DENVER – The Western Michigan hockey team suffered its first loss of the season, 3-1, at Denver on Friday night. Trevor Gorsuch made a career-high 32 saves but a two-goal second period proved too much to overcome for the Broncos.

Dylan Gambrell scored his first goal of the season at 10:01 in the second period to give DU a 1-0 lead. A shot by Adam Plant was blocked by Sheldon Dries in the slot. The puck got trapped underneath Dries and then bounced to Gambrell in the left circle. The sophomore forward corralled the puck and beat Gorsuch high on his glove side.

At 16:24 in the second period the Pioneers took a 2-0 lead thanks to a band bounce. A loose puck went behind the WMU net and bounced off the referee and back out into the slot for an easy tap-in goal by Evan Janssen.

WMU came roaring out of the locker room in the third period, putting pressure on DU goalie Tanner Jaillet right away. Griffen Molino lit the lamp for the second time this season on a power play goal at 1:31 to cut the lead to 2-1. Corey Schueneman found him alone in the right circle and the sophomore forward punched it past Jaillet.

The Broncos kept the pressure on but Jaillet kept the Pioneers ahead. Senior captain Will Butcher sealed the win for Denver at 10:06 with his second goal of the season. Western Michigan was pinned in their zone and DU took advantage of the long shift when Jarid Lukosevicius found Butcher in the slot. The Colorado Avalanche draft pick fired it past Gorsuch for the insurance goal.

The Pioneers outshot the Broncos 35-26 on the night. WMU's power play finished 1-for-5 and the penalty kill kept Denver scoreless on five power plays.

The two teams battle it out again on Saturday night at 9 p.m. ET. The game can be watched live on NCHC.tv and heard live on the Bronco Radio Network.