It had been a while since the Denver Pioneers won at Maine.

Try 40 years.

No. 6 Denver beat No. 7 Maine 2-1 before an ESPNU audience and sold-out crowd at Alfond Sports Arena in Orono, Maine, Friday night. Cale Ashcroft scored the game-winning goal with 20 seconds left in regulation.

The top-10 series was considered a gem in college hockey’s nonconference season. Maine (12-3-2) hosted a nationally televised game for the first time since 2013 and had not hosted Denver (15-4-0) since 2005.

Pios goaltender Matt Davis made 29 saves to end Denver’s six-game losing streak at Maine. Ashcroft delivered his second-straight game-winning goal, the first coming in a win over rival Colorado College in the Gold Pan Series Dec. 14.

Carter King opened the scoring for DU with a power-play goal 2:53 into the second period. King’s team-best 12th goal arrived 5 seconds into a 5-on-3 for the Pioneers.

The Black Bears tied the game on their lone power play, shortly before the second period closed.

Maine outshot Denver 30-24. Denver’s played five straight one-goal games.

The series closes at 4:30 p.m. Saturday on ESPN+.