DENVER, Colo. (Magness Arena) -- Jason Zucker scored twice and had an assist as University of Denver defeated the Bemidji State University men’s ice hockey team 3-2 Saturday at Magness Arena in Denver to complete the series sweep.

Leading 2-1 to open the third period and a series split in their sights, the Beavers were unable to answer back-to-back goals in the final 14 minutes and saw their 12th victory slip away to a skilled, opportunistic Pioneers team.

Senior captain Ben Kinne (F, St. Paul, Minn.) got the Beavers an early lead when he took a pass from Aaron McLeod (Jr., F, Ottawa, Ontario) at the top of the left circle and unleashed a slap shot that found its way through traffic and into the back of the net.  Kinne’s eighth goal of the season came at the 10:50 mark of the period.

BSU’s momentum swing would not last long.

Senior forward Jamie MacQueen (St. Thomas, Ontario) was tagged with a five-minute major penalty and game misconduct for checking from behind at the 12:42 mark of the first setting DU up with its first power-play opportunity of the game. BSU limited clear looks at the net for just over four minutes, but Jason Zucker potted his 12th goal of the season on a sharp-angle shot from the goal line extended that found space between BSU goaltender Dan Bakala (Sr., Calgary, Alberta) and the right post at the 16:47 mark.  Joey LaLeggia and Scott Mayfield were credited with assists on the play.

The teams would skate to the locker rooms locked in a 1-1 game, but before time would expire on the period, DU’s Mayfield was escorted to the locker room after being whistled for a five minute major and game misconduct for checking from behind. The loss was compounded by the fact that DU dressed only five defensemen for the game.

Aided by 4:40 of power-play time to open the second period, the Beavers carried play. The Beavers converted the opportunity 2:27 into the period on a Wacker wrist shot from the blue line.  Danny Mattson (Fr., F, Minneapolis, Minn.) and Radoslav Illo (So., F, Bystrica, Slovakia) each helped on the play extending their respective scoring streaks to four and five games.

At the 18:13 mark of the second, Illo and Didier were each penalize for roughing.  Illo’s penalty came with an additional penalty for face washing providing DU with a man advantage opportunity that lingered into the third period.

After trailing 14-8 in shots during the first, BSU out shot DU 11-5 in the second to even the shots 19-19 heading into the final frame.

Despite being short-handed to open the final 20 minutes of play, BSU held the Pioneers at bay until the 6:14 mark when BSU players collided and Chris Knowlton found breathing room to capped a Pioneers’ rush by sniping a near-side goal from the right faceoff circle.

Tied 2-2 with 9:09 to play, freshman blueliner Matt Prapavessis (Oakville, Ontario) was booked for holding in an effort to prevent a shot on a DU odd man rush.

Denver would answer with a power-play goal just 59 second later to take the lead for good.  Zucker’s second tally of the night came when he corralled a rebound sitting in crease and buried it into a virtually open net.

DU finished the night 2-for-4 on the man advantage, while BSU converted just one of its three power-play chances.

Bakala posted 25 saves in 58:30 of play, but surrendered all three DU goals and fell to 5-7-1 on the season.

Olkinuora improved to 6-6-2 on the year with a 25-save performance.

BSU is now 1-11-0 all-time versus the Pioneers in a rivalry dating back to 1967 and have yet to win a game in Denver (0-8-0).

Bemidji State (11-11-2; 5-9-2 WCHA) is idle next week, but will return to action Jan. 27-28 when it hosts Minnesota State University, Mankato for a two-game WCHA series at Sanford Center. The series gets underway with a 7:37 p.m. opening face off Friday and will wrap up with a 7:07 p.,m. start Saturday.

--bsu--