Given an opportunity to finish off a struggling opponent on the road, No. 5 Denver did just what a championship-caliber team should Saturday night at Oxford, Ohio.

Kohen Olischefski had a goal and two assists, including a helper that set up what proved to be the winning goal by Emilio Pettersen in a 5-2 NCHC victory. The triumph extended DU’s unbeaten streak to 11.

Ian Mitchell scored the first and last goals, and Jaakko Heikkinen also tallied. Devin Cooley made 19 saves for the Pioneers (17-4-5, 7-3-4-3 NCHC). Liam Finlay had two primary assists.

Finishing touch

As impressive as Olischefski getting his third goal in two nights was, his assist on Pettersen’s second-period goal was just as formidable. Olischefski knocked down a clearing pass with his hand and from a knee backhanded a pass to Pettersen, who was between the circles. The sophomore ripped it past Ben Kraws (23 saves) with 6:23 to go for his career-high seventh goal.

Monte Graham again drew the Redhawks (6-14-4, 3-9-2-1 NCHC) to one goal when he maneuvered around defenseman Justin Lee and shot past Cooley’s glove side with 2:48 left in the second.

The Pioneers came out with a purpose in the third, holding Miami to just three shots on goal and salted the game away in the first eight minutes and change.

Jaakko Heikinen restored DU’s two-goal lead 4:11 into the third period when he finished a 2-on-1 with Bobby Brink, with the pass going from right to left.

Mitchell extended the lead to 5-2 when he wheeled from left to right down to the right dot. His shot at Kraws hit a defender’s stick in front and went in. DU’s captain also scored the first goal on a play in which Olischefski screened Kraws.

Oly’s hot streak

Olischefski’s goal – off a nice feed from behind the net by Finlay – came at an opportune time. Not only was it a go-ahead goal but it came in the dreaded final minute of the first period. It also stemmed a Miami surge.

The Redhawks had killed off a DU penalty midway through the first for only the second time in five tries and seemed to pick up steam from there, eventually scoring on Derek Dashke‘s goal with 9:25 left in the first. Daschke fired a seeing-eye shot from the top of the left circle that went high to Cooley’s stick side.

One night after getting back into the game via the power play, the Pioneers used it again to make an impact.

Mitchell got DU on the board 21 seconds into a man advantage – and 2:10 into the game – with shot from the top of the right circle.

©First Line Editorial 2020