Box Score Championship Game Notes

Mason Bergh scored two power-play goals, Matt Hansen had three assists and Alex Leclerc posted the first shutout of his career Wednesday night as Colorado College blanked Merrimack, 3-0, in the opening round of the 2016 Florida College Hockey Classic in Estero, Fla.
 
The Tigers (4-12-1) snapped a nine-game winless streak and will face Cornell in the championship game Thursday night at 5:30 p.m. (MT). The Big Red defeated Northern Michigan, 5-2, in Wednesday's first game.
 
After a Merrimack penalty was called just 59 seconds into the contest, the Tigers capitalized as Bergh scored his team-leading eighth goal of the season with just three seconds left on the power play. Bergh was posted at the right side of the net and poked the puck past Merrimack goalie Collin Delia. Fellow sophomore Tanner Ockey posted his team-high seventh assist of the season and Hansen collected the first of his career-high three on the play.
 
The teams combined for just eight shots in a scoreless second period, then Bergh put the Tigers ahead 2-0 with another power-play goal after taking a pass from Hansen and had a wide open net. Freshman Kade Kehoe put the nail in the coffin with 2:38 remaining as he rifled a shot past Delia for his second career goal after taking a pass from Luc Gerdes, who assisted on both third-period goals. The Tigers' top line of Bergh, Gerdes and Hansen combined for seven points against the Warriors.
 
"Mason is really starting to come on for us," head coach Mike Haviland said. "His confidence level is increasing every game. I liked that line with Gerdes, Bergh and Hansen tonight."
 
Leclerc finished the game with 26 saves, including an excellent kick save off a point-blank shot from Merrimack's Brett Seney with four minutes left to preserve the shutout, CC's first since a 5-0 victory over Western Michigan on Feb. 28, 2015. It was also the team's first shutout away from home since March 22, 2013, a 2-0 victory over No. 1-ranked Minnesota in the WCHA Final Five.
 
"It feels good to get the shutout tonight," Leclerc said. "But it is even more important for our team to play like this."
 
The Tigers were 2-for-4 on the power play and killed all three of Merrimack's extra-man advantages. Bergh's first goal of the game snapped a streak of 29 scoreless power plays, dating back to the first period against St. Cloud State on Nov. 12.
 
Delia had 22 saves for Merrimack, which fell to 6-9-3 this season.
 
"We played with speed, passion and structure tonight," Haviland said.
 
The Tigers will try to win their first Holiday Tournament title since capturing the 2005 Great Lakes Invitational.