Arizona State Sun Devils at Colorado College Tigers

Game Notes: Colorado College | Arizona State | NCHC
Dates: Saturday, Dec. 16 / Sunday, Dec. 17
Times: 6:07 pm / 2:07 pm (MT)
Location: Colorado Springs, Colo.
Venue: Broadmoor World Arena (7,380)
Radio: KRDO NewsRadio 105.5 FM / 1240 AM
TV: CET / XFINITY 900 (Saturday only)
Live Streaming: www.NCHC.tv
Records: Colorado College 7-7-2 (3-5-2-1 NCHC) | Arizona State 4-9-3
Rankings: Colorado College (rv\--) | Arizona State (--/--)
Series: First Meeting

This Weekend
In a rare Saturday-Sunday series, Colorado College takes on the newest NCAA Division I hockey team, Arizona State, Dec. 16-17, at the Broadmoor World Arena. Both games will be broadcast on KRDO NewsRadio 105.5 and 92.5 FM, as well as 1240 AM (Colo. Springs / Pueblo). Saturday's game will be televised in the Rocky Mountain Region on CET / XFINITY Channel 900. 

Promotions
The Tigers will be wearing their black unifoms this weekend, including this year's new ones on Saturday, so all Colorado College fans are urged to wear black during both games. Saturday is Care and Share Night; fans that bring a canned food to the Broadmoor World Arena can purchase a ticket for $10. Meanwhile, Sunday is the annual Teddy Bear Toss; all teddy bears and stuffed animals that are thrown on the ice after the first period will be donated to The Bob Telmosse Foundation, which is wonderful in helping local children and families.

Last Weekend
The Tigers collected a pair of ties against the No. 1 team in the country, Denver, last weekend ... On Friday, Mason Bergh (Eden Prairie, MN) scored with 6.8 seconds left in the third period to help CC snap a 14-game losing streak to Denver with a 4-4 tie at Magness Arena. After a scoreless five-minute 5-on-5 overtime period, Christiano Versich (Kelly Lake, MN) scored with 1:24 left in the second overtime with the Tigers on a 4x3 power play to give CC the extra point in the NCHC standings. Versich took a pass from Bergh at the right circle and placed a shot just inside the far post that beat Denver goalie Tanner Jaillet. Jaakko Heikkinen put Denver ahead 4-3 with 2:28 left in the third period, and it looked like the Pioneers would continue their dominance over the Tigers.   However, with Tiger goalie Alex Leclerc (Longueuil, QUE) on the bench for the last 50 seconds in favor of an extra attacker, Cole McCaskill (Kamloops, BC) took a shot from the slot that was saved by Jaillet. A scrum ensued at the top of the crease and the puck scooted out to Bergh at the edge of the right circle and he buried a shot top shelf to even the score. Bergh, who finished the game with a goal and two assists, was outstanding once again as part of CC's top line with Nick Halloran (Draper, UT) and Trey Bradley (Tampa, FL). Halloran scored twice and added an assist, while Bradley had a helper. Kristian Blumenschein (Kelowna, BC) scored his first goal of the season to open the scoring ... On Saturday, Leclerc made 37 saves and Trevor Gooch (Mantua, NJ) scored for Colorado College as the teams tied for the second consecutive night. This time, at The Broadmoor World Arena, each team scored just one goal in 65 minutes before Denver's Liam Finlay scored 1:35 into the second overtime for the extra point in the NCHC standings. Gooch gave Colorado College a 1-0 lead after the first period for the second consecutive night with a goal at the 18:03 mark. Friday's hero, Versich, found Gooch in front of the net just as a DU penalty expired, but his shot was saved by Jaillet. Gooch collected his own rebound and put it in the net for his fifth goal of the season. Blumenschein gathered his third point of the weekend with an assist on the play. The rest of the game belonged to Leclerc. After Denver scored three goals from plays originating from behind the net on Friday, the Pioneers were making a concerted effort to do the same on Saturday. Leclerc came up with a couple of spectacular saves in the second period, including one on Henrik Borgstrom from point-blank range. The only blemish on Leclerc's sheet came early in the third period, when Finlay evened the score just 17 seconds into the frame. Leclerc was solid the rest of the way, stopping 16 Pioneer shots in the third period and another two in overtime.

Battle for The Gold Pan Even After Two
Thanks to the pair of draws, the Battle for The Gold Pan will extend to the second half of the season for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign, the last time the Tigers won the trophy. This season marks the 25th anniversary of The Gold Pan. Established by former head coaches Don Lucia of Colorado College and Frank Serratore of Denver 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 DU. In the event of an even split of the four games, the team currently in possession of the trophy keeps it. Each school has hoisted the hardware 12 times in its 24 years of existence.

Up Next
The Tigers continue non-conference action against Air Force on Friday, Dec. 29, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Academy. The following night, CC will host Merrimack at 6 p.m.

For the Record
Colorado College is 7-7-2 overall and 3-5-2-1 in the NCHC following the two ties against Denver. It is the program's best record after 16 games since an 8-7-1 start in 2012-13 ... Arizona State, a Division I Independent, is 4-9-3 after splitting a pair of games with Princeton at home last weekend. Princeton won 4-0 on Friday, while Arizona State captured a 4-3 victory in overtime on Saturday.
 
