Sophomore center Justin Richards scored a pair of goals, including the eventual game-winner, to lift the University of Minnesota Duluth to a 5-2 National Collegiate Hockey Conference victory over the University of Denver Friday night in Duluth.

The win was only the Bulldogs' second in their last nine meetings with the Pioneers, who lost for just the second time in 11 lifetime games at AMSOIL Arena (7-2-2).

No. 7 Denver took its only lead of the night 2:50 into the first period on Les Lancaster's goal before Richards answered 71 seconds later when he banged in a rebound off a shot from senior right winger Parker Mackay. Sophomore right winger Nick Swaney then put UMD (18-7-2 overall; 11-5-1-0 NCHC) up for good midway through the second period with his team-leading 12th goal of the season, stuffing in a feed from freshman left winger Noah Cates past Denver goaltender Filip Larsson. Richards, who has collected at least one pointin 10 of last 11 appearances, made it 3-1 Bulldogs at 9:40 of the third period when he scored off a breakawy. Rookie left winger Tanner Laderoute, who was injured the past three games, and freshman left winger Cole Koepke (empty netter) later sandwiched third-period goals around a tally from Denver's Ryan Barrow to round out the scoring.

Junior goaltender Hunter Shepard, making his 66th consecutive start, finished with 20 saves for the Bulldogs, who are 6-1-0 in their last seven outings. UMD put 29 shots on goal and, like the Pioneers, went 0-for-2 on the power play.

"I thought the pace was good tonight and we got better as the game went on," said UMD head coach Scott Sandelin. " It was a good, solid win against a good hockey team."

The two clubs will meet again on Saturday night at 7:07 p.m.