Fourth-ranked Denver rallied to gain a split in the weekend series with No. 10 Colorado College after a 2-1 victory Saturday night at Magness Arena.
 
The Tigers scored first midway through the openning period and Kaidan Mbereko kept DU off the scoreboard in the first 20 minutes, but the Pioneers scored a goal in the second period and another the third to even the Gold Pan series at 1-apiece.
 
Ty Gallagher opened the scoring at the 9:49 mark of the first period. Gallagher took a pass from Chase McLane at the right point, skated towards the net and placed a wrist shot from the right circle past Denver goaltender Matt Davis.
 
Mbereko showed why he is one of the best netminders in the country later in the period when he made a spectacular save on Rieger Lorenz, stopping a 2-on-1 rush to keep the one-goal lead.
 
Aiden Thompson evened the score at the 2:35 mark of the second period with an unassisted goal. Thompson was leading a 2-on-1 and his shot was blocked but the puck went right back to him and he beat Mbereko to make it 1-1.
 
The Tigers (10-5-1, 4-3-1 NCHC) kept it a draw by killing off a five-minute checking from behind major penalty and game misconduct to Tyler Dunbar later in the period.
 
The Pioneers (14-4-0, 4-4-0) took their first lead of the game when Cale Ashcroft took a pass from behind the net and put a shot past Mbereko from the right circle at the 5:28 mark of the third period.
 
CC could not come up with the tying goal with Mbereko on the bench in favor of an extra skater for the final 1:33 of the game.
 
DU outshot the Tigers, 24-21, including an 18-11 advantage in the final two periods. Mbereko finished with 22 saves, while Davis had 20. Neither team scored on the power play, CC was 0-for-2 and Denver was 0-for-3, including the major. The Tigers have not allowed a power-play goal in their last five games.
 
The Tigers return to action on Dec. 29, with an exhibition game against UNLV at Robson Arena, beginning at 3 p.m.