NCAA West Regional: CC 1, Michigan State 3 (final)

Objective version:
It was an ending no one expected, especially not the 25 players in Colorado College's locker room.
After a scoreless first period, Michigan State's second-period scoring came swiftly: three goals -- two power-play goals and a quick strike off of a faceoff -- in a span of 10:24.
But the Tigers had their chances, too, racking up a 42-23 advantage in shots for the game.
Left wing Derek Patrosso, CC's only player from Michigan, spoiled Michigan State goaltender Jeff Lerg's shutout bid with 8:53 left in the game, but the Tigers couldn't inch any closer, even with goaltender Richard Bachman pulled for the final two minutes.

Subjective version:
It's the kind of loss that sucks the breath out of you.
I wasn't sure what to expect as I walked into the locker room for the first time ever -- reporters are only allowed in locker rooms after NCAA Tournament games -- but the scene is one I will never forget.
The Tigers' faces were tear-stained and pained. Some hugged. Some sat, their heads cradled in their hands, while others' stares were so intent, they seemed ready to play 60 more minutes.
At that moment, it was hard to remember the trophy-hoisting of early March and the whoops and hollers that accompanied many a cutthroat three-on-three game at practice.
But the Tigers' silence spoke volumes about how much they cared for one another and for the shared dream of winning a national title, which slipped from their grasp tonight.
And captain Scott Thauwald and senior Jack Hillen explained the meaning behind that silence in the press conference next door. It was less about the loss itself and more that the loss cut short the experience of a lifetime.
Said Thauwald: "In the last five years, I have developed unbelievable friendships with these guys that I will have for the rest of my life. This team is a special team and the friendships and relationships are something I will take with me. You will never have a close group like a college hockey team."
Added Hillen: "It's tough right now. The only thing I can say is that I have played with some incredible hockey players that came through here in my four years. I will never forget the players I played with... . I've made some unbelievable friendships and it's just tough because I will never sit in the locker room again with those guys and those friendships, it will never be the same."

NCAA West Regional: No. 2 seed CC vs. No. 3 seed Michigan State

The winner of the CC-Michigan State game will meet Notre Dame, which trounced New Hampshire 7-3 (with two empty-net goals) in the first game. The Wildcats' NCAA swoon continued as they haven't won a tournament game since 2005 and coach Dick Umile has never won a championship.

Lines:
Colorado College
21 Bill Sweatt -- 14 Chad Rau -- 25 Mike Testwuide
16 Derek Patrosso -- 19 Andreas Vlassopoulos -- 23 Jimmy Kilpatrick
10 Scott Thauwald --17 Tyler Johnson --22 Eric Walsky
26 Scott McCulloch -- 9 Brian McMillin --18 Matt Overman

8 Jack Hillen -- 15 Nate Prosser
7 Kris Fredheim -- 4 Jake Gannon
11 Brian Connelly -- 24 Ryan Lowery

30 Richard Bachman
31 Drew O'Connell
1 Tyler O'Brien

Michigan State
10 Tim Kennedy -- 9 Justin Abdelkader --19 Chris Mueller
24 Matt Schepke -- 11 Bryan Lerg -- 40 Tim Crowder
25 Corey Tropp -- 22 Nick Sucharski -- 21 Dustin Gazley
26 Kurt Kivisto -- 14 Zak McClelllan -- 13 Ryan Turek

8 Brandon Gentile -- 2 Jeff Petry
16 Justin Johnston -- 28 Danie Vukovic
44 Micahel Ratchuk -- 15 Jeff Dunne

1 Jeff Lerg
35 Bobby Jarosz
30 Steve Mnich

NCAA Regionals Kick Off Today

Here's a bunch of links to get you in the NCAA playoff spirit:

New Hampshire goaltender Kevin Regan, a finalist for the Hobey Baker Memorial award, received the Walter Brown Award, given to the best player in New England, continuing to bolster the collective credentials of the four goaltenders in the NCAA West Regional at World Arena. Michigan State's Jeff Lerg is also a Hobey finalist and, as most reading this blog know, Colorado College's Richard Bachman was WCHA player and rookie of the year.

Here's a West Regional preview.

ESPN.com's general thoughts on the NCAA Tournament, with the assertion that, indeed, the West Regional is the toughest draw.

Even though all of the teams at the West Regional expressed excitement about playing in Colorado and at CC's home arena, this one blogger isn't too happy about Michigan State's placement there.

This blog highlights Air Force, which will play in the NCAA Northeast Regional in Worcester, Mass., starting Saturday against Miami (Ohio). The biggest news is that Eric Ehn will play.

USCHO.com's Dave Starman looks at breakout freshmen in this column. Of course, Bachman is featured prominently.

Day passes available as of 10 a.m. today

Individual day tickets for the NCAA West Regional at World Arena went on sale at 10 a.m. today (Friday).
Tickets for both games tonight -- New Hampshire vs. Notre Dame at 4:30 p.m. or Colorado College vs. Michigan State at 8 p.m. -- or for the championship game on Saturday are $47 for the upper bowl and $54.50 for the lower bowl, although I'm pretty sure only a handful of lower-bowl tickets remain for tonight's games and the lower bowl is definitely sold out for Saturday's championship game.
Tickets can be purchased at the World Arena box office, www.cctigers.com, or by calling TicketsWest at 576.2626.

NCAA Tournament on TV

Mark your calendars:

-- Sunday, March 23:
9:30 a.m. MT: NCAA Hockey Selection Show (ESPN2)

-- Friday, March 28:
East Regional (Albany) Semifinal, 2:00 p.m. MT (ESPNU)
East Regional (Albany) Semifinal, 5:30 p.m. MT (ESPNU)
West Regional (World Arena) Semifinal, 8:00 p.m. MT (ESPNU)
West Regional (World Arena) Semifinal, 11:00 p.m. MT (tape-delay, ESPNU)

-- Saturday, March 29:
Northeast Regional (Worcester, Mass.) Semifinal, 2:00 p.m. MT (ESPNU)
East Regional (Albany) Final, 5:00 p.m. MT (ESPNU)
West Regional (World Arena) Final, 8:00 p.m. MT (ESPNU)
Northeast Regional (Worcester, Mass.) Semifinal, 11:00 p.m. MT (tape-delay, ESPNU)

-- Sunday, March 30:
Midwest Regional (Madison, Wisc.) Semifinal, 10:30 a.m. MT (tape-delay, ESPNU)
Midwest Regional (Madison, Wisc.) Semifinal, 12:30 p.m. MT (tape-delay, ESPNU)
Northeast Regional (Worchester, Mass.) Final, 2:30 p.m. MT (ESPNU)
Midwest Regional (Madison, Wisc.) Final, 5:00 p.m. MT (ESPNU)

-- Thursday, April 10:
NCAA Frozen Four semifinal games, 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. MT (ESPN2)

-- Friday, April 11:
Hobey Baker Award presentation, live from Pepsi Center, 5:30 p.m. MT
NCAA Hockey Skills Challenge, live from Pepsi Center, 7:00 p.m. MT

-- Saturday, April 12:
NCAA national championship game, 5:00 p.m. MT (ESPN)

Notes:
Jim Paradise, who played from CC from 1990-94, and Damion DiGuilian will be ESPN analysts at the NCAA West Regional at World Arena.

Time to Regroup

Colorado College will leave St. Paul, Minn., Sunday empty-handed.
The last time the Tigers went home without a trophy was in December after they lost the Lightning College Hockey Classic in Tampa, Fla.
CC reeled off six consecutive wins in response and won the MacNaughton Cup and the Gold Pan two months later.
Granted, the Final Five is a way bigger deal than the LCHC and CC was way more disappointed this weekend.
But this weekend's losses beg the question: How will the Tigers respond this time, especially with the NCAA West Regional starting Friday at World Arena?
As captain Scott Thauwald said: "We can feel sorry for ourselves tonight and tomorrow, but come Monday, we're in the national tournament. Two wins and we'll be in the Pepsi Center."

The facts:
--CC's offense needs a jumpstart. The Tigers had their lowest scoring weekend of the season with just three goals in two games. Two of those goals were on the power play.
"There were a lot of times when we could have slammed it home in front of the net," Thauwald said. "I don't think we battled hard enough in front."
--The Tigers' defense needs to clamp down. CC allowed 35 shots against both Minnesota and North Dakota. Their opponents, on the other hand, kept the Tigers out of the middle and limited them to mostly outside shots.
--CC needs to make its home-ice advantage -- the Tigers have an 18-2 record at World Arena -- an advantage by using its speed. The Tigers looked a step slow against North Dakota, perhaps in part because their transition game was undermined by turnovers during long stretches of the game. But when the Tigers are clicking -- read: the way they played against Clarkson, Minnesota-Duluth and the first game against Denver -- they're tough to stop.

Game day: No. 2 Colorado College vs. No. 4 North Dakota (Final Five third-place game)

Colorado College, which was held to a single goal in Friday's overtime loss to Minnesota, has a lot riding on today's game against North Dakota. CC is ranked fourth in the PairWise rankings, while the Fighting Sioux are ranked fifth. The winner of today's game is projected to be the top seed in the NCAA West Regional at World Arena, while the other is expected to be the second seed.

Coach Scott Owens said after Friday's game that he and his staff would have a lengthy discussion about whether to play starting goaltender Richard Bachman. It seems the CC coaches decided playing for that top seed was worth it because Bachman is listed as the starter.

As I mentioned above, CC was held to a single goal Friday--that's the first time the Tigers haven't scored at least two goals in a game. Owens made the first significant change to the top three lines since January, moving left wing Scott McCulloch to the fourth line and shifting Derek Patrosso, who typically plays right wing, to the second-line left wing spot. This is similar to the lineup CC went with in November's split with North Dakota (here).

A few comments:
--Minnesota goaltender Alex Kangas was as good as advertised. The 20-year-old freshman (a couple months older than Richard Bachman) is on a hot streak. How will CC do against North Dakota's Jean-Philippe Lamoureux, who took his second loss in three games after leading the Sioux to an 18-game unbeaten streak? Should be another goaltending battle.
--Minnesota's defense was much improved over October. The Gophers kept CC's shots to the outside and did not allow the Tigers to get rebounds. To get prime scoring opportunities against North Dakota, CC has no choice but to be gritty.

Lines:
Colorado College
21 Bill Sweatt -- 14 Chad Rau -- 25 Mike Testwuide
16 Derek Patrosso -- 19 Andreas Vlassopoulos -- 23 Jimmy Kilpatrick
10 Scott Thauwald -- 17 Tyler Johnson -- 22 Eric Walsky
26 Scott McCulloch -- 9 Brian McMilllin -- 5 Addison DeBoer

8 Jack Hillen -- 15 Nate Prosser
7 Kris Fredheim -- 4 Jake Gannon
11 Brian Connelly --24 Ryan Lowery

30 Richard Bachman
31 Drew O'Connell
1 Tyler O'Brien

North Dakota
16 Ryan Duncan -- 7 T.J. Oshie -- 14 Brad Miller
20 Matt Watkins -- 29 Chris VandeVelde -- 17 Rylan Kaip
10 Andrew Kozek -- 8 Ryan Martens -- 22 Brad Malone
26 Kyle Radke -- 11 Darcy Zajac -- 21 Matt Frattin

4 Taylor Chorney -- 28 Robbie Bina
2 Joe Finley -- 5 Chay Genoway
6 Zach Jones -- 25 Jake Marto

1 Jean-Philippe Lamoureux
30 Aaron Walski

Tigers Clean Up At WCHA Awards Ceremony

(Above) Colorado College goaltender Richard Bachman accepts player of the year honors from the WCHA, becoming only the second player in league history to be named player and rookie of the year in the same season. NHL goaltender Curtis Joseph, a former Wisconsin player, is the other. It was Bachman's second speech of the day.

(Above) Named WCHA defensive player of the year, Tigers defenseman Jack Hillen credited his teammates with the award and said he was honored to be named top defensive player with the likes of North Dakota's Taylor Chorney and Wisconsin's Jamie McBain in the league.

(Above) Bachman's rookie of the year speech.

Game day: No. 2 CC vs. No. 12 Minnesota

Denver beat North Dakota 3-1 in the first semifinal game today, setting up a potential rivalry rematch in the Broadmoor Trophy game.

Earlier this week, Colorado College players secretly wished they'd get to face Minnesota in the Final Five. Their wish was granted when Gophers forward Mike Howe scored with 12.7 seconds left in regulation. It should be a packed house at the Xcel Energy Center tonight.

Things to watch:
--Even though CC goaltender Richard Bachman was unquestionably the WCHA's best goaltender this season -- he captured 77 of 78 rookie of the year votes and player of the year honors Thursday -- Minnesota's Alex Kangas has put together a solid campaign after taking the reins midway through the season. In 28 games, Kangas has a 1.95 goals against average and a .930 save percentage. Coach Don Lucia said Monday Kangas was the reason for the Gophers' about-face.
--CC and Denver are the bitterest of rivals, but Minnesota is up there on the Tigers' list. A gopher hangs in effigy in the bowels of CC's locker room.
--Minnesota played three overtime games last weekend and the play-in game last night. How will the Gophers' legs hold up?
--CC's forwards exposed all sorts of weaknesses in Minnesota's defensive corps in October. I'll be interested to see how the Gophers' defense has improved since the beginning of the season. Remember, Minnesota lost its three top defensemen off of last season's team -- Mike Vannelli, who graduated, and early departures Alex Goligoski and Erik Johnson.

