Nice as it was to think about, flirting with first place didn't quite work out for Colorado College.

The Tigers gave the WCHA-leading University of Minnesota another good battle on Saturday, but their hopes for a weekend sweep at Mariucci Arena and a share of the league's top spot fell short in a 2-1 defeat that kept them four points behind the Gophers.

Senior forward Nico Sacchetti's first goal of the season, off his own rebound at 5:16 of the second period, proved to be the game winner in a contest that saw Minnesota out-shoot CC by a 37-20 margin.

Sophomore netminder Josh Thorimbert was stellar between the pipes again, finishing with 35 saves including 19 in a scoreless final frame. Thorimbert, who steered away 38 of 39 shots in Friday's 2-1 victory, stopped 73 of 76 in the two-game series for a .961 saves percentage.

On Saturday, he allowed only the red lighter by Sacchetti and a shorthanded tally by Nate Condon that wiped out a 1-0 Colorado College lead with 2:19 left in the first period.   

With the triumph, the Gophers snapped a three-game losing streak at home while improving to 17-9-1 overall and 13-5 in the WCHA. They took over sole possession of first place in the league standings, two points ahead of the University of Minnesota Duluth, which played a pair of non-conference outings against Alabama-Huntsville this week.

CC dropped to 14-9-1 overall and 11-7 in league play. The Tigers, who are idle next week, will remain third in the WCHA standings until then, thanks to fourth-place Nebraska Omaha's 4-3 overtime loss at Minnesota State on Saturday.

As in Friday's series opener, Colorado College scored first on Saturday when Jaden Schwartz one-timed Jeff Collett's pass from behind the net past a startled Kent Patterson at 15:02 of the first period. Nothing else got past senior goaltender Patterson, who preserved the win with a point-blank save on Collett in the closing seconds of the game.
 
Neither team converted on the power play, although Sacchetti struck just three seconds after CC's David Civitarese returned to the ice following a highly controversial minor penalty for interfering with Patterson. The Tigers were 0-for-4 and Minnesota officially 0-for-5 with the man advantage.

The goal by Condon, on a 2-on-2 rush with Taylor Matson, was the eighth shorthanded marker allowed by CC this season, second most in the nation behind the nine given up each by Maine and Sacred Heart.