DENVER - After weeks of subpar offensive performance, the Denver Pioneers finally showed scoring spark against the Niagara Purple Eagles. With the win the Pioneers moved up to the #5 slot in the NCAA's Power Rankings nationally.
DU completed a two-game nonconference sweep of No. 17 Niagara with a 5-2 win tonight before the 50th consecutive regular season sellout crowd of 6,043 at Magness Arena. The Pioneers improve to 17-7-2 with their seventh win in the last eight games.
Freshman Tyler Ruegsegger (above) netted two goals and freshman Brock Trotter and junior Ryan Dingle added one goal and one assist each. Senior netminder Glenn Fisher improved to 11-4-1 with 18 saves.
Freshman Brandon Vossberg added his second goal as DU finishes 8-2 in regular season nonconference action.
"I was very pleased with the way we finished around the net tonight," head coach George Gwozdecky said. "Ruegsegger's goal in the second period is exactly the type of goal we've been looking for."
After a scoreless first period, Vossberg gave DU a 1-0 lead at 7:31 of the second period when he buried a rebound off a blast by Geoff Paukovich. Trotter made it 2-0 when he slid a goal past Niagara goaltender Allen Barton (38 saves) at 10:04.
Niagara made it 2-1 on a goal by Kyle Rogers at 10:04 of the second period, but Ruegsegger buried a feed from Trotter on the power play at 19:02 to give DU a 3-1 lead heading to the third period. Dingle made it 4-1 with an unassisted goal 43 seconds into the third period and Ruegsegger netted his second power-play goal at 5:28 to give DU a commanding four-goal lead.
Niagara pulled within three goals when Scott Langdon scored at 13:11 to make the final 5-2.
The Pioneers outshot Niagara 43-20 and finished 2-for-6 on the power play. The Purple Eagles went 0-for-8 with the man-advantage.
DU travels to No. 1 Minnesota for a two-game WCHA series next week.
Helgason - Dingle - Rakhshani
Trotter - Ruegsegger - Gifford
Mullen - Paukovich - Vossberg
Cook - Handza - Testwuide
Veideman - Seabrook
Butler - Marcuzzi
Thomas - Brookwell
Fisher
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