DU, Wisconsin sweep at home, St. Cloud State splits

A slightly edited WCHA news release:

Preseason WCHA favorite Denver swept Minnesota on Saturday with a 5-1 victory to stretch their winning streak to six games, reach the 20-win plateau, and re-claim the top spot in the race for the regular season championship and MacNaughton Cup. DU downed the Gophers 3-1 Friday. It was the first time DU went 4-0-0 vs. the U in their series.

Wisconsin also won twice, 4-3 and 8-4 over Minnesota State Friday. The Badgers, tied for third place and within three points of first place, are 10-2-3 over their last 15 outings overall and have won three in a row.

Visiting North Dakota, after losing 4-3 defeat at St. Cloud State on Friday, won 8-1 on Saturday.

Alaska Anchorage, Colorado College, Michigan Tech and Minnesota Duluth were idle.

Wisconsin 8, MSU Mankato 4

At the Kohl Center in Madison on Saturday, Wisconsin used points from 13 different players, including two goals and one assist from center Blake Geoffrion, to defeat Minnesota State before 14,620. The Badgers scored on 3-of-8 power plays. They scored three times in the first, three in the second and two in the third.

At the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud on Saturday, North Dakota received multiple-point games from seven players, including a goal and three assists from center Chris VandeVelde. The Sioux scored on 5-of-7 power plays chances before a sellout crowd of 6,178.

The Sioux, who outshot the Huskies, 41-25, broke open a scoreless tie with six second period goals by six different players. Notching the game-winner for UND was center Darcy Zajac at 3:22 of the second while in nets, Brad Eidsness stopped 24 of 25 shots on goal.

Multiple-point scorers for the Sioux in addition to VandVelde were Zajac (1g, 1a), right wingers Matt Frattin (2g), Corban Knight (1g, 1a) and Danny Kristo (1g, 1a), left winger Evan Trupp (2a) and defenseman Ben Blood (2a).