Colorado College Tigers (7-20-3, 3-14-3 NCHC)  vs. #8/6 Western Michigan Broncos (18-8-4, 11-8-1-1 NCHC)

Fri.-Sat. | Feb. 24-25 | 7:37/6:07 p.m.
Broadmoor World Arena (7,380)
Colorado Springs, Colo.

Game Notes: Colorado College | Western Michigan
Radio: KRDO 1240 AM/105.5 FM (Ken Landau) | Listen Live
TV: CET | Comcast 105/900 (Josh Howe, Marty Cesario) | Friday Only
Live Streaming: NCHC.tv | Watch Friday's Game | Watch Saturday's Game
Website: www.CCTigers.com
Twitter: CC_Hockey1
Facebook: Colorado College Tiger Hockey

Tonight's Game
Colorado College plays its final home games of the 2016-17 season this weekend against the Western Michigan Broncos at The Broadmoor World Arena. The puck drops at 7:37 p.m., on Friday and 6:07 p.m., on Saturday. Both games will be broadcast in Southern Colorado on KRDO NewsRadio 105.5 and 92.5 FM and 1240 AM and streamed live on NCHC.tv. Friday's game will be televised in the Rocky Mountain Region by Comcast Entertainment Television.

Last Time Out
Colorado College rallied to earn a 2-2 tie against No. 1-ranked Minnesota Duluth last Saturday after falling to the Bulldogs, 2-1, the previous night ... On Friday, freshman Bryce Van Horn scored his third career goal to even the game at 1-1 at the 13:41 mark of the first period. With CC rushing the net, Van Horn collected a rebound in front and placed a backhander past Duluth netminder Hunter Miska. Senior Sam Rothstein and sophomore Mason Bergh assisted on Van Horn's third career goal. After a scoreless second period, UMD's Adam Johnson scored the game-winner on the power play with 4:44 left in the third period. Freshman Alex Leclerc made 27 saves ... On Saturday, UMD scored on its first two shots to take a 2-0 lead just 1:47 into the contest. The Tigers fought back and cut the lead in half when senior Matt Hansen scored with 6.7 seconds left in the second period, then sophomore Cole McCaskill evened the game at 2-2 with 1:58 remaining in the third. After two scoreless overtime periods, the Bulldogs earned the extra point in the NCHC standings by winning the shootout, 1-0.

Tiger Tales
The Tigers finished the regular season with a 1-1-2 record against No. 1 Minnesota Duluth ... Matt Hansen has a career-high 11 points (4g, 7a) this season, all coming in the last 16 games ... Saturday's game was the first overtime and shootout at home since Feb. 27, 2015 (Western Michigan) ... CC's 36 shots on Saturday were the third-most in a game this season.
    
Up Next
Colorado College heads to St. Cloud, Minn., to take on the 18th-ranked St. Cloud State Huskies, March 3-4, in the final regular-season series.

Senior Night This Saturday
Six seniors will make their final appearance at The Broadmoor World Arena this weekend. Team captain Sam Rothstein (Minnetonka, MN), assistant captain Luc Gerdes (Eden Prairie, MN), Matt Hansen (St. Cloud, MN), Christian Heil (Westminster, CO), Derek Shatzer (Highlands Ranch, CO) and student assistant coach Zach Aman (Johnstown, PA) will be honored in a ceremony prior to Saturday night's game.

For The Record
Colorado College is 7-20-3 overall and 3-14-3 in the NCHC following the series against Minnesota Duluth ... Western Michigan is 18-8-4 overall and 11-8-1-1 in league play after sweeping North Dakota at home last weekend.
 
The Coaches
Mike Haviland (Elmira College, '90) is in his third 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. Haviland owns a career record of 176-104-36 as a head coach in the American Hockey League and 172-81-35 in the East Coast Hockey League … Andy Murray (Brandon University, '72) is in his sixth season at Western Michigan and has a 99-92-31 record at the school. In his first year with the program, Murray led WMU to its second CCHA Tournament Championship as the Broncos defeated Michigan, 3-2, in the CCHA final. Murray has 10 years of NHL head coaching experience, spending six seasons at the helm of the Los Angeles Kings and four with the St. Louis Blues.

Scouting the Opposition
Matheson Iacopelli leads the Broncos with 27 points (18g, 9a). He is second in the NCHC with 18 goals. Wade Allison has 24 points (11g, 13a), followed by Sheldon Dries (11g, 12a) with 23. Ben Blacker is 11-3-1 with a 2.26 goals-against average and .923 saves percentage, good for third in the NCHC in each category.

Previous Meetings
Western Michigan holds a 7-4-3 advantage in the all-time series against Colorado College. Five of the 14 games have gone to overtime. The teams only played twice last season, with the Broncos winning both in Kalamazoo, and they swept CC, 4-2 and 3-0, in Kalamazoo, Mich., earlier this season. The Tigers are 4-0-2 against WMU at The Broadmoor World Arena.

On the Air
All CC games in 2016-17, home and away, are broadcast live throughout Southern Colorado on KRDO NewsRadio 105.5 and 92.5 FM and 1240 AM, featuring Ken Landau with the play-by-play. The broadcasts also can be heard worldwide via the Internet. Select games, including Friday's, will be broadcast on 93.7 FM KSBV in the Buena Vista and Monarch regions.

