Denver, Colo. --- For the second consecutive night Minnesota State took a lead on one of the top teams in the nation, but could not sustain it in falling in overtime, 3-2, to sixth-rated Denver in the second game of the best-of-three Western Collegiate Hockey Association first-round play-off series.
With the win the Pioneers clinch the series, 2-0.
After a scoreless first period, the Mavericks struck first when senior defenseman Kurt Davis put a blast from the point on net and senior defenseman Ben Youds pounced on the rebound and put it past DU netminder Sam Brittain at the :46-second mark of the second period with MSU on the power play. The goal is the seventh of the year for Youds.
Defenseman Matt Donovan’s shot with DU on the power play beat MSU’s Austin Lee at 9:35, but the Mavericks responded at 11:56 after freshman forward J.P. Burkemper took Eli Zuck’s pass and beat Brittain on the stickside for his third goal of the year. The Pioneers tied the game again on another power play marker at 13:45 when David Makowski’s shot from the point beat a screened Lee to force overtime.
Forward Jason Zucker, who was named the WCHA Rookie of the Year earlier this week, beat Lee when he snapped a shot off of the Lee’s shoulder into the net at 1:29 of overtime to end the game.
The two teams both put 34 shots on goal in the game.
Concluding their careers for the Mavericks are three senior defensemen in Channing Boe, Kurt Davis and Ben Youds, along with forwards Rylan Galiardi, Andrew Sackrison and Brett Peterson.
With the loss the Mavericks complete the 2010-11 season with a 14-18-6 record. Now 23-10-5 for the year, Denver will continue on to the WCHA Final Five which begins Thursday in St. Paul, Minn.
Head coach Troy Jutting comments following game:
