DENVER — A third-period comeback wasn't enough to save Duluth, Minn.'s men's hockey season, as Denver defeated the Bulldogs 5-2 in Game 2 of the NCHC playoff series to complete the weekend sweep.
For the second time in the game, UMD suffered a slump in the second period, this time ruining a strong start in which the Bulldogs held a scoreless first frame and led 13-10 in shots on goal. Denver scored three points in the second period, but the first two came 27 seconds apart.
Unlike Friday, the Bulldogs recovered and got their first goal of the series from Luke Rohit seven minutes into the third period. Kyle Bettens took advantage of the extra attacker situation to make it a one-point game with 2:04 left, but the Bulldogs' two third-period goals were scored by two Pioneers empty-netters with 73 seconds left. Combined. .
Facing a 5-3 deficit, the Bulldogs took a penalty with 52 seconds left to start the second period, with Aidan Thompson tucking the puck in from close range after a centering pass was spilled in front of the UMD goal. There were only a few seconds left until he escaped unscathed. . Just 27 seconds later, the Pioneers inflicted more pain when Riegor Lorenz's spinning shot from the right of the slot beat UMD goaltender Matthew Thiessen on the stick side to make it 2-0. Sean Behrens hit a long shot to make it 3-0 with 5:58 left in the game going into intermission.
Seven minutes into the third period, the Bulldogs finally broke out of their scoring slump when Rohit picked up a puck that had escaped on a rush and put it into the net, fooling Denver goaltender Matt Davis. The Bulldogs got tense in the final minutes after Blake Biondi's shot from the slot leaked to Davis, who pounced on it to make it 3-2. Owen Gallatin assisted on two goals for UMD.
Combined with finishing with a 12-9 UMD advantage in shots on target, Bulldogs fans had a glimmer of reason for hope, but it didn't last long. Just 51 seconds later, Tristan Bross filled an empty net, and moments later Lorenz scored his second goal of the night, both goals into an empty net.
Thiessen made 25 saves in his final appearance as a UMD, while Davis had 28 saves for the Pioneers. Denver advances to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff next weekend at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. Two of the four games in the quarterfinal series advance to Game 3, so depending on Sunday's results, the Pioneers could face St. Cloud State, Colorado or Omaha.
UMD finished the 2023-24 season with a record of 12 wins, 20 losses, and 5 losses, its lowest number of wins in a season since the 2005-06 season.
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