Here are the lines for tonight's game:

Colorado College
21 Bill Sweatt -- 14 Chad Rau -- 25 Mike Testwuide
26 Scott McCulloch -- 19 Andreas Vlassopoulos -- 23 Jimmy Kilpatrick
10 Scott Thauwald -- 17 Tyler Johnson -- 22 Eric Walsky
18 Matt Overman -- 9 Brian McMillin -- 16 Derek Patrosso

8 Jack Hillen --15 Nate Prosser
7 Kris Fredheim -- 4 Jake Gannon
11 Brian Connelly -- 24 Ryan Lowery

30 Richard Bachman
31 Drew O'Connell
1 Tyler O'Brien

Minnesota
13 Ben Gordon -- 17 Blake Wheeler -- 7 Patrick White
11 Mike Hoeffel -- 16 Mike Carman -- 26 Jay Barriball
12 Tony Lucia -- 19 Evan Kaufmann -- 22 Ryan Flynn
24 Mike Howe -- 25 Drew Fisher --14 Justin Bostrom

5 Derek Peltier -- 20 David Fischer
28 Cade Fairchild -- 4 Stu Bickel
2 Kevin Wehrs -- 6 R.J. Anderson

33 Alex Kangas
1 Jeff Frazee
35 Brent Solei

Bachman Named Player, Rookie of the Year

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Colorado College goaltender Richard Bachman became only the second player in league history to be named player and rookie of the year by the Western Collegiate Hockey Association at its awards banquet Thursday.
Tigers defenseman Jack Hillen was named WCHA defensive player of the year.
Curtis Joseph, who played for Wisconsin, also won both honors in the 1988-89 season.

Rau Seventh on INCH Hobey Tracker

Center Chad Rau comes in seventh on Inside College Hockey's Hobey tracker. Leading the way is Michigan's Kevin Porter, followed by North Dakota's Jean-Philippe Lamoureux. Could make for an interesting weekend if CC meets North Dakota in the Broadmoor Trophy game.

And it begins... Michigan Tech's Michael-Lee Teslak is the WCHA's first early departure of the season, signing a deal with the Philadelphia Flyers. Teslak is expected to be in uniform for the AHL affiliate Philadelphia Phantoms today.

USCHO.com has more PairWise chatter with senior writer Jayson Moy surmising that Michigan, Miami, New Hampshire, North Dakota and CC are in the hunt for No. 1 seeds. Moy also has Colorado College-Princeton and North Dakota-Notre Dame as the NCAA West Regional pairings, as bracket integrity could send No. 15 or 16 overall seed Air Force packing.

The Denver Post's Mark Kiszla has a column on Richard Bachman today.

Killing Time 'Til The Final Five

Here's some links I've meant to post in this crazy time of the season:

Chad Rau and Richard Bachman were named to Inside College Hockey's All-WCHA team and defenseman Jack Hillen was named Breakthrough Player of the Year.

Want to get the inside scoop on Denver hockey? You can join in on DU's live chat with George Gwozdecky on Wednesday at 2.

College Hockey News gives you the chance to take matters into your own hands with their "You Are The Committee" feature.

Recruit Colten St. Clair will attend the NTDP try-out camp this weekend in Ann Arbor, Mich. See the list.

Here's the schedule for this weekend:
Minnesota vs. St. Cloud State, 6:07 p.m. MT

Games for Friday, March 21
Semi-Final: Denver vs. North Dakota, 1:07 p.m. MT
Semi-Final: Play-in winner vs. Colorado College, 6:07 p.m. MT

Games for Saturday, March 22
Third-place Game, 1:07 p.m. MT
Broadmoor Trophy Championship Game, 6:07 p.m. MT

Update on Minnesota's Tom Pohl

Minnesota senior Tom Pohl sustained a skull fracture in Sunday's 3-2 double-overtime win over Minnesota State-Mankato and underwent surgery Monday at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, Minn, according to news reports (Minneapolis Star-Tribune here).

On this morning's WCHA Final Five conference call, Gophers coach Don Lucia had an update on Pohl, whom he visited Monday afternoon.

"He was talkative," Lucia said. "The last 24 hours were crucial to make sure there was no more bleeding, and that has not happened. They are hopeful that he might get out of the ICU today. It was a scary situation. We're very thankful to the staff at Minnesota State and how they handled it in a professional manner. It was a very scary situation. ..I don't think there was any ill will on the part of the Mankato player (Jason Wiley). I do think the major cause of injury was because his helmet came off. He was unconscious when he hit the ice."

Pohl could be out of the hospital in three or four days, Lucia said. "He did look good and sound good even though he had just come out of surgery earlier in the day."

Earlier in the call, WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod indicated that there would not be any supplementary discipline on the part of the league.

"I want to say on behalf of the WCHA that our thoughts and prayers are with Tom and his family," McLeod said. "As for the Minnesota State player, he’s having a very tough time with the situation. He is very concerned about what happened. They lost touch with him for a little while yesterday. He’s been very contrite and feels terrible about the whole situation. We automatically review all major penalties especially DQ's (disqualifications). ...By the tape it seemed there was no maliciousness and that there wasn’t a strong degree of intent there at all. ...It’s a tough situation for everybody, but we hope in the end that Tom will come through in good shape."

Tigers Rise To Two-Spot

CC is ranked No. 2 in both national polls this week and no. 1 in Inside College Hockey's power rankings (here), but frankly, it's irrelevant at this point.

Check out the PairWise rankings below. These rankings are used to simulate the selection process used by the NCAA to seed the tournament. So, as of now, the Tigers are fourth overall and if the tournament started today, would be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA West Regional at World Arena.

Miami jumped up to no. 2 after Northern Michigan upset Michigan State in the CCHA playoffs. Northern Michigan had fallen out as a "team under consideration" (A TUC is a team in the top 25 of the Ratings Percentage Index), but after the upset, rebounded to No. 23 in the PairWise. As a result, Miami once again had 10 TUC's, the necessary number required to have their record against TUC's considered.

Coach Scott Owens said Monday he believes the Tigers will finish between Nos. 2 and 5 in the PairWise.

