DENVER, Colo. - The Alaska Anchorage Seawolves fell to the No. 11/12-ranked Denver Pioneers, 7-1 at Magness Arena in Game 1 of their final Western Collegiate Hockey Association series of the season on Friday evening.

With a St. Cloud State win tonight vs. Wisconsin,the Seawolves will head to SCSU for the WCHA First Round next weekend. The Huskies secured atleast a share of the MacNaughton Cup and they hold the tiebreaker over Minnesota and North Dakota. One point tomorrow night will give them the Cup outright.

Despite being outshot 23-6 in the first, the Seawolves (4-22-7, 2-19-6 WCHA) kept the game tied 1-1 for most of frame before allowing the Pioneers (18-11-5, 13-9-5 WCHA) to get away from them with two goals in the final 30 seconds of the period. DU then erupted for two goals each in the second and third frames.

The Pioneers' Daniel Doremus added the first tally at 3:13, but UAA sophomore Scott Allen netted his team-leading 12th of the season, just 87 seconds later to knot the game at 1-1. Assisting on the play was sophomore Andrew Pettitt and freshman Blake Tatchell.

DU peppered Seawolf netminder Rob Gunderson with a season-high 26 shots in the opening stanza, but Gunderson was able to turn them aside until a power-play goal by Nick Shore broke in at 19:31.

Fifteen seconds later it would be a 3-1 game heading into the first intermission with Zac Larraza's first of the night. Larraza would also add a shorthanded goal - the first allowed by UAA this season - before Denver took control of the game with three more even-strength tallies.

Gunderson (2-10-4) posted a season-high 45 saves in net with the loss. The Lethbridge, Alberta, native's previous best was 43, recorded at Minnesota on Jan. 28, 2011. DU's Juho Olkinuora made 16 saves for the win.

The Seawolves and Pioneers will rematch on Sunday at 9:07 p.m. ADT.