DENVER (Magness Arena) --  Despite a stout defensive effort, solid goaltending an early goal by freshman defenseman Sam Rendle (Grand Rapids, Minn.), the Bemidji State University men’s ice hockey team was unable to hold on for a victory Friday at the University of Denver.  

The Beavers allowed an even-strength goal each period, which included an empty-net marker late, dropping the Western Collegiate Hockey Association series opener, 3-1, at Magness Arena in Denver.

“I didn’t think we had great legs tonight, but I was so proud of our effort,” commented BSU head coach Tom Serratore.  “I thought we were very good defensively and when we had some break downs Mathieu Dugas was there to make some big saves for us.

“I thought the guys played a great game.”

For the sixth time in nine outings, BSU was the first to light the scoreboard and tonight it was Rendle who drew first blood.  Senior forward Ryan Cramer (International Falls, Minn.) turned a DU attempted line change into a 3-on-1 opportunity for the Beavers. Jamie MacQueen (Jr., F., St. Thomas, Ontario) rang a shot of the pipe to cap the rush and the freshman defender corralled the rebound in the slot and netted his second goal of the season to put BSU up 1-0 at the 7:54 mark.

“You put yourself in a pretty good spot when you score that first goal because then you are playing with the lead and force them to play catch up hockey.” Serratore added, “Obviously we didn’t hold [the lead], but it is critical to get that first goal on the board.”

Despite outplaying the Pioneers and controlling the puck for a majority of the first period, DU out shot the Beavers 7-2 and at the 16:25 mark, Matt Donovan evened the score.  David Makowski found the blueliner with a drop pass in the high slot and Donovan fired a seeing-eye shot through traffic that snuck past BSU’s goaltender Mathieu Dugas (So., G, L’Assomtion, Quebec).

After skating though most of the second period locked in the 1-1 tie, Jason Zucker scored giving the Pioneers their first lead of the evening at the 17:05 mark. Drew Shore got the play started winning a face off in the Pioneers’ offensive zone.  He then dug the puck out of a scrum on the boards and found Donovan.  The blueliner fired a shot on net and Zucker tipped, what would stand as the eventual game-winner, passed Dugas for his team-leading eighth goal of 2010-11.

Opening the third frame trailing by one, 2-1, the Bemidji State penalty-kill unit was tested early and often.  BSU was whistled for three penalties setting the Pioneers up with six minutes of 5-on-4 play, but for the second consecutive game, and the third time in four outings, BSU held its opponent scoreless on the man advantage not only snuffing out all three of DU’s third period opportunities, but finishing the game 5-for-5 on the penalty-kill.

“Our penalty-kill was very good tonight, but we can’t be in the box that much,” said Serratore.  “The bottom line is that our guys did a great job executing.”

The Beavers had a flurry of scoring opportunities in the third period despite being out shot 12-5 in the frame.  

Brad Hunt may have given BSU its best opportunity late in the third leading a 2-on-1 into the offensive zone, but Pioneer goaltender Sam Brittian stood tall and gloved the shot for one of his 14 saves on the night.

Running out of time, the Beavers got the break they needed when DU’s John Ryder was sent to the penalty box for holding, setting the Beavers up with their second power-play opportunity of the contest with 3:24 on the clock.  The Beavers lost the ensuing face off and struggled to gain control of the puck for the first half of the power-play chance, but during the last 40 seconds, had the Pioneers scrambling and racked up four quality scoring opportunities.  

With 1:30 to go, BSU pulled its goaltender to get an extra attacker on the ice, but with 27 seconds to go, Denver would put the game away on a Luke Salazar empty-net goal.

Brittian was credited with the win, allowing just one goal in 60:00 minutes of play.  He improves to 6-3-1 on the season.

BSU’s Dugas was tagged with the loss, conceding two goals, while turning away 26 Pioneer shots in 58:57 between the pipes.  His 2010-11 record falls to 1-2-1.

Denver extends it lead in the series to 6-0-0 with the win and is a perfect 5-0-0 when hosting the Beavers.

Bemidji State (2-6-1; 2-6-1 WCHA) will attempt to bounce back, salvage a series split and take another shot at its first win over DU when it again battles the Pioneers (7-4-2; 6-2-1 WCHA) in tomorrow’s series finale.  Opening face-off is set for 8:07 p.m. (CT) at Magness Arena in Denver, Colo.

--bsu--