A three-goal third period offensive rally just ran out of time Friday night inside Magness Arena, in Denver, Colo. as the No. 7/8 University of Minnesota Duluth men's hockey team fell 4-3 to the No. 11 University of Denver.

It marked a third-straight 4-3 loss for the Bulldogs, who are currently in their longest winless streak of the season.

After the Pioneers took a 1-0 lead with 51 seconds left in the first period, DU broke the game open in the second frame with three goals – all even strength efforts. 

But a major penalty by Denver to close out the second period gave UMD 4:45 of a power play in the third, and the Bulldogs did squeeze their first goal of the game from it. Kyle Gaffney finally broke through with the extra skater at 4:02 mark with a backhanded swipe on a rebound in the crease to make 4-1. 

GAFFNEY. POWER PLAY. pic.twitter.com/WHR0Sm0vTB

— UMD Men's Hockey (@UMDMensHockey) January 31, 2026

UMD again cashed in another power play chance and a goaltender change at 11:55, this time by rookie forward Daniel Shalaine, who sniped it through to the twine from just inside the right circle to finish off quick puck movement from both Aaron Pionk and Grayden Siepmann.

SHLAINE gets the Dogs back into the game! pic.twitter.com/bbVjks5xMa

— UMD Men's Hockey (@UMDMensHockey) January 31, 2026

The Bulldogs wasted no time, pulling to within a single goal when blueliner Ty Hanson wristed the puck on net from the left point at 11:55, and all of a sudden, UMD was in business with just under six minutes left in third period to play.

WE HAVE A GAME pic.twitter.com/JMOsiK05wk

— UMD Men's Hockey (@UMDMensHockey) January 31, 2026

But despite heavily outshooting the Pioneers 19-4 in the third period, for a third-straight Friday, the Bulldogs couldn't pull off the comeback and fell to 17-10-0 and 8-9-0 in National Collegiate Hockey Conference action.

Goaltender Adam Gajan made 18 saves for UMD, who outshot DU 35-22 and held them scoreless on three power play attempts.

The two sides will play for their final time during the regular season tomorrow night – play is set to begin at 7:00 p.m. CST.

BULLDOG NOTES: Aaron PIonk led UMD with two assists, his second multiple-point game of the season ... UMD went 39-of-76 from the faceoff dot ... Zam Plante took a whopping 31 drops -- almost half -- and won 17 ... after ending 2025 undefeated on Friday nights, UMD has lost three of four Friday night games in 2026 ... UMD is just 2-7-0 when it trails after 40 minutes of play ... of the 94 goals the Bulldogs have scored this season, 36 have come in the the third period.