The University of Denver scored twice in the first five minutes of the second period and that proved to be the difference as the host Pioneers went on to best the University of Minnesota Duluth 3-2 Friday night.

No. 11 Denver (15-8-1; 8-6-0-0 National Collegiate Hockey Conference) got goals from Quentin Shore and Joey LaLeggia a little over two minutes apart early in the second to break a 1-1 tie and then held on to hand the No. 7 Bulldogs (14-10-1; 8-6-1-0) just their fourth defeat in 12 road assignments this season.  The Pioneers have now won seven of their last eight games at Magness Arena.

UMD sophomore center Dominic Toninato was whistled for a two-minute interference penalty just 22 seconds after the opening faceoff and it didn't take long -- a whole 7 seconds --  for Denver to take advantage. Daniel Doremus beat Bulldog rookie goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo with the game's first shot attempt from an odd angle to put the Pioneers up quickly 1-0. At 9:42 of the first period, senior right winger Justin Crandall got the equalizer for UMD, taking a pass from junior center Cal Decowski while breaking down the left side and went high with a backhand. Rookie right winger Karson Kuhlman scored what turned out to be the final goal of the night with 10:28 to go in the second period when he pounced on a rebound off junior defenseman Willie Corrin's shot from the point, spun and deposited his fifth goal of the year.

Kaskisuo (12-8-1) finished with 26 saves while his Denver counterpart, Tanner Jaillet, made 28 stops. Both teams had just two power play opportunites the entire evening (although one of the Pioneers' chances came off a five-minute major penalty to Bulldog senior Adam Krause late in the third period which UMD killed off).

Denver will look to do what no other club has done since last February -- sweep the Bulldogs -- when the two teams meet again Saturday at 8:06 p.m. (CT) in Denver.

Notes: Willie Corrin, who led both teams with a career-high six shots on goal and was a +2, picked up his first point of 2014-15 with the primary assist on Karson Kuhlman's second-period goal ... UMD is 0-for-13 on the power play over the past four games and has connected on just four of its last 49 opportunities with the man advantage going bak to Nov. 15 ... Karson Kuhlman colllected his first goal since Nov. 21 -- a span of 11 games ... The Bulldogs are an even 6-6-1 in series/tournament openers this winter and 8-4-0 on second nights.