Multi-goal games from both
Kobe Roth and
Jesse Jacques propelled the No. 5 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs to a 6-2 victory over the No. 11 Denver Pioneers on Saturday evening in Duluth. The win gives UMD a series split with the Pioneers and improves the Bulldogs to 11-6-1 overall on the season.
Roth and Jacques both tallied two goals each in the win, while
Noah Cates and
Blake Biondi also found the back of the net on Saturday night. Both
Owen Gallatin and
Connor Kelley secured two assists, while Biondi,
Matt Anderson,
Casey Gilling,
Wyatt Kaiser, and
Quinn Olson all posted one assist. Junior netminder
Ryan Fanti got the call in net and made 29 saves for his tenth win of the season.
The Bulldogs came out firing in the first 20 minutes. Just 1:57 in, while at the left point, Gallatin slipped a pass to Jacques cutting towards the Pioneers net. Jacques was stopped on his first shot but buried his own rebound five-hole on Magnus Chrona. The goal gave UMD an early 1-0 lead. Just over three minutes later, a too many players on the ice penalty to Denver gave UMD their first power play chance of the night. Just eleven seconds into the power play, Cates took a feed from Gilling in the left-wing circle. Cates cut towards the Denver net and sent a beautiful wrist shot top-corner blocker side past Chrona to extend the UMD lead to 2-0. The Bulldogs weren't done yet. With seven minutes remaining in the period, Anderson chipped a puck to Roth and headed to the bench for a change. Roth used his speed to beat a DU defenseman to the outside before placing a backhand into upper glove-side corner to give the Bulldogs a 3-0 advantage. UMD outshot Denver 10-9 through the opening frame and took the 3-0 lead into the second period.
In the middle frame, Denver responded by outshooting UMD 11-6 and adding one goal on the scoreboard. Just past the midway portion of the period,
Dominic James would make a drop pass to
Quinn Olson and head towards the DU net. Olson's shot would be deflected right to a waiting James on the side of the net. James would be robbed on the backdoor by the glove of Chrona, keeping the score 3-0 in favor of Minnesota Duluth. A few moments later, Denver cut into the UMD lead. After a Bulldogs turnover, Carter Mazur found Cameron Wright who beat Fanti five-hole to get the Pioneers on the board. The Bulldogs would take the 3-1 advantage to the third period of play.
A wild third period saw the Bulldogs tally three goals to just one for the Pioneers. Just over a minutes into the final frame, Biondi stole the puck from a DU defender right in the Pioneers slot. Biondi sent a beautiful snap shot to the upper left-hand corner to extend UMD's lead to 4-1. However, Denver would answer back just 16 seconds later via. a snap shot from Mazur. The Pioneer goal cut the Bulldogs lead to 4-2 with just two minutes gone by in the third. UMD would again answer back. While on a 1-on-2 at the Denver blueline, Jacques stepped in and buried a wrist shot low blocker side past Chrona. Jacques second goal of the night restored Minnesota Duluth's three goal lead with 14 minutes left in regulation. The Pioneers elected to pull their goalie with four minutes left in the game. While in the defensive zone, Kelley rimmed a puck around the boards where Olson tipped a puck out to center ice. Roth scooped up the puck and deposited it into the empty net to ice a 6-2 UMD win in game two.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will head to the holiday break before returning to action on Thursday, Dec. 30 for a home-and-home series with Minnesota State, Mankato. Puck drop from Mankato on the 30th is set for 7:07 PM.
