(above) Bodies lay strewn in the wreckage of another Colorado College hockey season last night in DuluthFrom: Colorado Springs Gazette
by Joe Paisley
A season that began with such promise ended in flames as Colorado College and the Curse of '57 completed another epic meltdown. CC was ranked as one of the Top 3 teams in PairWise in early January.
Penalties kept the Tigers from developing any offensive rhythm last night as host Minnesota-Duluth pulled away for a 4-0 win at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center. The loss Sunday likely ends CC’s season, since the Tigers are now No. 21 in the PairWise Rankings, which mimic the 16-team NCAA Tournament selection process.
No. 15 CC was called for 11 penalties during the first two periods. The final two, 61 seconds apart, proved the most costly in the decisive Game 3 of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoff series.
“It was called a little tighter than the earlier games,” Tigers coach Scott Owens said. “Guys were tired and making mistakes. It made for a strange game. We couldn’t get going. Drawing a penalty six seconds into the game set the tone.”
Rob Bordson’s 5-on-3 power play goal with 16.9 ticks left in the second period gave Duluth a commanding 3-0 lead. A 5-minute major on Gabe Guentzel and another minor penalty on Nate Prosser set up the advantage.
“That was the game,” Owens said.
No. 14 Duluth’s Mike Connolly scored on a third-period power play from the same five-minute penalty to make it 4-0.
Penalties hurt CC early as well when the result was still in doubt. Two calls against the Tigers during their own 5-minute power play negated more than half their time.
It was the fourth time in five years CC was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs and second in a row at the hands of the Bulldogs.
Duluth advanced to play North Dakota Thursday to open the WCHA Final 5 Tournament. The winner of that game will face the University of Denver on Friday night.
Penalties kept the Tigers from developing any offensive rhythm last night as host Minnesota-Duluth pulled away for a 4-0 win at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center. The loss Sunday likely ends CC’s season, since the Tigers are now No. 21 in the PairWise Rankings, which mimic the 16-team NCAA Tournament selection process.
No. 15 CC was called for 11 penalties during the first two periods. The final two, 61 seconds apart, proved the most costly in the decisive Game 3 of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoff series.
“It was called a little tighter than the earlier games,” Tigers coach Scott Owens said. “Guys were tired and making mistakes. It made for a strange game. We couldn’t get going. Drawing a penalty six seconds into the game set the tone.”
Rob Bordson’s 5-on-3 power play goal with 16.9 ticks left in the second period gave Duluth a commanding 3-0 lead. A 5-minute major on Gabe Guentzel and another minor penalty on Nate Prosser set up the advantage.
“That was the game,” Owens said.
No. 14 Duluth’s Mike Connolly scored on a third-period power play from the same five-minute penalty to make it 4-0.
Penalties hurt CC early as well when the result was still in doubt. Two calls against the Tigers during their own 5-minute power play negated more than half their time.
It was the fourth time in five years CC was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs and second in a row at the hands of the Bulldogs.
Duluth advanced to play North Dakota Thursday to open the WCHA Final 5 Tournament. The winner of that game will face the University of Denver on Friday night.
14 comments:
Don't go away crying, all you CC fans. Just go away!
It should be illegal for me to feel as great as I do about ANY College team in ANY sport ending up in CC's perdicament. It's just wrong - and I apologize - but DAMN IT'S GREAT AIN'T IT? CC: when you're ready to get your ass kicked again in the fall....come see us, OK?
Time to update Boone's checklist!
Deja vu all over again!
Ask & ye shall receive. Checklist posted. Thanks for the reminder.
Watching CC implode is one of life's guilty pleasures.
After the attacks Owens put on the student section a few weeks back I'm happy to see CC ending the season with nothing... not even a participation banner.
I think chances are we see North Dakota in the WCHA semi-finals. Being a playoff warm up before the real tournament begins I don't expect any cheep shots, but I do expect DU getting a real taste of how intense the tournament games will be.
I'm thinking that the odds are better that DU will play UMD in its Final Five semi final. The Bulldogs are on the bubble as far as the NCAA tournament goes whereas UND is a lock. Also, UND may be without Frattin for that game if the WCHA suspends him for his hit to the head of a Minnesota player last night. Look for the Bulldogs to come out with intensity and a short bench. Either way, DU will face a quality opponent in its first game.
Maybe CC should consider dropping the NCAA participation banner ploy -- and go with a WCHA regular season and 1st round playoff participation banner program.
Sorry, fellow Pio fans, the season is much more fun if CC is competitive, as long as we win the championship and they don't. I loved the two or three years when all three Colorado teams made the tournament. Now it will be just 2 of'em.....
We need a new Rivalry. I think the CSU Club Hockey team should be admitted into the WCHA - they would be fresh, a heck of alot more entertaining - and wold come to Magness ready to compete, instead of being like CC and only able to muster up lackluster ice hockey, whining fans and Coaches who look for every excuse in the world to divert attention from the fact that they suck so bad. I would LOVE to play the Rams. These CC Sweeps are all-too predictable anymore.
Smart game plan, Owens! Go into a playoff game like a bunch of tough guys, wacking, hacking and cheap-shotting. How did that turn out for you? This ain't the Federal League - and you're not the Charlestown Chiefs (they were better than you)
Did the Hanson brothers go to CC?
We haven't swept CC since 2005.
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