Some things to note:
--Although CC doesn't need to worry about this, Colgate upset Clarkson, which is tied for ninth in the PairWise, in the ECAC playoffs. As a result, the ECAC's automatic bid will come from another ECAC school (Cornell, Harvard, Princeton or Colgate), meaning the bubble shrunk for Wisconsin and Minnesota State-Mankato, both of whom will be idle this weekend.
--With Niagara and Air Force's wins, the number of available spots shrinks to 13.
--If Vermont or Boston University should win the Hockey East tournament over New Hampshire or Boston College, the number of available spots goes to 12, meaning Minnesota
would make the tournament.
--If the whole PairWise thing makes your head hurt, head over to collegehockeynews.com and check out their PairWise primer.

PairWise Rankings (PWR)

			Record			RPI
Rk	Team	PWR	Rk	W-L-T	Win %	Rk	RPI
1	Michigan	24	2	29-5-4	.8158	1	.5919*
2	Miami	23	1	31-6-1	.8289	4	.5831*
3	New Hampshire	22	4	25-8-3	.7361	5	.5764
4	Colorado College	21	3	28-9-1	.7500	2	.5906
5	North Dakota	20	5	25-9-4	.7105	3	.5838
6t	Boston College	18	12	19-11-8	.6053	9	.5421
6t	Denver	18	8	24-13-1	.6447	6	.5615
8	St. Cloud State	17	17	19-14-5	.5658	8	.5443
9t	Michigan State	16	7	24-11-5	.6625	7	.5510
9t	Clarkson	16	11	21-12-4	.6216	10	.5367
11	Minnesota	14	26	17-15-9	.5244	12	.5284
12	Notre Dame	13	9	24-13-4	.6341	11	.5363
13t	Minnesota State	11	20t	19-16-4	.5385	13	.5276
13t	Wisconsin	11	31	15-16-7	.4868	14	.5243
15	Harvard	9	19	16-12-4	.5625	17	.5204
16t	Princeton	7	14	19-13-0	.5938	16	.5240
16t	Vermont	7	23	16-14-7	.5270	18	.5191
18t	Boston University	6	20t	19-16-4	.5385	15	.5242
18t	Minnesota-Duluth	6	40	13-17-6	.4444	20	.5143
20	Massachusetts	5	35	14-16-6	.4722	25	.5079
21t	Cornell	4	15	18-13-3	.5735	19	.5187
21t	Niagara	4	6	22-10-4	.6667	21	.5113
23t	Michigan Tech	3	43	14-20-5	.4231	22	.5104
23t	Northern Michigan	3	29t	19-19-4	.5000	24	.5079
25	Quinnipiac	2	18	20-15-4	.5641	23	.5090

Rivalry At Regional?

If CC earns a no. 1 seed for the NCAA tournament, it could meet in-town rival Air Force in the NCAA West Regional at World Arena on March 28.

Air Force won the Atlantic Hockey tournament in dramatic fashion for the second season in a row, this time topping Mercyhurst 5-4 in double overtime on Sunday in Rochester, N.Y. For more, check out gazette.com/sports.

CC edged the Falcons 2-1 in January, so the idea of a rematch is rife with potential storylines. With two weeks until the regional, Air Force's Eric Ehn, Hobey Baker top-three finalist last season, could be fully recovered from the broken fibula he suffered in a third-period collision with Tigers left wing Bill Sweatt. Also, last season, Air Force took top-seeded Minnesota to the wire in the NCAA West Regional at Pepsi Center.

Tigers on Local TV This Week

KOAA (Channels 5 & 30) will carry a live telecast of Friday's WCHA Final Five semifinal game between CC and the winner of the No. 4-No. 5 seed play-in game, which will be played at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.

The telecast will begin at 6 p.m. in Southern Colorado.

The winner of the game advances to the Broadmoor Trophy championship contest, set for 6 p.m. Saturday, which will be carried on FSN-Rocky Mountain.

--
CC, Denver and St. Cloud State punched tickets to the Final Five, but North Dakota-Michigan Tech and Minnesota State-Minnesota went to overtime Saturday. Michigan Tech's Tyler Shelast scored the game-tying and game-winning goals to even the series in Grand Forks, N.D., while Minnesota's Mike Carman scored the game-winner in Mankato. The decisive third games begin at 6:07 MT.

Grand Forks Herald reporter Brad Elliott Schlossman has links to stories on all of Saturday's WCHA playoff games. Follow this link to see his roundup.

--
The Colorado Broadcasters Association awarded Ken Landau and the 103.9 The Eagle broadcast team with the Best Sports Coverage by a team or individual in Colorado, it was announced Saturday.

CC 3, Alaska-Anchorage 2 (OT--final)

Colorado College right wing Mike Testwuide charged up the left half-wall, beat Anchorage left wing Josh Lunden, slid the puck through defenseman Luka Vidmar's feet, sliced into the slot, and as he left his feet, slung a wrist shot into the upper right corner to give the Tigers a 3-2 overtime victory over Anchorage. CC advances to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Final Five for the first time in three seasons and will take on the winner of the play-in game on Friday at 6:07 p.m.

"I'm still a little shaky," Testwuide said, all smiles and sweat-drenched after the game. "The guy dove. I think. I don't really know what happened after that. I'm just so excited right now."

This is how left wing Bill Sweatt described the final sequence: "We just went back into the d-zone and (Jack Hillen) threw it up the wall to me. It hit my skate and deflected out of the zone. Wuider (Mike Testwuide) just took it. He came across the ice with speed and he just bulldozed those guys and he took his big body to the net and just buried it. That's all I can say. ...All of a sudden, he beats the guy and he's falling down but he gets the shot off. Then I see it just going into the empty net and I just jump in the air."

Testwuide also scored the game-tying goal in the third period.

When asked about it, Testwuide needed a little reminder.

"Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah," he said, nodding with faint recognition. "I got the puck and I waited and waited. The guy went down on his knees--waited. I knew I was going to bury it five-hole. I let it go as hard as I could and it went in the net."

All around, the Tigers admitted it was a shaky start to their playoff run.

Said coach Scott Owens: "It's nice not to have to play a third game this time of the year. Even if you're fortunate enough to win that third game, it takes a toll on your team when you're playing so many meaninigful games right now. I'm proud of our guys. They didn't get panicked. We're 2-1 going into the third period and found a way to win the game."

CC is in a three-way tie for second in the PairWise rankings (USCHO.com, College Hockey News), which are used to simulate the NCAA tournament selection process.

The Tigers will return to the World Arena — where they have an 18-2 record — for the NCAA West Regional on March 28.

