Bulldogs disappointed, not discouraged after another OT loss to Denver

DULUTH — Minnesota Duluth led No. 1-ranked Denver early in the third period and again with five minutes to play Saturday at Amsoil Arena.

The result was the same as Friday, though, with the league-leading Pioneers prevailing in overtime once again, winning 4-3 to take four out of six points from the Bulldogs in NCHC play in Duluth.

“It definitely stings, none of us are super happy, but just that we're a good team,” UMD fifth-year senior wing and captain Tanner Laderoute said when asked what UMD can take out of the series with Denver. “They are No. 1 in the country, we played them to the last second of both games, had a lead even going into the third. Just knowing that we're good enough to play against any team, and we can beat any team, and be one of the top teams in the country is probably the biggest thing.”

UMD did muster two league points on the weekend heading into the holiday break to move into a tie for fifth in the league with Western Michigan after 10 games, however, UMD sits two games below .500 overall (8-10) and in the NCHC (4-6).

The last time UMD went into the holiday break with a sub-.500 record overall and the NCHC was the 2017-18 season. The Bulldogs were 8-9-2 overall and 3-7 in the NCHC following a split at Omaha.

Bulldogs coach Scott Sandelin said his team heads into the break disappointed by the results against Denver, but he hopes they are not discouraged.

“I want them to understand we're taking steps. We're getting there, there's some growth in our team,” Sandelin said. “There's some things we're seeing internally with our team that I think are really positive. It's not showing right now. It didn't show this weekend in the win column. We still managed to get points, which are critical to get every weekend in this league.”

Freshman center Aidan Thompson tallied the game-winning goal, stealing the puck and scoring 3:01 into 3-on-3 OT for Denver.

The Bulldogs took a 2-1 lead into the third period Saturday thanks to just the second goal of the season — and fifth point — by Laderoute. He buried a shot from the slot just past the midway point of the second period via a feed by fellow fifth-year forward Jesse Jacques, who came into the night with just two points in 17 games this year.

UMD’s lead from the second lasted for a mere 82 seconds into the third, however, as DU sophomore wing Carter Mazur scored from the bottom of the faceoff circle to tie the game at 2-2.

Junior wing Luke Mylymok, with his second goal of the year, put the Bulldogs ahead 3-2 with a little over nine minutes left in regulation, finishing off a rebound that came via a blast by freshman defenseman Joey Pierce — the first college point for the Hermantown native. Denver, again, tied the game to force overtime for the second night in a row with junior wing McKade Webster scoring with under 5:00 to play.

“This was a huge weekend, even though we didn't get the two wins,” Mylymok said, whose team is now off until a 2 p.m. exhibition against St. Thomas on New Year's Eve at Amsoil Arena. “We got to learn how to play with a lead. Good teams know how to do that. We’re taking more steps. Every week we keep getting better and better. It's just the little things that we need to crack down on.”

The Pioneers struck first on Saturday eight minutes in with a power play goal by senior wing Casey Dornbach, but James tied the game at 1-1 with a power play goal for UMD, sniping the top shelf of the Denver net with 6.6 seconds left in the first period.

The goal came via a Denver blunder as UMD sophomore defenseman Owen Gallatin used a high stick to keep the puck in the zone. The Pioneers played the puck, however, negating the high stick. Senior wing Quinn Olson then stole it back and fed James for the snipe.

One night after being criticized by their head coach for taking too many offensive zone penalties, the Bulldogs did that, again, Saturday. UMD took five offensive zone penalties in the first two periods Saturday — including four in the first — topping the four they took Friday in the 3-2 overtime loss.

The first six penalties on Saturday for either team occurred in the offending team’s offensive zone.

“I wasn't happy with their penalties again early,” Sandelin said. “That was loudly addressed after the first period.”

Junior goaltender Zach Stejskal made 21 saves on 23 in his first start or action since being pulled 14:31 into a 5-0 loss at Colorado College, when he gave up four goals on nine shots. Stejskal had to pull himself from the game due to cramping, however, skating gingerly to the bench before going back to the locker room with 14:14 to go in the game. UMD purposely iced the puck to get him out of the game.

Senior Matthew Thiessen finished the night, making four saves on six shots.

The Bulldogs were without junior wing Blake Biondi on Saturday after he missed all of the third period Friday with an upper body injury. Biondi took a hard hit into the wall during the second period Friday, but was able to return and finish the period after a short visit to the locker room.

Sandelin indicated after the game Biondi, the Hermantown native, could be out long term for UMD.

3. UMD junior wing Luke Mylymok — His line had a much stronger night tonight for UMD, and Mylymok briefly had the game-winning goal for UMD in the third.

2. DU freshman center Aidan Thompson — A nice steal and score in OT allowed the Pioneers to take four out of six points in Duluth.

1. DU senior goaltender Magnus Chrona — The veteran Pioneers netminder made 23 saves, including some big ones against Dominic James and Ben Steeves in the third period and OT.

Denver 1-0-2-1—4
Minnesota Duluth 1-1-1—3
First period
1. DU, Casey Dornbach (Tristan Broz, Massimo Rizzo), 8:03 (pp)
2. UMD, Dominic James (Quinn Olson), 19:54 (pp)
Second period
3. UMD, Tanner Laderoute (Jesse Jacques, Darian Gotz), 10:42
Third period
4. DU, Carter Mazur (Mike Benning, Connor Caponi), 1:22
5. UMD, Luke Mylymok (Joey Pierce), 10:53
6. DU, McKade Webster (Carter King, Jack Devine), 15:13
Overtime
7. DU, Aidan Thompson, 3:01
Saves — Magnus Chrona, DU, 23; Zach Stejskal, UMD, 21; Matthew Thiessen, UMD, 4.
Power play — DU 1-5; UMD 1-4. Penalties — DU 5-10; UMD 6-12.