Colorado College Tigers at No. 1 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs

Game Notes: Colorado College | Minnesota Duluth
Dates: Friday, Nov. 9 / Saturday, Nov. 10
Time: 7:07 pm (CT)
Location: Duluth, Minn.
Venue: Amsoil Arena (6,726)
Radio: KRDO NewsRadio 105.5 FM
TV: Altitude Sports (Saturday Only)
Live Streaming: NCHC.tv
Records: Colorado College 4-3-1, 0-2-0 | Minnesota Duluth 6-1-1, 0-0-0
Series: Minnesota Duluth leads 99-81-10
First Game: 1/4/61, UMD won 6-4
Last Game: 1/13/18, UMD won 5-1
Streak: Minnesota Duluth - 2

This Weekend
Colorado College continues NCHC play this weekend with a two-game series, Nov. 9-10, against the nation's No. 1 team and defending national champions, the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, at 7:07 pm (CT) each night. The games will be broadcast in Colorado Springs on KRDO NewsRadio 105.5 and 92.5 FM, and 1240 AM, and streamed live on NCHC.tv. Saturday's game will be televised live on Altitude Sports.

Last Time Out
The Tigers dropped a pair of close games to No. 2-ranked St. Cloud State at home last weekend ... On Friday, SCSU scored four goals in the third period, including two by Patrick Newell, and posted a 5-3 victory. The Tigers held a 2-1 lead entering the third period, but Newell tied things up at 2-all with a power-play goal at the 8:51 mark. CC's Cole McCaskill, playing his first game of the season, scored on a wrist shot from the top of the left circle at the 9:23 mark to put the Tigers ahead, 3-2. Easton Brodzinski tied the game with a power-play goal at 12:53 of the third, then Newell scored the game winner with 3:26 remaining and Ryan Poehling notched his second of the game with a short-handed empty-net goal with 1:24 left in the game. The Tigers came out strong in the first period and scored twice against SCSU goalie David Hrenak. Tanner Ockey opened the scoring with his first goal of the season at the 9:03 mark and Nick Halloran made it 2-0 with a power play goal with 49.4 seconds remaining in the opening frame. The Huskies clamped down the Tiger offense and dominated the second period, and Poehling cut the Tiger lead in half at the 11:18 mark after taking a pass from Nolan Walker. Alex Leclerc was spectacular in the second period, making 17 saves, including a point-blank shot by Newell right in front of the net with four minutes left in the period. Leclerc then made 13 saves in the final period for a total of 36. After putting eight shots on net in the first period, the Tigers recorded just seven in the final 40 minutes ... On Saturday, Colorado College once again held a one-goal lead over No. 2 St. Cloud State after two periods, and for the second straight night, the Huskies rallied to win the game. Jack Poehling scored at the 7:38 mark of the third period and Brodzinski notched the game-winner on the power play with 2:10 remaining for a 2-1 victory. The Tigers had a power play of their own for the final 50 seconds after Sam Hentges was whistled for hooking. With Leclerc pulled for an extra skater, Hrenak saved a shot by Alex Berardinelli during a scrum in the crease, then stopped Mason Bergh's attempt in the waning seconds. The entire game was very entertaining and very even on the scoresheet. Each team recorded 30 shots and one power-play goal. On the fifth of CC's seven power-play opportunities, Westin Michaud scored his fourth goal of the season to give CC a 1-0 lead at the 11:28 mark of the second period. Michaud sent a backhander past Hrenak after a pass from Nick Halloran was deflected by Trey Bradley in front of the net and went to Michaud at the right side of the net. The Tigers entered the third period with the lead for the seventh time in eight games this season, but Poehling evened things up when he found a loose puck at the bottom of the right circle, turned and fired a shot just inside the near post. The Huskies caught a break as Michaud was called for high-sticking with 3:34 remaining in the third period and Brodzinski scored from the slot for the game winner.

For The Record
Colorado College is 4-3-1 after the weekend against St. Cloud State ... Minnesota Duluth is 6-1-1 after sweeping then-No. 1 Notre Dame, 3-2 and 3-1, two weekends ago in South Bend, Ind.

Previous Meetings
Colorado College and Minnesota Duluth have met 190 times, with the Bulldogs holding a 99-81-10 advantage in the series. UMD swept the Tigers, 6-5 and 5-1, in Colorado Springs last season.  

Scouting the Bulldogs
Scott Perunovich leads the Bulldogs and is tied for second in the NCHC in scoring with 11 points (1g,10a). He is tied for the league and national lead in assists. Parker Mackay follows with eight points (4g,4a). Hunter Shepard has started all eight games this season in the net. He is 6-1-1 with a 2.18 GAA and .906 saves percentage.  

The Coaches
Mike Haviland (Elmira College, '90) is in his fifth 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 … Scott Sandelin (North Dakota, '86) is in his 19th season at Minnesota Duluth. He has led the Bulldogs to the 2011 and 2018 national championships and won the Spencer Penrose Award (Division I Coach of the Year) in 2004.

Happy 80th
This season marks the 80th year of varsity ice hockey at Colorado College and sixth season as a member of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. CC was a charter member of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (1951-52) for 62 seasons before joining the NCHC with seven other schools prior to the 2013-14 campaign.