CC 1, UAA 2 (end of 2nd)

The Tigers have an uphill battle on their hands after giving up a goal with 3:23 left in the period.
Defensemen Jake Gannon and Kris Fredheim and the top line of Chad Rau, Mike Testwuide and Bill Sweatt all froze in their tracks as Anchorage left wing Josh Lunden walked into the slot from the right half-wall and slung a wrist shot on net, which beat goaltender Richard Bachman gloveside. It was the type of goal that leaves one wondering if the CC players thought they heard a whistle.
No. 9-seed Michigan Tech forced overtime with No. 2-seed North Dakota in Grand Forks, so it could be an interesting Sunday in the WCHA.

CC 1, UAA 1 (10:00, 2nd period)

After getting outhit and outworked for much of the first period, the Tigers came out with a furious effort in the second. CC couldn't score on a four-on-three opportunity, despite quality scoring opportunities by on shots by center Chad Rau, defenseman Jack Hillen and center Andreas Vlassopoulos. At 4:22, just as all of the players were released from the penalty box, left wing Bill Sweatt knocked in right wing Mike Testwuide's backhanded centering pass.

Anchorage took the lead just 6:05 into the first when defenseman Kane LaFranchise rocketed a shot from the top of the left circle through traffic and past goaltender Richard Bachman.

WCHA Playoffs: Game 2 vs. Alaska-Anchorage

Lines:
Colorado College
21 Sweatt--14 Rau--25 Testwuide
26 McCulloch--19 Vlassopoulos--23 Kilpatrick
10 Thauwald--17 Johnson--22 Walsky
5 DeBoer--9 McMillin--16 Patrosso

8 Hillen--15 Prosser
7 Fredheim--4 Gannon
11 Connelly--24 Lowery

30 Bachman
31 O'Connell
1 O'Brien

Alaska-Anchorage
21 Lunden--20 Crowder--14 Waldrop
9 Clark--37 Cartwright--7 DayChief
24 Tassone--17 Parkinson--18 Tarkir
28 Haddad--34 McCabe--8 Selby

4 LaFranchise--33 Robinson
5 Beaverson--22 Tuton
42 Hunt--23 Vidmar

30 Olthuis
1 Christianson

No. 3 CC 4, Alaska-Anchorage 1 (final)

No. 3 Colorado College scored 37 seconds into the game and never trailed, winning 4-1 over last-place Alaska-Anchorage in the first round of Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs.

Anchorage, a team that has only won once in its last 18 games, was determined to make it tough for the WCHA champions.

But freshman center Tyler Johnson had a goal and an assist and defenseman Jack Hillen added two assists.

CC, which has not advanced to the WCHA Final Five since 2004-05, will try to punch its ticket to the St. Paul, Minn., starting at 7:07 p.m. Saturday at World Arena.

CC 1, Anchorage 1 (9:19 of 2nd)

If you ask me, CC could use a good jolt. The Tigers' transition isn't there right now because Anchorage is doing a nice job of executing its game plan to frustrate CC to no end. That means being pesky and finishing checks all over the ice. The Tigers need to develop their playoff mentality. Defenseman Jake Gannon's hit may have helped. He just rocked an Anchorage player against the glass.

CC 1, Anchorage 1 (2:15 of 2nd period)

Colorado College gave up its second power-play goal in as many games when Anchorage center Brad McCabe knocked in a diagonal pass from teammate Josh Lunden, who was at the top of the left circle.

CC 1, Anchorage 0 (:37 of first period)

Anchorage picked a poor time for a line change. Thinking they'd put the puck deep in CC's zone, the Seawolves went for a change, but defenseman Nate Prosser had batted the puck down and put it ahead into the neutral zone for teammate Jack Hillen, who promptly carried it up the ice. Hillen put the puck into the offensive zone and left wing Bill Sweatt got it behind the net. Sweatt's pass from behind the net was one-timed backdoor by right wing Mike Testwuide. Not the start Anchorage was looking for against top-seeded CC. Exactly the start the Tigers wanted coming off of an emotional weekend against Denver.

WCHA Playoffs: Game 1 vs. Alaska-Anchorage

Lines:
No. 1 seed Colorado College
21 Sweatt--14 Rau--25 Testwuide
26 McCulloch--19 Vlassopoulos--23 Kilpatrick
10 Thauwald--17 Johnson--22 Walsky
18 Overman--9 McMillin--16 Patrosso

8 Hillen--15 Prosser
7 Fredheim--4 Gannon
11 Connelly--24 Lowery

30 Bachman
31 O'Connell
1 O'Brien

No. 10 seed Alaska-Anchorage
21 Josh Lunden--20 Paul Crowder--14 Merit Waldrop
9 Kevin Clark--37 Peter Cartwright--16 Tommy Grant
24 Blair Tassone--17 Craig Parkinson--18 Chris Tarkir
28 Nick Haddad--34 Brad McCabe--8 Ken Selby

4 Kane LaFranchise--33 Mat Robinson
5 Luke Beaverson--22 Jared Tuton
42 Trevor Hunt--23 Luka Vidmar

30 Jon Olthuis
1 Bryce Christianson

First-round playoffs vs. Alaska-Anchorage

CC clipped through a series of transition drills two minutes at a time in a quick 45-minute skate Thursday.

From the notebook:
--The Tigers hit the post several times in shooting drills.
--Back-up goaltender Drew O'Connell looked confident and ready to go this weekend if needed.
--One of the funnier moments of practice this season happened towards the end of practice when coach Scott Owens told the top power-play unit to use the full ice to run the power play and "try to be really (bad) because they're watching." Alaska-Anchorage was in the stands near the visitors' side. Defenseman Jack Hillen ripped a shot from the high slot which bounced off the right post, hit the left post and smacked against the back of the net -- a gorgeous shot -- to which Owens said with a grin: "What did I just say?"
--Defenseman/forward Brett Wysopal did not practice (sick-virus).
--Players were reminded to set their alarms and get up for breakfast Friday because they don't have class. CC is on Spring Break until March 24.
--Right wing Derek Patrosso will play on the fourth line and goaltender Richard Bachman will be in goal on Friday, Owens said.
--Anchorage arrived in Colorado Springs on Tuesday, as it did in January's series.

Projected CC lines for Friday:
21 Bill Sweatt--14 Chad Rau--25 Mike Testwuide
26 Scott McCulloch--19 Andreas Vlassopoulos--23 Jimmy Kilpatrick
10 Scott Thauwald--17 Tyler Johnson--22 Eric Walsky
18 Matt Overman--9 Brian McMillin--16 Derek Patrosso

Fun facts:
--The Tigers finished with a league-best 92.9 percent clip on the penalty kill in WCHA play (104 for 112). Their overall mark is 91 percent (131 for 144). CC allowed just eight power-play goals while scoring eight short-handed goals in 28 conference games.
--CC's last home sweep against a WCHA team came against Anchorage in January. The Tigers split with their final two WCHA opponents at World Arena
--The last time CC gave up a shorthanded goal was against Anchorage on Jan. 12
--CC hasn't won more than three games in a row since it put together a six-game winning streak between Jan. 4 and Jan.19, which ended with a tie at Michigan Tech on Jan. 25.

