OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - For the second straight night, the Panthers rode their potent powerplay to another victory over a ranked opponent. Justin Smith scored to put the game out of reach from the #17 Bronchos, who attempted a furious comeback in the final frame.

The Panthers came out of the gates dominating the first period, as they outscored the host Bronchos 2-0. Scoring for the Panthers were Jeff Slusser on the powerplay and Brit Ouellette. Ouellette's 22nd point continues to lead DU in scoring.

The second period saw much of the same as the Panthers continued to pour on the shots at the UCO netminder. The Panthers struck again on the powerplay, this time as Kyle McDowell buried his third goal of the season. Later in the period, DU defenseman Brandon Davis registered his first point of the season, as his rebound goal came as result of sneaking in towards the goal from the point.

The Bronchos entered the third period determined to derail the Panthers' onslaught as UCO was able to post two goals on the board, fueled by multiple odd-man rushes and Panther give-aways. However, before the host team was able to score, Justin Smith buried a top-shelf goal on a beautiful pass from McDowell.

The Panthers finished the game 2/2 on the powerplay and out-shooting the host Bronchos 38-23. Netminder Joe D'Elia registered his fifth win of the season as he only allowed two goals and made multiple saves in the final period to stifle UCO's comeback bid.

Head Coach Paul Lowden noted that, "Our powerplay has been outstanding this weekend; both units are playing extremely well. However, we need to work on our 'killer instinct' as a collective unit. This is the second straight night we've allowed our opponents back in the game after building a substantial lead. We cannot allow complacency to set in. That being said, we've found a way to win two contests and we'll look ahead tomorrow to finish the sweep."

UCO will host the Panthers tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 p.m. (EST) as DU will look to add another win to their 12-2 record.