The Denver Pioneers won their second Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship with a 4-1 victory over Western Collegiate Hockey Association rival North Dakota April 9 at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio. The title is the second consecutive for the Pioneers and seventh in the last nine years.

Denver goalie Peter Mannino turned in a solid performance with 44 saves, earning him the most outstanding player award. Mannino, a freshman, made only his third start for the Pioneers.

Denver struck first at 6:15 of the first period when Jeff Drummond sent the puck past North Dakota goalie Jordan Parise. Parise had a chance on the shot from Denver's Kevin Ulanski until the puck was deflected off a North Dakota defenseman's skate.

North Dakota retaliated minutes later when center Travis Zajac sent the puck through Mannino's legs to score. The game remained tied at the end of the first period, which was suspended six seconds early because a hard check from North Dakota's Eric Fabian on Denver's Brett Skinner caused the glass to shatter.

Denver took the lead back at 10:08 of the second period when freshman Paul Stastny scored. Stastny tallied again in the third period off an assist from defenseman Matt Carle.

The final goal of the game came at 19:23 in the third period when Gabe Gautheir took a pass from Stastny just inside the North Dakota blue line and dumped it in the empty net to make the score 4-1. Parise had been pulled in favor of an extra skater.

North Dakota took 23 shots on goal in the third period, tying a championship record. It was the fourth time the two teams have met in the championship game. Denver leads the series, 3-1. However, in the all-time series between the two teams, North Dakota holds a 123-105-7 advantage.

The championship game was the 12th for North Dakota, and the team has seven titles and five second-place finishes.

Denver's Gauthier, Stastny, Carle, Mannino and Brett Skinner were named to the all-tournament team, along with North Dakota's Tarvis Zajac. Attendance for the final game was 17,155.

Pioneers head coach George Gwozdecky credited the North Dakota team for playing a tough game.

"The pressure they put on us, how hard they played, how physical they were -- I respect not only how they played this game, but how (the coaching staff) did such a teriffic job at getting them directed and fighting through some real difficult challenges," he said. "They brought out the best in us, and hopefully we did in them."

Gwozdecky also commended his team for their effort all season.

"I'm so proud and pleased for our seniors who have done such a great job of directing this team, especially (having been) burdened with the accomplishment of last year's team they had to carry around with them all year," he said. "I can't tell you how proud and pleased I am for them going out in virtually a blaze of glory."

North Dakota coach Dave Hakstol said he also was proud of the way his team played.

"I couldn't be prouder of the performance, not just down the stretch, which is what all the focus seems to be on, but throughout the year," he said. "We had an opportunity to play the final game of the season, and we probably played well enough to win, but it wasn't our night tonight."

Semifinals

North Dakota 4, Minnesota 2

First period: ND -- Erik Fabian 5:34

Penalties ND -- Matt Greene, hooking, 3:10; Quinn Fylling, high sticking, 15:41. M -- Kris Chucko, tripping, 0:17; Chris Harrington, cross-checking, 15:41.

Second period: ND -- Fabian (Brian Canady, Matt Jones), 10:12.

Penalties: ND -- Greene, interference, 7:38; Fabian, high sticking, 12:29; Nick Fuher, interference, 17:46. M -- Danny Irmen, interference, 8:03; Barry Tallackson, cross-checking, 18:06; Irmen, charging, 19:41.

Third period: ND -- Travis Zajac (Drew Stafford, Fuher), 0:45; Zajack (Stafford, Greene) 5:00. M -- Mike Howe (Mike Vannelli, Gino Guyer) 6:17; Guyer (Howe, Vannelli) 7:40.

Penalties: ND -- Canady, roughing 3:09; Prpich, slashing, 5:43.

Shots: North Dakota 15-7-10--32; Minnesota 8-13-7--28. Saves: North Dakota (Jordan Parise) 26; Minnesota (Kellen Briggs) 28. Attendance 17,094. Referee: Steve Piotrowski. Assistant referees: Paul Tunison, Kevin Langseth.

Denver 6, Colorado Col. 2

First period: D -- Luke Fulghum (Matt Carle, Brett Skinner) 13:54; Fulghum (Skinner, Gabe Gauthier) 15:26.

Penalties: D -- Fulghum, tripping, 6:33; Skinner, holding, 19:00; Jussi Halme, obstruction/tripping, 19:36. CC -- Marty Sertich, obstruction/tripping, 2:55; Brandon Straub, cross-checking, 13:35; Brian Salcido, interference, 15:18; Richard Petiot, hooking, 18:37.

Second period: D -- Carle (Skinner, Jeff Drumond) 6:05, Gauthier (Fulghum, Carle) 19:50; CC -- Salcido (Lee Sweatt, Joey Crabb) 9:49.

Penalties: D -- Halme, obstruction/tripping, 7:48; Gauthier, tripping, 8:46; Carle, roughing, 9:49; Geoff Paukovich, obstruction/holding, 17:55. CC -- Braydon Cox, holding, 5:15; Brett Sterling, roughing, 9:49; Crabb, roughing, 9:49; Cox, slashing, 15:39; Sterling, hooking, 18:45; Brady Greco, cross-checking, 19:23.

Third period: D -- Gauthier (Drummond, Skinner) 5:42; Adrian Veideman (Tom May, Peter Mannino) 19:15. CC -- James Brannigan (Brandon Polich, Mark Stuart) 13:02.

Penalties: D -- Veideman, tripping, 10:50; Carle, contact to head, 11:05. CC -- Salcido, high sticking, 4:58; Greco, slashing, 10:10; Petiot, obstruction/holding, 17:16.

Shots: Denver 9-8-12--29; Colorado Col. 12-15-16--43. Saves: Denver (Peter Mannino) 41; Colorado Col. (Curtis McElhinney) 23. Attendance: 17,116. Referee: Matt Shegos. Assistant referees: Brian Hill, John Philo.

Championship game

Denver 4, North Dakota 1

First period: D -- Jeff Drummond (Kevin Ulanski, Gabe Gauthier) 6:15. ND -- Travis Zajac (Nick Fuher, Drew Stafford) 9:52.

Penalties: D -- Adrian Vedeman, roughing, 2:31; Andrew Thomas, high sticking, 8:55. ND -- Matt Greene, roughing, 2:31; Greene, high sticking, 6:31.

Second period: D -- Paul Stastny (Ulanski, Matt Laatsch) 10:08.

Penalties: D -- Jussi Halme, tripping, 1:28; Halme, hooking, 5:55; Stastny, holding, 11:37; Stastny, obstruction/hooking, 18:06. ND -- Brian Canady, elbowing, 8:26; Rory McMahon, interference, 13:34; Andy Schneider, hooking, 17:09.

Third period: D -- Stastny (Carle, Skinner) 8:19; Gauthier (Stastny) 19:23.

Penalties: D -- Andrew Thomas (holding) 2:57; Michael Handza, unsportsmanlike conduct, 2:57; Geoff Paukovich, interference, 9:46. ND -- Mike Prpich, unsportsmanlike conduct, 2:57; Greene, cross-checking, 7:01; Fuher, slashing, 8:53.

Shots: Denver 7-11-6--24; North Dakota 10-12-23--45. Saves: Denver (Peter Mannino) 44; North Dakota (Jordan Parise) 20. Attendance 17,155. Referee: Steve Piotrowski. Assistant referees: Kevin Langset, Paul Tunison.