Colorado College Tigers (0-8-0, 0-2-0-0 NCHC) vs. #9/12 Denver Pioneers (3-3-0, 0-0-0-0 NCHC)

Friday, Nov. 6, 7:36 pm / Magness Arena
Saturday, Nov. 7, 7:07 pm / The Broadmoor World Arena

Radio: KRDO 1240 AM/105.5 FM (Ken Landau, play-by-play) | Listen Live
TV: Friday only - ROOT Sports (Mike Evans, Charlie Host) | DirecTV 683 | DISH 414 | Comcast 35/702 | Prism 760/1760
Live Streaming: Saturday only - NCHC.tv/cc | Watch Live
Website: www.CCTigers.com
Twitter: CC_Hockey1
Facebook: Colorado College Tiger Hockey
Game Notes: Colorado College | Denver

This Week
Colorado College plays the first two games in the battle for The Gold Pan against the University of Denver in a home-and-home series this weekend, Nov. 6-7. The game on Friday, Nov. 6 will be played at Magness Arena in Denver, while the Saturday, Nov. 7 contest will be at The Broadmoor World Arena.

The Gold Pan
Established by former head coaches Don Lucia of Colorado College and Frank Serratore of Denver back in 1993-94, the Gold Pan has been awarded every season since to the team that prevails in the regular-season series between CC and Denver. In the event of an even split of the four games, the team currently in possession of the trophy keeps it. This season marks its 23rd anniversary. The Tigers have hoisted the hardware 12 times in its 22 previous years of existence.

Last Week
The Tigers lost a pair of home games to top-ranked North Dakota last weekend. UND posted a 5-2 victory on Friday, then won 2-0 on Saturday. Chris Wilkie scored twice and Christian Wolanin added two assists on Friday night, while Wolanin and Shane Gersich scored on Saturday. Sophomore Teemu Kivihalme (Savage, MN) and freshman Cole McCaskill (Kamloops, BC) each scored for the Tigers on Friday. Kivihalme notched his second goal of the season, while McCaskill scored the first of his career. Freshman goalie Jacob Nehama (Allen, TX) made 32 saves for the Tigers on Friday and junior netminder Tyler Marble (Detroit, MI) had a season-high 40 on Saturday.

For the Record
Colorado College fell to 0-8 this season with its two losses last weekend … Denver, which is ranked No. 9 in this week's USCHO.com poll and No. 12 in the USA Today/USA Hockey poll, is 3-3 after losing to Boston College (4-3) and Boston University (5-4) on the road last weekend.

Up Next
The Tigers, who are idle the weekend of Nov. 13-14, host NCHC foe and sixth-ranked Minnesota Duluth on Nov. 20-21 at The Broadmoor World Arena.   

The Coaches
Mike Haviland (Elmira College, '90) is in his second season at the helm of the Tigers. He came to Colorado College after serving one year as head coach of the Hershey Bears (AHL). Haviland was an assistant coach for the Chicago Blackhawks from 2008-12, helping the team win the Stanley Cup in 2010 … Jim Montgomery (Maine, '93) is in his third season as head coach at Denver. He spent the previous three seasons as head coach and general manager of the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL. Montgomery is Maine's all-time leading scorer with 301 points (103g, 198a).

On the Air
All CC games in 2015-16, home and away, will be broadcast live throughout Southern Colorado on KRDO NewsRadio 105.5 FM and 1240 AM, featuring Ken Landau with the play-by-play. Pre-game shows start 37 minutes before faceoff. The broadcasts also can be heard worldwide via the Internet.

Scouting the Opposition
Denver is the third consecutive opponent that played in last year's NCAA Tournament. The Pioneers lost to eventual national champion Providence, 4-1, in the quarterfinals. Junior defenseman Will Butcher (2g,4a) and freshman forward Dylan Gambrell (0g,6a) lead the team in scoring with six points apiece, while junior goaltender Evan Cowley has played in four games and has a 2.55 goals-against average this year.   