The Coaches
Mike Haviland (Elmira College, '90) is in his fourth 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 … Greg Powers (Arizona State, '99) is in his 10th season as the head coach at his alma mater. This is ASU's second season with a full NCAA Division I schedule. Powers was three-time ACHA Division I All-American goaltender at Arizona State and named the AHCA Division I Coach of the Year in 2014.

Scouting the Sun Devils
Brett Gruber leads Arizona State in scoring with 11 points (3g,8a) this season, followed by Tyler Busch with 10 (5g,5a) and Brinson Pasichnuk with nine (3g,6a). Goaltender Joey Daccord has a 3.04 goals-against average and a .917 saves percentage in 2017-18.

On the Air
All CC games in 2017-18, home and away, will be broadcast live throughout Southern Colorado on KRDO NewsRadio 105.5 and 92.5 FM, as well as 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 ... Select games also will be available on KSBV 93.7 FM in Cripple Creek, Divide, Buena Vista, Monarch and Leadville.

Tigers Remain Fifth in NCHC
The Tigers will finish the 2017 calendar year in fifth place in the NCHC standings. St. Cloud State is on top of the league standings with 22 points, followed by North Dakota with 19 and Denver and Western Michigan with 18 apiece. The Tigers have 12 points.

Top Line Continues to Shine
Halloran, Bergh and Bradley combined for seven points last Friday night at Denver. Halloran extended his career-high point scoring streak to six after collecting two goals and an assist, but the streak was snapped on Saturday. He is tied for second in the NCHC and tied for eighth in the nation with 15 assists, and tied for fifth in the league and tied for 12th in the country with 22 points. Bergh is tied for third in the NCHC and tied for 15th in the nation with 10 goals, and tied for seventh in the league and tied for 16th in the country with 21 points. His career-high five-game point streak came to an end on Saturday as well. Bradley, meanwhile, has a career-high 10 assists this season. The trio has produced a goal and both assists seven times this season.

Leclerc Named NCHC Goalie of the Week
Leclerc, who made 71 saves in a pair of ties last weekend against Denver, has been named the Bauer NCHC Goalie of the Week by the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. Leclerc had 34 saves in Friday's 4-4 tie that snapped CC's 14-game losing streak against the Pioneers. The following night, he turned away 37 DU shots, his third-most this season, as the teams skated to a 1-1 draw at The Broadmoor World Arena. For the weekend, Leclerc finished with a 2.32 goals-against average and a .934 saves percentage.

History vs. No. 1
With the two ties against Denver last weekend, Colorado College is 12-20-7 overall against the nation's No. 1-ranked team dating back to the beginning of the USCHO.com poll prior to the 1997-98 season. The Tigers are 3-4-2 against Denver with the Pioneers ranked No. 1.

Saturday Success
The Tigers continued their success on Saturday last weekend. CC is 5-2-1 on Saturday this season, with its only losses coming at home to No. 3 North Dakota, 6-4, on Oct. 28 and at No. 2 St. Cloud State, 5-1, on Nov. 18. Four of the five Saturday wins have been by one goal, including a 2-1 victory at Miami on Nov. 4.

Solid in One-Goal Games
Including their 2-1 victory at Miami on Nov. 4, the Tigers are 5-1 in one-goal games this season. That equals last year's win total in such games (5-4 record) and the most in one season since winning 11 during the 2012-13 campaign.

Halloran Most Assists in First 16 in 12 Years
Halloran's 15 assists this season has surpassed the most by a Tiger in each of the last two full seasons (12 by Luc Gerdes last season and Teemu Kivihalme in '15-16). His 15 assists are the most by a Tiger in the first 16 games of a season since Brian Salcido had 19 in 2005-06. Salcido finished second on the team with 32 assists that season.

Solid Showing by Calvaruso in Debut
Freshman Alec Calvaruso (Livonia, MI) made his first collegiate appearance on Nov. 17 at St. Cloud State. After relieving Leclerc late in the first period, Calvaruso finished with 33 saves, including 21 in the second period, the most by a Tiger in one period since Leclerc had the same amount in a 3-0 victory vs. North Dakota on Jan. 28, 2017.

Very Defensive in Seven Wins
In their seven victories this season, the Tigers have allowed just nine goals. Conversely, opponents have scored 34 times in CC's seven losses. Overall, the Tigers have allowed 48 goals in their first 16 games, the fewest given up by a Colorado College squad in the first 16 games of a season since 2010-11 (48).

Fastest to Seven in Five Years
With the 4-0 victory over Omaha on Nov. 11, the Tigers achieved their seventh win earlier than any season since the 2012-13 campaign. That season, CC won its seventh game on Nov. 10.

Tigers Continue to Receive Votes in USCHO.com Poll
Colorado College received 50 votes in this week's USCHO.com poll, good for 22nd place. The Tigers are also 17th in the PairWise rankings entering this weekend's games.