DENVER – There were a number on firsts for the University of Maine’s hockey team on Saturday evening.

The Bears became the first team to beat the University of Denver in the championship game of the eighth annual Denver Cup Tournament as freshmen Mike Schutte and Gray Shaneberger scored their first career goals to help the Bears to a 4-3 triumph at Magness Arena.

The 13-2-2 Bears had advanced to the final with a 4-3 victory over Colorado College on Friday night while Denver had beaten Notre Dame in a shootout after they battled to a 3-3 tie during regulation and overtime.

And Maine senior center Cory Larose was chosen the tournament’s Most Valuable Player for his three goals and assist, the first time he had been named a tourney MVP in his college career.

Denver, now 7-12-1, had played in six of the seven previous tournament title games and had won all six. The Pioneers went 0-2 in the 1997 tourney.

“These were really good games to win. It was tough going out there with the altitude and everything. And these were two good teams to play against,” Larose said. “We were lacking two of our best players but we came through with a big weekend.”

Leading scorer Barrett Heisten and top point-producing defenseman Doug Janik are playing for Team USA in the World Junior Championships in Sweden.

“Every year at this time, we lose players [to the World Juniors] but we’ve always had guys step up and come through for us,” added Larose, who was pleased with his MVP award.

“It’s great. I just wanted to do whatever I could to help the guys out. It wouldn’t feel the same if we had lost,” said Larose, who had two goals and an assist in the Friday night win over Colorado College, including the game-winner, and a goal against Denver.

Maine coach Shawn Walsh said Larose was a “dominant guy all weekend and led us on the bench and in the locker room.”

Maine junior left wing Dan Kerluke and defenseman A.J. Begg were chosen to the all-tourney team. Kerluke had a goal and two assists and Begg had two assists. CC right wing Toby Petersen and goalie Jeff Sanger and Denver center Kelly Popadynetz and defenseman Chris Paradise were the other all-tourney picks.

Bear boss Walsh was elated with the team’s performance.

“It was a terrific team weekend. Every player contributed to the championship,” Walsh said. “It’s not easy to beat a team on the road.”

Redshirt freshman goalie Matt Yeats, who has won the No. 1 job, was playing his first back-to-back games and finished with 40 saves in the two games.

“He was very good when the game was on the line,” said Walsh.

“I thought I played pretty solid,” Yeats said. “I was out [playing my angles] on most of the shots.”

On Saturday, Larose staked Maine to a 1-0 lead by taking a Niko Dimitrakos pass in full stride, slicing in and roofing a 10-footer into the short side.

Popadynetz equalized on a five-on-three later in the period when he deposited a deflected shot into an empty net.

In Maine’s three-goal second period, Schutte scored on the power play with a one-timer from the right circle off Brendan Walsh’s cross-ice pass.

Mark Rycroft tied it up 1:06 later with a short wrister over Yeats off a Popadynetz feed.

Shaneberger gave Maine the lead for good at the 7:37 mark when he crashed the net and jammed a nice centering pass from Lucas Lawson behind goalie Stephen Wagner.

Maine’s Matthias Trattnig scored the shorthanded game-winner 4:30 later.

“Ben Guite went in on the forecheck and forced their guy [Paradise] out with the puck. I went to hit him, we collided and he tripped,” Trattnig said. “I got the puck and took a shot and fell. The goalie made the save but I got up and one-timed the rebound. I practically shot it straight up [under the crossbar].”

Popadynetz scored on the power play in the third period, the fourth power-play goal allowed by Maine in 13 opportunities on the weekend, but the Bears held on.

Maine outshot Denver 22-18.

On Friday night, Jim Leger, Kerluke and Larose staked Maine to a 3-0 first-period lead before power-play goals 1:44 apart by K.J. Voorhees and Dan Peters later in the period cut the lead to 3-2.

Larose’s second-period game-winner came off a scramble in front with the puck popping in the air and dropping behind CC’s Sanger.

“It was a lucky goal,” Larose said.

Petersen scored from beyond the blue line with 7:22 remaining but Maine protected the one-goal triumph.

Maine returns to action Tuesday at 7 p.m. against Cornell at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland.

Black Bears 4, Pioneers 3

(Saturday Night) Maine (13-2-2) 1 3 0 – 4 Denver (7-12-1) 1 1 1 – 3

First period – 1. Maine, Larose 10 (Dimitrakos, Metcalf), 2:03; 2. Denver, Popadynetz 7 (Newman, Cook), 16:33, pp; Penalties: Maine, Loya, hooking, :50; Denver, Paradise, holding, 1:18; Maine, Walsh, boarding, 15:03; Maine, Metcalf, delay of game, 16:15; Denver, Bianchin, cross checking, 19:09

Second period – 3. Maine, Schutte 1 (Walsh, A. Lundback), 3:13, pp; 4. Denver, Rycroft 6 (Popadynetz, Paradise), 4:19; 5. Maine, Shaneberger 1 (Lawson, Begg), 7:37; 6. Maine, Trattnig 4 (unassisted), 12:31, sh. Penalties: Denver, Newman, slashing, 1:13; Maine, Shaneberger, interference, 12:07; Maine, Metcalf, tripping, 13:36; Denver, Paradise, slashing, 16:14.

Third period – 7. Denver, Popadynetz 8 (Newman, Rycroft), 1:30, pp. Penalties: Maine, Schutte, interference, :26.

Shots on goal: Maine 8-10-4-22; Denver 4-8-6-18

Goaltenders: Maine, Matt Yeats (18 shots-15 saves); Denver, Stephen Wagner (22-18)

High percentage scoring attempts: Maine 5-8-5-18; Denver 5-9-3-17

Power-play opportunities: Maine 1-4, Denver 2-6

Black Bears 4, Tigers 3

(Friday Night) Maine (12-2-2) 3 1 0 – 4 Colorado College (9-9) 2 0 1 – 3

First period – 1. Maine, Leger 6 (Begg, Trattnig), 1:04; 2. Maine, Kerluke 6 (Dimitrakos, Larose), 10:04; 3. Maine, Larose 8 (Kerluke, Metcalf), 12:47; 4. CC, K.J. Voorhees 10 (Cullen), 14:40, pp; 5. CC, Peters (Heerema, Clarke), 16:24, pp. Penalties: Maine, A. Lundback, tripping, 13:14; Maine, Lawson, holding the stick, 15:45; CC, Kryway, interference, 16:35.

Second period – 6. Maine, Larose 9 (Kerluke, Schutte), 14:55, pp. Penalties: CC, Clark, interference, 4:33; CC, Manning, cross checking, 7:37; Maine, Guite, cross checking, 12:07; CC, Preissing, slashing, 12:58; Maine, Clauson, holding, 15:09; Maine, Guite, cross checking, 12:07; Maine, Dimitrakos, high sticking, 16:02.

Third period – 7. CC, Petersen 7 (Jozsa, Colgan), 12:38. Penalties: Maine, Walsh, hooking, 7:51.

Shots on goal: Maine 14-15-6-35; CC 13-9-6-28

Goaltenders: Maine, Matt Yeats (28 shots-25 saves); CC, Jeff Sanger (35-31)

High percentage scoring attempts: Maine 11-12-5-28; CC 8-7-6-21

Power-play opportunities: Maine 1-4, CC 2-7