Up Next
The Tigers return home for a two-game series against NCHC foe Miami University, Nov. 16-17, at the Broadmoor World Arena.

History vs. No. 1
Colorado College has played 39 games 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 12-20-7 overall against top-ranked teams, including an 0-0-2 record last season (both vs. Denver), and 8-7-4 on the road vs. No. 1. Colorado College is 1-1-2 against UMD with the Bulldogs ranked No. 1, with all four games played during the 2016-17 season.

Berardinelli's Five Goals Tied for Fifth in NCHC
Alex Berardinelli did not score a goal last weekend, but  still leads the team and is tied for fifth in the NCHC with five goals this season. He scored in four of CC's first five games this season, including two shorthanded tallies during the same penalty Oct. 13 against Air Force. Berardinelli leads the league and is tied for the national lead with two SHG. He is the first collegiate player to score two shorthanded goals during the same penalty since Feb. 5, 2016, when Minnesota State's Bryce Gervais did it in a 5-1 victory over Bowling Green.

Very Defensive in Four Wins
In their four victories this season, the Tigers have allowed just six goals, and have given up 14 in their tie and two losses.

On the Air
All CC games in 2018-19, home and away, will be 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. Both of this weekend's pre-game shows start 30 minutes before faceoff. The broadcasts also can be heard worldwide via the Internet ... Selected games, including both this weekend, will also be available on KSBV 93.7 FM in Cripple Creek, Divide, Buena Vista, Monarch and Leadville.

Haven't Scored 10 in Nearly 16 Years
The 10 goals scored by Colorado College in the season opener at Alaska Anchorage were the most in one game since defeating Mercyhurst, 10-2, on Nov. 30, 2002, and the most in a road game since a 10-1 triumph at Northern Michigan on Oct. 25, 1995.

Almost Everyone is Back
The Tigers return 98% of their goals and points from last season, the highest percentage of all Division I teams, including the line of Bergh, Bradley and Halloran, which produced 116 points (44g,72a) last season and is the NCHC's top returning line.

Tough Schedule Again This Season
After playing 21 of its 36 games against ranked teams last season, the Tigers are at it again this year. Four of Colorado College's 15 opponents this season played in the NCAA Division I Hockey Tournament last season and 20 of CC's 36 regular-season games are scheduled against teams that are ranked in this week's USCHO's Top 20 poll, including 12 against the last three national champions (Minnesota Duluth, Denver and North Dakota), the most of any team in the country.

Halloran Named to NCHC Preseason Team
Nick Halloran was named to the NCHC Preseason All-Conference Team last month. Halloran and Minnesota Duluth sophomore defenseman Scott Perunovich led all honorees in voting, receiving 24 votes each. Last season, Halloran ranked third in the NCHC with 45 points on 19 goals and 26 assists in 37 games, en route to first-team All-NCHC and second-team All-America honors. He is the first Tiger to be selected to the preseason team since current Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin in 2014-15.

Pikes Peak Trophy Comes to CC
With the victory over Air Force on Oct. 13, Colorado College claimed the Pikes Peak Trophy for the first time. In 2013, Colorado College and Air Force established the Pikes Peak Trophy in memory of the former head coach of both schools, John Matchefts. Matchefts compiled a record of 54-88-3 in five seasons (1966-71) at the Colorado College helm before posting a ledger of 154-150-6 in 11 years (1974-85) with Air Force. The Tigers now own a 61-13-2 all-time record against Air Force.

New On-Campus Arena on the Horizon
Colorado College, in partnership with Colorado Springs' City for Champions initiative, has   unveiled a proposal to build the Edward J. Robson Arena as an on-campus competition arena. If approved, this new facility with 3,000 permanent seats would become the permanent home of CC Tiger Hockey and, for the first time since the program's founding in 1938, the CC hockey team would be able to play games on campus.

Leclerc Named NCHC Goalie of the Week
Colorado College junior goalie Alex Leclerc was named the Bauer NCHC Goalie of the Week after extending his career-high unbeaten streak to five with a win and tie against New Hampshire, Oct. 19-20. In Friday's 3-3 tie, he made a season-high 39 saves, including 16 in the third period and three in overtime. Leclerc then posted his fourth victory of the season with 27 saves in a 4-3 triumph on Saturday. Leclerc, who stopped an NCHC-high 66 shots during the weekend, is 4-0-1 this season with a 1.68 goals-against average and a .938 saves percentage.

Playing Top Two Back-to-Back
For the third consecutive season, Colorado College will face the nation's top two teams in consecutive weekends. Two years ago, the Tigers faced No. 2 Denver, followed by No. 1 Minnesota Duluth at home. Last season, CC played at No. 2 St. Cloud State, followed by No. 1 Denver.

Balanced Scoring
CC has 21 players with at least one point in the first eight games. Bradley and Halloran lead the team with eight points apiece, followed by Michaud with seven, while Berardinelli and Grant Cruikshank each have six. Two players have five points and another five have four points.

Mason Bergh a Candidate for Senior CLASS Award
Bergh has been selected as a candidate for the 2018-19 Senior CLASS Award for hockey. He is one of the 15 men's hockey student-athletes that were selected for excelling both on and off the ice. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.