History:
--Alaska-Anchorage has only won once in 20 games at World Arena, a 5-4 overtime victory last season.
--Friday is the 60th all-time contest between CC and Anchorage, with the Tigers leading the series 45-11-3, including a 30-2 mark in Colorado Springs.
--In seven previous post-season games, CC swept the first-round series at home in 1995, 2002 and 2003, while Anchorage won the play-in Final Five game in 2004. Captain Scott Thauwald played right wing in that game as a freshman.
--During that 1995 series, CC set a school playoff record for goals in a game with an 11-3 win over the Seawolves on March 10, 1995. Eric Rud had five assists in that series, also a school playoff record.
--CC's all-time record in WCHA playoff games is 42-56-1 (.429).
--Of the nine regular-season championships CC has won in its 70-year history, six have happened in the last 15 seasons and three in the last six seasons.

Ticket Info for Alaska-Anchorage

Plenty of tickets remain for this weekend's first-round WCHA playoff series against Alaska-Anchorage:

1,267 for Friday

1,118 for Saturday

Tickets can be purchased via cctigers.com, at World Arena box office or by calling 576.2626.

Wednesday Practice Notes

In their first of two practices before WCHA playoffs begin Friday against Alaska-Anchorage, the Tigers ramped up the intensity for an hour-long skate. Captain Scott Thauwald reminded players to connect their passes. "Tape-to-tape," he said. At the end of practice, right wing Derek Patrosso led stretches at center ice. Patrosso looked fast, lean and fit at the end of his first practice since late November.

Lines:
Sweatt--Rau--Testwuide
McCulloch--Dre--Kilpatrick
Thauwald--Johnson--Walsky
Overman--McMillin--Patrosso
DeBoer--Quilico
--
Kate Crandall

Patrosso Returns Today

Suspended for three months for an undisclosed student-conduct violation, senior right wing Derek Patrosso will practice today for the first time since he suffered a high-ankle sprain in late November and will join the Tigers in the locker room for the first time since he was suspended in late December.

Here are some of Patrosso's comments that didn't make the story:

Q: What have you been doing to stay in shape?
A: I'd wake up and have an intense bike workout. Then, I'd skate with that midget team (Detroit Little Caesar's AAA) if they were skating. If there was open ice, I would just skate myself. I also did some power skating with a former figure skater. At the end, she'd condition me as well. I tried to do as much skating as I could and I think it's helped a lot. ...I lifted too.

Q: For those of us who aren't into ice skating (maybe if I'd tried it with padded shorts and knee pads, I'd feel differently), can you explain power skating and the purpose of the workouts with the figure skater?
A: She works with a lot of hockey players in the Detroit area. She corrects your skating and your form. She watches you skate and looks at your form to make some corrections. It's an hour-long conditioning skate. At the end of it, my legs are just killing. It's a lot of one-legged skating and that one leg gets really tired. Basically, it's designed so you can push off stronger and so you can recover quicker when you're skating. That's the stuff that gets the legs and the lungs going. I've had help from her in the past, but it's the first time for a conditioning reason.

Q: How long do you think it will take for you to regain "game shape"?
A: I think all of the conditioning will help me get there much quicker. You've got to be realistic with yourself, too. I haven't played in three or four months. I definitely think all of the stuff will help me be able to compete and play and help the team when I get out there. It's probably going to take a game or two.

Q: Was it hard to miss senior night (last Saturday) and the presentation of the MacNaughton Cup?
A: Yeah, it was tough. But I've just tried to focus on the positives. I get to join the team again (today). All I've done is concentrate on preparing myself to be the best I can for that, rather than sit and dwell on what I'm missing.

Q: How much did you follow the team while you were home in Michigan and what do you think of how they've done?
A: Not too much really. I didn't really talk to any of the guys. I kind of did my own thing. I'd listen to a few games here and there. I had a good idea 10 games into the year that we'd be able to compete for the national championship. It was hard to listen to. It made me focus on negative things. I just chose not to. I tried not to dwell on what I could have done differently and what I was missing out on and watching them made me do that. I chose to worry about myself and think of the positive things. If the team was 5-25, I still would have joined them (today).

Q: So, final thoughts before practice? Nerves? Excitement?
A: I'm just excited to join the team. The team's done so well. I'm excited to get back in the locker room and be around the guys and try to be an older guy. I've been there. I haven't been in this position exactly before, so I'm a little bit nervous too. But for the most part, I'm excited to be back for the most exciting time of year. ...I'm just trying to make the most of it while I can.

MacNaughton Cup and Gold Pan on display tonight

I just got word that fans will be able to see the trophies up close and personal tonight at Scott Owens' radio show at McCabe's Tavern at 520 S. Tejon St. The show starts at 6:30 and lasts until 7:30.

Rau Named WCHA Offensive Player of the Week

Center Chad Rau, who had two goals and an assist in last weekend's sweep of Denver, was named WCHA Offensive Player of the Week Tuesday. Rau has registered at least a point in each of his 12 career games against the Pioneers, totaling 19 of his 101 career points (18.8 percent).

Rau missed tying for the league scoring title by a point to St. Cloud State's Ryan Lasch (17 goals, 17 assists). But Rau's 23 goals in conference play were tops in the WCHA and his 0.82 goals per game was 0.19 more than Lasch's. In overall scoring, Rau finished fourth with 40 points (27 goals, 13 assists), but again had the most goals of any WCHA player.

March 11, 2008/For Immediate Release

CC’s Rau, UND’s Lamoureux, SCSU’s Weslosky Named Red Baron® WCHA Players of the Week

Red Baron® WCHA Offensive Player of the Week
Chad Rau
Jr., F, Colorado College

MADISON, Wis. – Colorado College center Chad Rau, who produced two goals and one assist while helping his Tigers clinch the 2007-08 WCHA regular season championship with a home-and-home sweep of archrival Denver last weekend, has been named Red Baron WCHA Offensive Player of the Week for March 11. Rau also earned the weekly offensive honor on Nov. 20 (vs UW) and on Nov. 27 (vs DU).

A 5-11, 184-pound junior from Eden Prairie, Minn., Rau scored a pair of goals just :12 seconds apart in the third period last Friday (March 7) night at DU’s Magness Arena, breaking open a 3-2 game and propelling CC on to a 5-2 victory that clinched the league title and MacNaughton Cup.

