DENVER — The Duluth, Minn., offense went no-hitter in Game 1 of the NCHC quarterfinal playoff series in Denver, and if they don't win tomorrow, home will be the only place the Bulldogs go.
The second-seeded Pioneers held the seventh-seeded Bulldogs at arm's length Friday night at Magness Arena with a 4-0 shutout victory and a lead in the best-of-three series.
UMD had just 17 shots on goal, which matched its second-worst shooting total of the year. The Bulldogs were credited with just one shot on goal and three attempts in the second period. In a matchup between UMD's league-best power play (by percentage) and Denver's league-worst penalty kill, the Bulldogs were 4-0 shutout, but not everything went against the statistics. UMD's league-worst facing winning percentage of .427 carried over into the postseason, as the Bulldogs lost 28 of 44 ties.
Both teams had few shots in the first period, and the score was 6-5 to the Pioneers after 20 minutes, but the Pioneers made good use of their one shot with a rush. Lukas Orvestad made a pass to McQuade Webster, who tipped it into the net, pasting UMD goaltender Matthew Thiessen with 7:02 left in the frame for the first goal.
UMD only had one shot on goal in the second period, but the Pioneers' Jack Devine had two shots on goal in the same span. The first goal of the game, with 6:04 left in the second period, was the result of the Bulldogs failing to clear the puck after a long scramble in front of Thiessen. Late in the period, Devine got around UMD's Aaron Pionk on the right side and found the net, dealing a devastating blow to the rush and tipping the puck over to Thiessen to make it 3-0 just before the second intermission.
UMD held a 10-6 lead on its third shot on goal, but nothing could get past Pioneers goaltender Matt Davis, who earned the shutout victory. UMD coach Scott Sandelin pulled an extra attacking goaltender with nearly six minutes left in the third period, but the gamble amounted to nothing other than a last-minute hit by DU's Connor Caponi into an empty net. I couldn't even stand up.
Thiessen made 20 saves for UMD (12-19-5).
Game 2 will be played Saturday at 7pm CDT in Denver, and the Bulldogs need a win to extend the series and season to Game 3.
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