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Defenseman Dan Molenaar scored 2:33 into overtime to lift No. 3 Minnesota-Duluth to a 4-3 victory over visiting St. Cloud State and give Bulldogs coach Scott Sandelin his 300th career victory.
The goal, Molenaar’s second of the game, came after the Huskies (10-11-1, 5-8-1 NCHC) fell behind 3-0 early in the second period and then tied it later in the frame on goals by Blake Winiecki, Patrick Newell and Jimmy Schuldt.
Karson Kuhlman and Avery Peterson scored in the first period for first-place UMD (13-5-4, 9-4-1), which got 23 saves from Hunter Miska to earn the series split.
St. Cloud pulled starting goaltender Jeff Smith after Molenaar’s first goal made it 3-0 just 4:25 into the second period. Zach Driscoll finished up and allowed only Molenaar’s game-winner among the 18 shots on goal he faced.
NCHC roundup
No. 1 Denver 7, at No. 14 Western Michigan 2
So much for Denver’s scoring drought. One night after being shut out for the first time this season, the Pioneers got goals from seven different players en route to a convincing victory against against the Broncos at Kalamazoo, Mich.
“I thought it was a statement game,” Denver coach Jim Montgomery said. “I said to them before the game if you want to do something special this year you can’t be denied. … Hopefully we keep playing like this all the time.”
Matt Marcinew, Jarid Lukosevicius and Kevin Conley scored on the power play for Denver (15-5-4, 7-2-3), senior Evan Ritt scored the first goal of college career to go with two assists, and Logan O’Connor added a short-handed goal and an assist for the Pioneers. Defenseman Will Butcher chipped in three assists, and Dylan Gambrell and Adam Plant had two assists apiece for the Denver, which won in regulation for the first time in its four games as the No. 1-ranked team.
Wade Allison and Matheson Iacopelli scored for the Broncos (11-6-3, 5-6-1). Iacopelli’s goal was his 15th of the season.
At No. 7 North Dakota 3, Miami 1
Austin Poganski put the Fighting Hawks (13-7-3, 6-5-1) ahead to stay midway through the first period as they earned a series split at Grand Forks, N.D. Dixon Bowen and Rhett Gardner also scored for North Dakota, which outshot the RedHawks (8-9-5, 4-5-3), 34-15. Winning goaltender Cam Johnson allowed only an Anthony Louis goal 3:44 in.
Omaha 4, at Colorado College 2
Captain Justin Parizek scored two third-period goals, and David Pope’s short-handed goal gave the Mavericks (13-8-3, 6-6) to lead for good just 18 seconds into the period to lift them to their first sweep at Colorado Springs. Luc Snuggerud pulled Omaha to 1-1 late in the second period after Tanner Ockey put the Tigers (6-14-2, 2-8-2) ahead 7:21 into the game. Alex Berardinelli’s power-play strike pulled Colorado College within one midway through the third, but Parizek’s second goal re-established the two-goal edge three minutes later. Evan Weninger made 30 saves for Omaha, while Alex Leclerc stopped 25 shots for the Tigers, who have yet to win at home this season.