Colorado College: Always A Bridesmaid

(above) Tiger hunting has always been a favorite activity of DU alums

There so many infamous moments in Colorado College history that the staff of LetsGoDU was up half the night sifting through all the data. After many laughs we came up with perhaps the definitive list of ineptitude.

Top 10 Bridesmaid Moments In CC History

• Michigan won the 1996 National Championship as they defeated Colorado College 3-2 in OT. Brendan Morrison knocked in the rebound of Bill Muckalt's shot 3 1/2-minutes into overtime driving a stake into the hearts of the roughly 35 Colorado College fans in the arena.

• In 2005 Colorado College just needed to get by DU in the 2005 Frozen Four semi-final to reclaim some long lost self respect. Denver scored an NCAA tournament record six power play goals to emphatically defeat Colorado College 6-2. The game really wasn't that close. “I thought we were dumb on a lot of penalties,” CC coach Scott Owens mumbled afterwards.

In 1994, Colorado College won the regular-season WCHA title, but did not receive a berth to the NCAA tournament. A shocking upset in the first round of the WCHA playoffs ensured that CC would be screwed over by "The Man;" this time in a "smoke filled room"(photo left).

• Don Lucia arrived in Colorado Springs in 1993 and immediately turned around a flailing hockey program. Sadly, all good things must come to an end and when the University of Minnesota came calling in 1999, Lucia was off to Minneapolis faster than you can say "blue chip recruits." And how did the Colorado College fans treat Lucia the next time he rolled into town? They booed the all-time winningest coach in CC history.

• Peter Senja won the Hobey Baker Award in 2003 as a Junior and CC fans were gearing up to host the NCAA Regionals in 2004. But the kid from Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia had different ideas. He embarked on a failed minor league hockey career and was last spotted in Switzerland. The horrible nightmare for CC only got worse. DU shocked heavily favored North Dakota, while 6,000 Colorado Springs natives pouted, DU cruised to a stunning National Championship.

• You know your hockey program is in trouble when one of the finest hockey coaches this nation has ever produced can't guide your team to a winning record. Luckily "Badger" Bob Johnson moved on to Wisconsin in 1966 after three losing seasons in the Springs. If he remained at CC, Pittsburgh wouldn't have an NHL franchise, 1980 Olympic hero Mark Johnson might have played for CC and we'd be taking about "Tiger" Bob Johnson.

When the Princeton Review completed its rankings of 361 colleges and universities in 2006, Colorado College was named the one of the heaviest pot smoking schools in the country. As usual they finished third behind Warren Wilson College and Bard College.

• After getting punked by Michigan in the 1996 National Championship game, the Tigers vowed take revenge in 1997. After upsetting New Hampshire and Clarkson, CC was whipped by North Dakota 6-2 in the Frozen Four Semi-Finals.
  

• Scottie Owens sent his hockey players out for a little rest and relaxation at the local golf course and they end up splashed in 20 newspapers around the country in a racist incident. But even as they drew the ire of the NAACP, media critics think that the Cleveland Indians face-painters are more offensive. CC just can't win for losing.

• If you noticed a pattern of Michigan treating Colorado College as its boy-toy, you have to go all the way back to 1955 to see when it all began. The Wolverines slapped CC 5-3 in the National Championship game played at the Broadmoor.
  

Go DU