Colorado College took another small step in the right direction on Saturday and now finds itself a mere split away from clinching home ice for the opening round of the WCHA playoffs. 

After battling to a 3-3 tie with the No. 7-ranked University of Minnesota Duluth in the finale of their weekend series at the World Arena, the Tigers totally control their own destiny.

They'll usher out the 2010-11 regular season at the University of Wisconsin next weekend needing to win just once for the right to host a best-of-three playoff series a week later.

CC roared from behind three times, thanks to a pair of goals by senior right wing Tyler Johnson and an unassisted one by freshman left wing Jaden Schwartz, while out-shooting the Bulldogs by a 42-23 margin and taking three of four points for the weekend.

Saturday's deadlock was a huge point, coming on the heels of Friday's 5-4 victory, that vaulted the Tigers past Wisconsin and into sixth place all alone in the WCHA standings. Colorado College heads to Madison next week with an 18-15-3 overall record and 12-12-2 mark in league play, a point ahead of the Badgers, who are mired in a six-game winless skid after being swept at St. Cloud State.

Johnson's two tallies, the second of which pulled CC even just 97 seconds after freshman J.T. Brown staked the Bulldogs to a 3-2 lead late in the second period, gave the assistant captain 20 for the season. 

While both teams struck for a pair of power-play goals, the Tigers' penalty killing units rose to the occasion early in the third period after sophomore defenseman Joe Marciano was assessed a controversial five-minute major for checking from behind. UMD, which got a pair of goals by Brown and another by Mike Connolly in the contest, managed only two shots on sophomore netminder Joe Howe during the extended man advantage.

Connolly assisted on both of Brown's red lighters to finish the series with six points.

Junior defenseman Gabe Guentzel helped set up both of Johnson's goals.

Howe finished with 20 saves for Colorado College while junior Kenny Reiter made 39 stops for the fourth-place Bulldogs, who are 19-8-6 overall and 14-7-5 in WCHA play.