Bobby Brink‘s goal with 13 seconds left in regulation lifted No. 4 Denver into a 2-2 with host Omaha, preserving the Pioneers’ 18-game unbeaten streak against the Mavericks on Saturday.

Prior to Brink’s tally, Denver (15-4-5, 5-3-4-3 NCHC) had fired shot after shot at Omaha goalie Isaiah Saville, but could not dent the freshman aside from a second-period tally by Cole Guttman.

Just 45 seconds into the 3-on-3 second overtime, Michael Davies beat Saville on a breakaway to give Denver a second NCHC point for the second night in a row. That brought the Pioneers within a point of second-place Minnesota Duluth in the NCHC standings.

Brink solved Saville for his ninth goal of the season after DU had one of its many extended stays in the Omaha zone. Ian Mitchell‘s shot from the high slot bounded out to Brett Stapley in the right circle. Stapley’s cross-ice pass found Brink with some room in the left circle.

The wrist shot beat Saville on DU’s 41st shot on goal. Omaha had 13 at that point. The Pioneers finished with a 47-13 shots on goal edge in regulation and the first overtime.

As dominant as DU was during the game, two lapses in a span totaling not even 10 seconds near the end of the first period almost cost it dearly.

Omaha had mounted a sustained attack in the DU zone and drew an interference penalty on defenseman Justin Lee with 1:19. The Mavericks then scored off Taylor Ward‘s shot from the left circle on a bang-bang play just 4 seconds in their first power play with 1:15 to go.

The Mavericks struck again with 24 seconds to play in the first when Mitchell skated back to retrieve a loose puck in the slot, as he turned to pass he whiffed and Tristan Keck gathered the puck and snapped it past Devin Cooley, who had no chance on it. Cooley (11 saves) was making just his fourth start of the season due to two different injuries.

Guttman’s power-play strike was his team-high 10th of the season.

©First Line Editorial 2020