Then last Saturday evening back at the Colorado Springs World Arena, Rau assisted on a second-period goal by teammate Bill Sweatt in a 3-1 victory over the Pioneers.

In addition to his three points, Rau also fired eight shots on goal in the two-game series and earned a +3 plus-minus rating.

On the season, Rau leads Colorado College in scoring and is fourth among WCHA players overall with 40 points (27g, 13a) in 35 games played. His 27 goals ranks second nationally.

The No. 3-ranked Tigers (26-9-1) play host to Alaska-Anchorage this weekend (March 14-16) in a first round, best-of-3 WCHA playoff series at Colorado Springs World Arena.


Red Baron® WCHA co-Defensive Players of the Week
Jean-Philippe Lamoureux
Sr., G, North Dakota
and
Jase Weslosky
Sr., G, North Dakota

MADISON, Wis. – A pair of goaltenders who dueled each other to a pair of overtime ties last weekend – Jean-Philippe Lamoureux of the University of North Dakota and Jase Weslosky of St. Cloud State University, have been named Red Baron® WCHA co-Defensive Players of the Week for March 11.

A 5-8, 152-pound senior from Grand Forks, N.D., Lamoureux stopped 48 of 51 shots on goal for a .941 saves percentage in the 1-1 (ot) and 2-2 (ot) ties, recorded five shutout periods (including two overtimes), and allowed only one even-strength goal.

His efforts enabled Lamoureux to win the 2007-08 WCHA goaltending title with a 1.74 goals-against average in league play. He also leads the nation in overall goals-against average at 1.66, is tied for the national lead in saves percentage at .934, and sports a 22-8-4 record over 2,025:28 of playing time. He previously won the weekly defensive honor on Dec. 4 (@ DU) and March 4 (@ UMD).

Weslosky, a 6-2, 185-pound sophomore from Edmonton, Alberta, stopped 57 of 60 shots on goal for a .950 saves percentage in the two overtime ties at North Dakota on March 7-8, recording five shutout periods (including two overtimes) and allowing just two even-strength goals in the series.

In the 1-1 tie last Friday, Weslosky stopped 29 of 30 shots as the Huskies were outshot, 30-18. Then in the 2-2 tie last Saturday, he kicked out 28 of 30 UND shots on goal, including 16 in the second period.

The two ties enabled St. Cloud State (17-14-5) to secure a share of fourth place in the final regular season standings and earn the fifth and final home playoff berth for this weekend’s opening round. The Huskies will host Wisconsin at the National Hockey Center on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (if necessary).

On the season, Weslosky sports a 14-11-2 overall record with a 2.14 goals-against average and a .929 saves percentage. Weslosky previously earned the weekly defensive honor on Feb. 26 (vs MTU).

Also nominated for the award this week were: Jack Hillen, D, CC; Geoff Kinrade, D, MTU; and Alex Stalock, G, UMD.

No. 5 CC 3, No. 7 Denver 0 (14:17 of the 2nd)

Well, a scuffle just broke out in CC's defensive zone after Denver's J.P. Testwuide rushed a puck barely covered by goaltender Drew O'Connell, so I'll take a little time to brief you.

DU's Tom May and CC's Scott McCulloch were each given roughing and 10-minute misconduct penalties.

CC's Brian Connelly, who pointed to the scoreboard when Denver players began hassling him, was sent to the box for instigating-roughing as was Pioneers left wing Stephen Cunningham.

Earlier in the period, CC took a 3-0 lead when referee Derek Shepherd upheld a goal by left wing Bill Sweatt. Goaltender Peter Mannino, who was pulled with 37:23 left in regulation, argued the call, pleading his case to Shepherd and the Denver coaches. The replay showed that CC right wing Mike Testwuide bumped Mannino before the goal, but it was not ruled interference.

No. 5 CC vs. No. 7 Denver

Lines:
Colorado College
21 Sweatt--14 Rau--25 Testwuide
26 McCulloch--19 Vlassopoulos--23 Kilpatrick
10 Thauwald--17 Johnson--22 Walsky
5 DeBoer--9McMillin--18 Overman

8 HIllen--15 Prosser
7 Fredheim--4 Gannon
11 Connelly--27 Wysopal

31 O'Connell
30 Bachman
1 O'Brien

Denver
19 Ostrow--21 Bozak--15 Ruegsegger
9 Rakhshani--12 Martin--16 Maiani
17 Glasser--22 Gifford--8 Jackson
10 Cunningham--27 Vossberg--14 May

4 Butler--25 Brookwell
6 Nutini--5 Thomas
11 Testwuide--7 Mullen

29 Mannino
1 Cheverie

No. 5 CC 5, No. 7 Denver 2 (final) CC--2007-08 MacNaughton Cup Champions

Colorado College captured the MacNaughton Cup outright and the Gold Pan in one fell swoop Friday, winning 5-2 over rival Denver.

For those of you holding tickets to Saturday's sold-out game at World Arena, fear not. The Tigers want to curb their Saturday-night losing streak.

"We've got to take care of business tomorrow," captain Scott Thauwald said. "That game's going to matter in the PairWise and we don't want to have a let down after a big emotional win."

Coach Scott Owens said after the game, however, that he is not sure if he will play or rest goaltender Richard Bachman.

"We're going to talk about it," Owens said. "In some ways (resting) is the prudent thing to do. In other ways, you're playing Denver and you're playing a sold-out building and you're playing for the PairWise."

If it's left up to Bachman, he'll play.

"I don't want a break," he said. "I want to play them again tomorrow night."

Center Chad Rau hit the 100-point mark barrier with two goals in 12 seconds early in the third period. His 99th point came on a blazing shot from the left circle that didn't even draw a flinch goaltender Peter Mannino.

"I thought that was an NHL shot," Owens said.

No. 5 CC 1, No. 7 DU 0 (end of 1st period)

Colorado College captain Scott Thauwald scored the only first-period goal only 2:17 into the first period, his fourth of the season and first since a short-handed tally with less than seven minutes left in CC's 5-2 win over Clarkson on Feb. 1.
Thauwald's shot from the right circle came off of a pass by right wing Eric Walsky and beat goaltender Peter Mannino five-hole.
For much of the period, CC was dictating the tempo with its puck possession and checking.
Tigers goaltender Richard Bachman's best save came on a play with about 4:30 left in the period, when Denver freshmen Kyle Ostrow and Jesse Martin spread out defensemen Jake Gannon and Kris Fredheim. With Ostrow streaking into the slot, Bachman came out to challenge Martin's shot from the right circle and caught it with his right foot.
Just like in November's game at Magness, there was trouble with the clock. It stopped at about 5:09 and may have caused referee Derek Shepherd to not review a play in which Thauwald came out of the penalty box for a two-on-one with left wing Scott McCulloch. Thauwald's shot went into Mannino, who was knocked into his own net by a teammate. The puck looked to be under his stomach, which had crossed into the goalmouth.
CC starts the second period with 1:52 of power play.