Previous Meetings
Denver holds a 165-116-17 advantage in the all-time series with Colorado College. The Pioneers won all four games last season, but the Tigers went 2-1-1 during the 2013-14 campaign, the last time they won the Gold Pan. The all-time series results are on page 5 of this release.

Freshmen Making Their Mark This Season
So far this season, freshmen have accounted for 17 of CC's 31 points, including seven of the team's 11 goals. Adding in the sophomores, underclassmen have 22 of the team's 31 points and nine of the 11 goals.  

Penalty Kill Stays Strong ...
Colorado College killed off seven of North Dakota's eight power plays last weekend and has erased 21 of the last 23 overall heading back to the second period of the Oct. 16 game at UMass-Lowell. The Tigers have killed off 78.9 percent of its opponents' man-advantage situations this season.

But Power Play Struggling
After going 4-for-11 on the power play in the season-opening series against UMass,  the Tigers have converted only one of their last 29 man-advantage opportunities, including a 1-for-12 perfomance against North Dakota.   

Nehama Records Most Saves in 18 Years
Nehama's 52 saves at UMass-Lowell on Oct. 16 were the most in one game by a CC goalie since Judd Lambert made 60 in a four-overtime victory (1-0) over Wisconsin on March 8, 1997. UML's 55 shots on Friday were also the most by an opponent since Wisconsin recorded 60 in that same game.
 
Scoring Brothers
Cody and Trey Bradley (Tampa, FL) each gathered an assist on freshman Trevor Gooch's (Mantua, NJ) goal against UMass-Lowell on Oct. 16, becoming the first set of brothers to record a point on a CC goal since March 9, 2012 (Jaden and Rylan Schwartz).

This Year's Leadership
Junior forward Sam Rothstein (Minnetonka, MN) is serving as the team captain in 2015-16. Rothstein, the first junior to be named captain at CC since Mark Stuart in 2004-05, scored 14 points (6g,8a) as a sophomore and has missed just four games in his career … Senior forward Cody Bradley (Tampa, FL), who led the team in scoring with 30 points last season, and junior forwards Zach Aman (Johnstown, PA) and Christian Heil (Westminster, CO) are the alternate captains.

Seven Opponents Played in Postseason    
Seven of Colorado College's 12 opponents this season played in the NCAA Division I Hockey Tournament last season. NCHC foes North Dakota, Denver, St. Cloud State, Miami, Nebraska Omaha and Minnesota Duluth as well as Boston College were among the 16 teams to battle for the national championship last spring. North Dakota and
Nebraska Omaha advanced to the national semifinals.

Hanson Retires, Named Student Assistant Coach
Senior Jared Hanson (Palmer, AK), one of eight student-athletes in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference named to the league's 2014-15 Scholar-Athlete Team, will not play his final season at CC and will serve as a student assistant coach.

Teemu Snaps Scoreless Streak
Kivihalme's goal early in the second period last Friday night snapped a scoreless streak of 170:46, going back to the second period against UMass-Lowell on Oct. 17.

Tough Schedule Last Season ...     
Colorado College finished the 2014-15 season with the seventh-toughest schedule in the country, according to the Division I RPI. In fact, the eight NCHC schools occupied the top eight spots on the list. CC played 21 of its 35 games last year, including 13 of its last 17, against teams ranked in the top 12 in the country.

And Even Tougher This Year
Eight of Colorado College's 12 opponents this season are ranked in this week's USCHO.com Top 20 poll. In fact, the Tigers' three previous opponents, UMass-Lowell (#4), Boston College (#3) and North Dakota (#1), are all ranked in the top five this week, while the next two opponents, Denver (#9) and Minnesota Duluth (#6), are ranked in the top 10. Prior to last night's game against the Pioneers, CC's opponents this season had a combined record of 19-3-5, good for a .796 winning percentage. The next highest opponents' winning percentage among NCHC teams was .660 (17-8-3) by Western Michigan.

Kivihalme Near the Top Among D-Men
With his power-play goal last Friday, Kivihalme is still among the top-scoring defensemen in the NCHC. He is tied for the lead with two goals and tied for fourth with five points.