Well, it had to happen at some point.

For the first time in 20 games, over a span of six years, Omaha defeated Denver on Sunday night, 5-2. After a late first-period goal, the No. 11 Mavericks led for all but 4:19 of the game’s final 43 minutes.

Omaha, which also defeated the Pioneers for the first time at Baxter Arena, got what proved to be the game-winning goal from former Pioneer Kevin Conley, who was on DU’s 2017 National Championship team before transferring to Omaha the next season.

Slava Demin and Hank Crone scored for Denver (6-9-1), which generated 44 shots on goal. Crone’s goal was his second in two nights.

Here are three observations from Sunday’s loss:

Crime and punishment

Power-play goals helped Omaha (9-4-1) re-establish and then extend leads late in the second period and early in the third. DU killed off just two of Omaha’s four power plays.

After being disciplined in what turned into a chippy series in Saturday night’s 4-1 win, the Pioneers struggled in that area Sunday, and it cost them.

Slow on the draw

Denver had long stretches in which it controlled the puck, as its 72 total shots attest, and it finished with a 44-29 SOG edge. But beyond that, Omaha did a lot of little things right, starting in the face-off circle.

One night after DU won the battle in the circle, Omaha dominated the Pioneers there Sunday, winning 42 of 60 draws (70 percent).

Here’s how it played out frequently – Denver got a shot on goal and Omaha sophomore Isaiah Saville held on. Omaha then won the ensuing face-off to control the puck. That forced DU to work much harder to sustain pressure. Combine that with chasing the scoreboard nearly all game, and it’s no wonder the Mavericks, who also blocked nearly twice as many shots (17-9) pulled away in the third period.

The homestretch

Denver has played 16 of its 24 regular-season games, and it finds itself in fifth place in the NCHC, just two points out of sixth, and six points behind Omaha and Minnesota Duluth.

The Pioneers have played every team in the conference and have defeated North Dakota twice, lost twice to Duluth and St. Cloud State, and split with everyone else.

It’s fair to ask at this point if maybe this is who the Pioneers are. They appear to be a team that is capable of beating anyone when they’re on their game, but one that struggles to sustain that night-in, night-out. Splits in the past three series are providing some evidence of that.

“This one felt a little different (from recent losses) in that I liked our game in a lot of ways,” DU coach David Carle said. “But unfortunately we weren’t able to find the back of the net. It felt like a game last year where we start well, outshoot a team, end up down 1-0 and we’re chasing the game. We just weren’t able to get it back in our control.”

The rest of the way DU has a series at Colorado College and another at North Dakota before closing out with Omaha and CC at home. It probably has to win five or six of the eight to finish in the top four and avoid going to Duluth or Omaha for a quarterfinal series.

“We need to go on a little (run) here,” Carle added. “.500 hockey and splits aren’t going to get it done.”

©First Line Editorial 2020