Lowery (2-Tripping) UNH 0x1 14:08; NH, Thomas Fortney (2-Hooking).

Third period - 6, Jerry Pollastrone (1) (Bobby Butler, Peter LeBlanc), 9:45; 7, Jerry Pollastrone (2) (Peter LeBlanc, Bobby Butler), 17:29; 8, Matt Fornataro (3) (unassisted) 19:50. Penalties - CC, Jimmy Kilpatrick (2-Holding), CC, Jack Hillen (2-Hooking).

PREWITT FOILS FALCONS: Standley Lake High School graduate Dain Prewitt scored two goals to power Bentley (1-4, 1-0 Atlantic Hockey) to a 4-0 win against Air Force (2-1, 0-1) in Watertown, Mass.

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