No. 5 CC at No. 7 Denver

Lines:
Colorado College
21 Sweatt--14 Rau--25 Testwuide
26 McCulloch--19 Vlassopoulos--23 Kilpatrick
10 Thauwald--17 Johnson--22 Walsky
5 DeBoer--9 McMillin--18 Overman

8 Hillen--15 Prosser
7 Fredheim--4 Gannon
11 Connelly--24 Lowery

30 Bachman
31 O'Connell

Denver
9 Rakhshani--21 Bozak--15 Ruegsegger
19 Ostrow--12 Martin--16 Maiani
17 Glasser--22 Gifford--8 Jackson
14 May--26 Marcuzzi--27 Vossberg

4 Butler--25 Brookwell
6 Nutini--5 Thomas
11 Testwuide--7 Mullen

29 Mannino
1 Cheverie
30 Guinn

Newsflash: Tickets for CC-DU at World Arena available!

Saturday's game between CC and Denver has been sold out for two weeks, but Denver just returned 64 tickets to CC, according to CC athletic marketing director Scott Lowenberg.

As of 3:10 p.m. Thursday, there are 64 tickets at $20 each available through cctigers.com or TicketsWest (576-2626).

Injury Update for CC-DU Series

For CC:
--Right wing Addison DeBoer returned to practice for the first time since he was injured Feb. 22 at Minnesota-Duluth. DeBoer had separated his left shoulder, but looked strong during a 45-minute skate involving a lot of shooting drills. DeBoer was wearing a noncontact jersey.
--Defenseman Kris Fredheim, who missed six games with a shoulder injury earlier this season, was back at practice Tuesday after missing the second half of Saturday's game against Minnesota State-Mankato with what he termed an "upper-body injury." Fredheim was also in a noncontact jersey.
--Goaltender Richard Bachman, defensemen Jack Hillen and Jake Gannon, and right wing Eric Walsky took Tuesday's practice off. As the season winds down, coach Scott Owens will often designate off days for certain players to keep them healthy and fresh down the stretch.

I'm at Denver today working on material for this weekend's series and I also attended the 2008 Frozen Four press conference (separate posting above), where I spoke to Denver coach George Gwozdecky.

Gwozdecky had this to say about sophomore Tyler Ruegsegger, who has been out for a month with a groin injury but returned to practice this week:
"He did not have a lot of negative effects from practice. Obviously, his conditioning and his timing are not there because he's been off for a month. But the biggest issue with his injury was not as big of a problem as he thought it was going to be. So, he's made some great progress. You've got to give a lot of credit to our medical staff and Tyler because they've worked tirelessly on his rehab. There is a good chance that he will be in the lineup Friday and, if not Friday, Saturday."

Ruegsegger had 10 goals and 10 assists in 24 games before his injury, including a goal and an assist in Denver's 3-2 win over CC at Magness Arena in November.

No. 10 Minnesota State-Mankato 3, No. 4 CC 2 (OT)

Not only does Colorado College have to wait another week to clinch at least a share of the MacNaughton Cup, the Tigers will have to win a game over their archrival, No. 7 Denver, meaning there's more than just the Gold Pan at stake next weekend.

"There's a lot of hardware on the line," right wing Jimmy Kilpatrick said. "You've got the Gold Pan, you've got the MacNaughton. It's a huge rivalry and the biggest thing is getting the momentum back after a tough loss tonight."

The locker room was deathly silent after CC was stunned 16 seconds into overtime (and over the course of the third period) when Mankato right wing Kael Mouillierat slammed the puck into goaltender Richard Bachman's pads with such force that it flipped into the net.

The Tigers won 44 of 73 faceoffs (60 percent) Saturday, but two of those lost draws resulted in Mankato's comeback. The Mavericks scored two goals off faceoffs in less than 5 minutes early in the third period.

Center Chad Rau, who lost a draw to Andrew Sackrison that set-up Mankato's first goal, summed it up best.

"Letting up the lead in our own building. . . . It stinks," he said.

No. 4 CC 0, No. 10 Minnesota State-Mankato 0 (end of 1st period)

It's scoreless after a sleeper of a first period in which CC had a few fast breaks and not much sustained pressure. Minnesota State-Mankato, on the other hand, was able to maintain pressure in CC's offensive zone, but couldn't get much to the net until the end of the period. The Mavericks' best opportunity came with about four minutes left in the period when right wing Kael Mouillierat put a shot on net. Goaltender Richard Bachman stretched out to cover the rebound with his glove, but it slipped out and Mouillierat got another chance. But Bachman, desperate to cover his right post, whirled around and, with his back to the play, knocked Mouillierat's shot wide with his glove.

No. 4 CC vs. No. 10 Minnesota State-Mankato

CC puts its 15-1 home ice advantage to the test as it tries to capture at least a share of the MacNaughton Cup against Minnesota State-Mankato tonight. If North Dakota loses or ties Sunday, the Tigers will win the Cup outright if the Tigers win. But first, CC needs a few things to ensure the win:
1. Limit odd-man rushes. Minnesota State-Mankato created several breaks off of forced turnovers and took advantage of when CC's defensemen were sagging back and not challenging the play.
2. Richard Bachman. No doubt the backbone of this season's Tigers.
3. Speed. For most of Friday's game, CC let Mankato match its speed. The Tigers need to establish the tempo tonight.

Lines:
Colorado College
21 Sweatt--14 Rau--25 Testwuide
26 McCulloch--19 Vlassopoulos--23 Kilpatrick
10 Thauwald--17 Johnson--22 Walsky
18 Overman--9 McMillin--12 Quilico

8 Hillen--15 Prosser
7 Fredheim--4 Gannon
11 Connelly--24 Lowery

30 Bachman
31 O'Connell

Scratches: Tyler O'Brien (sick), Brett Wysopal (healthy), Addison DeBoer (separated shoulder), Dan Quilico (healthy), Stephen Schultz (out for season-concussion)

Minnesota State-Mankato
37 Kalinski--10 Harrison--21 Berge
29 Hanson--23 Bruess--9 Mouillierat
19 Irwin--7 Sackrison--18 Gaulrapp
20 Wiley--13 Gunderson--15 Stewart

22 Davis--4 Kilburg
5 Youds--17 Friesen
25 Linder--2 Canzanello

1 Zacharias
49 Tormey