What a time for the Denver Pioneers Zac Larraza to score his first goal of the season. The 6-foot-3 freshman forward netted the game-winning goal for the Pioneers in double overtime on Friday afternoon for a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs. The Pioneers notched a spot in the 2012 WCHA Tournament title game.
The Pioneers, who just played its fifth game in eight days and will plays its sixth in nine on Saturday, held a 3-0 lead over the Bulldogs midway through the second period. Shawn Ostrow (11) scored the first goal of the game and then Jason Zucker (22) and Dustin Jackson (2) put two on the board for the 3-0 lead. Mike Seidel, though, scored two goals for the Bulldogs in a span of nearly three minutes. Jack Connolly, a Hobey Baker Award finalist, tied the game at three with less than eight minutes left in regulation.
Unlike regular season overtime, these playoff ones go 20 minutes for sudden death. At 8:14 in the second overtime period, the Pioneers picked up their third straight overtime victory when Zac Larraza found the back of the net.
The Bulldogs put 70 shots on net, but sophomore goalie Sam Brittain made a record 67 saves in the contest.
The Pioneers (25-12-4) will play either the Minnesota Gophers or the North Dakota Fighting Sioux on Saturday.
Head over to Western College Hockey Blog for more WCHA news and notes.