History vs. No. 1
Last weekend's games against No. 1 Minnesota Duluth were CC's 34th and 35th against the nation's top-ranked team dating back to the beginning of the USCHO.com poll prior to the 1997-98 season. Colorado College is 12-18-5 overall against top-ranked teams, including a victory and a tie against UMD last month in Duluth. The Tigers have not defeated a No. 1-ranked team at home since Dec. 3, 2004, a 3-1 victory over Minnesota. Later that season, CC swept a weekend series against the top-ranked Gophers in Minneapolis. That is the last time the Tigers won consecutive games against No. 1.

Florida College Hockey Classic Champions
The Tigers won the 2016 Florida College Hockey Classic, Dec. 28-29, in Estero, Fla., by defeating Merrimack, 3-0, in the opening round and edging tournament-host Cornell, 2-1 in overtime, in the title game. Leclerc was named the tournament's MVP after        allowing just one goal in two games and junior defenseman Teemu Kivihalme was named to the all-tournament team.

Penalty Kill Great Since December
The Tigers have been outstanding on the penalty kill their last 16 games, dating back to a 1-1 tie at Miami on Dec. 9. CC has killed 62 of its opponents' 73 power plays, and its 84.9 percentage is second-best in the NCHC and 16th in the nation during that stretch.

Road Warriors
The Tigers are 6-8-2 away from home this season, marking the most road wins in one season since the 2012-13 campaign (nine). CC had just two victories away from home in 2013-14 and '15-16, and one in '14-15.

Leclerc Playing Well Lately
After starting the season with a 1-8 record, Leclerc has been solid in the net the last 16 games. He has a 4-9-3 record, but has allowed just 38 goals, good for a 2.34 goals-against average. He has saved 494 of 532 shots for a saves percentage of .929, which is third in the NCHC during that time frame.

Bergh Up There in Scoring
Bergh's 13 goals overall and eight in league games are tied for seventh among NCHC players. Bergh's 13 goals are the most in one season by a CC sophomore since current St. Louis Blues forward Jaden Schwartz had 15 during the 2011-12 campaign. Bergh's five power-play goals are the most by a Tiger in a season since Mike Boivin had seven in 2012-13.    

Most Shortys in Four Years
With Gerdes' shorthanded goal vs. Cornell on Dec. 29 and Rothstein's SHG at Minn. Duluth on Jan. 6, CC scored a shorthanded goal in consecutive games for the first time since March 17 & 21, 2013. The Tigers now have five SHG in 30 games, the most in one season since scoring eight in the 2012-13 campaign.

Six Opponents Played in Postseason    
Six of Colorado College's 13 opponents this season played in the NCAA Division I Hockey Tournament last season. Defending national champion North Dakota along with fellow NCHC foes Denver, St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth joined Boston College and UMass-Lowell among the 16 teams in the tournament.

Another Tough Schedule This Season     
Ten of Colorado College's 13 opponents are ranked in this week's USCHO.com Top 20 poll. In fact, five of them, Denver (No. 1), Minnesota Duluth (No. 2), UMass-Lowell (No. 5), Western Michigan (No. 8) and Cornell (No. 9), are all in the top 10. Those four teams represent 15 games on the schedule this season. In addition, Boston College is No. 14, North Dakota is No. 16, Air Force is No. 17, St. Cloud State is No. 18, and Wisconsin is No. 19. According to KRACH, CC has the No. 1 strength of schedule in the country, while it is ranked the fourth-toughest in the latest RPI standings.

First Time Facing Nos. 1 and 2 Back-to-Back
After playing No. 2 Denver and No. 1 UMD the last two weekends, CC faced the top two teams in the country in consecutive weekends for the first time since the USCHO.com poll began prior to the 1997-98 season. Including this weekend, the Tigers will play six consecutive games against Top 10 teams, the first time that has happened since early last season.

Leclerc Named NCHC Rookie of the Week ... Again
After stopping 83 shots in two games against defending national champion North Dakota, freshman goalie Alex Leclerc was named the Bauer NCHC Rookie of the Week by the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. Leclerc had a career weekend in backstopping Colorado College to a split at home against the Fighting Hawks, posting a .954 save percentage and a 2.02 goals-against average in the two games. On Friday, Leclerc totaled 38 saves in a 5-2 loss, while allowing four goals, three of which came in the game's final six minutes. The next night, he made a career-high 45 saves, including 21 in the second period, to pitch his second shutout of the season in a 3-0 victory. Of his 45 saves, 15 came on UND's six power plays as he totaled 19 saves in the series on UND man advantages, helping CC's penalty kill go a perfect 9-for-9. Leclerc was named the game's First Star on Saturday as the Tigers snapped a 14-game winless streak against the Fighting Hawks. His 83 saves were the most in a weekend series by a CC goalie since Nov. 23-24, 2012 (87 by Joe Howe). This was the fourth NCHC weekly honor for Leclerc, who has also been named the league's Goalie of the Week twice.