Sam Harris scored twice and Jared Wright scored the game-winning goal in the third period to lead 4^th-ranked Denver to a 4-3 victory over No. 10/12 Colorado College in the regular-season finale Saturday night at Magness Arena.
 
Drew Montgomery collected a goal and an assist for the Tigers (20-11-3, 14-8-2 NCHC), who finish the regular season tied for third in the league with St. Cloud State, the highest conference finish since tying for third in the WCHA standings in 2008-09.
 
Colorado College will be the No. 4 seed and host fifth-place Omaha next weekend in the NCHC playoffs.  Game one is scheduled for Friday, March 15, at Robson Arena, beginning at 7 p.m.
 
Montgomery opened the scoring with his first career shorthanded goal just 5:35 into the game. Noah Laba stole the puck at center ice and sent a pass to Montgomery, who completed a 2-on-1 rush with a shot from the bottom of the left circle that eluded Denver goalie Matt Davis.
 
Harris took advantage of a lucky break and evened the score later in the period. CC 's Jack Millar was attempting a cross-ice pass in front of his net, but his stick broke and Harris grabbed the puck and sent a backhander over CC goalie Kaidan Mbereko's left shoulder at 13:40 of the opening frame.
 
The Pioneers (24-9-3, 15-7-2 NCHC) took their first lead of the game at the 4:14 mark of the second period when Rieger Lorenz took a pass from Wright and placed a backhander past Mbereko.
 
CC took advantage of its first power-play opportunity as Evan Werner fired a wrist shot from the top of the right circle that cleanly beat Davis to tie the game at 7:31 of the middle frame.
 
Harris notched his second of the game to give DU a 3-2 advantage at 15:13 of the second, then Jack Devine put the puck in the net on the power play, but CC challenged the play for offside and the goal was waived off after video review.
 
The Tigers killed off the rest of the power play, then Ethan Straky scored his second goal of the season to make it 3-3 with 20 seconds left in the frame. Laba forced a turnover deep in the Denver end, Montgomery collected the puck and found Bret Link on the left side. Link sent a pass to Straky in the high slot and he beat Davis for his first goal since the first game of the season.
 
Wright scored the game-winner at the 11:44 mark of the third period, poking in a shot after Lorenz hit the post from the slot.
 
The Tigers had a brief power play very late in the third period but an interference call to Werner wiped it out and the Tigers could not capitalize during the final 52 seconds with Mbereko on the bench for an extra attacker.
 
Denver outshot the Tigers, 38-25, including a 12-5 advantage in the third period. Mbereko finished with 34 saves, while Davis had 22. CC held Denver without a power-play goal, the sixth straight game the Tigers have not allowed a PPG.