Colorado College Tigers vs. Vermont Catamounts

Game Notes: Colorado College
Dates: Friday, Dec. 7 / Saturday, Dec. 8
Times: 7:37 pm / 6:07 pm
Location: Colorado Springs, Colo.
Venue: Broadmoor World Arena (7,380)
Radio: KRDO NewsRadio 105.5 FM
TV: AT&T SportsNet (Friday Only)
Live Streaming: NCHC.tv
Records: Colorado College 6-6-2, 2-5-1-0 NCHC | Vermont 4-7-1, 1-6-1 Hockey East
Series: Colorado College leads 3-2-0
First Game: 12/21/76, Vermont won 5-3
Last Game: 10/17/17, CC won 4-3
Streak: Colorado College - 1

This Weekend
Colorado College returns home for a non-conference series against the Vermont Catamounts at the Broadmoor World Arena. Friday's game begins at 7:37 p.m., and will be televised live on AT&T SportsNet (Rocky Mountain, Southwest, and ROOT Sports Northwest), while Saturday's contest is set to start at 6:07 p.m. Both games will be broadcast in Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak Region on KRDO NewsRadio 105.5 and 92.5 FM, and 1240 AM, and streamed live on NCHC.tv.

Last Time Out
Colorado College took four points against Omaha last weekend at Baxter Arena ... On Friday, the Tigers rallied from a 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 lead midway through the third period, but Omaha scored late in regulation to force a 3-3 tie. After two scoreless overtime periods, Mason Morelli scored in the shootout, while Evan Weninger saved Christiano Versich's attempt to give Omaha the extra point in the NCHC standings. Riley Alferd opened the scoring for Omaha at the 5:41 mark of the first period, then the Mavericks took a 2-0 lead at the 9:51 mark when Morelli scored just seven seconds into Omaha's first power play of the night. Mason Bergh cut the Omaha lead in half with a power-play goal with 1:54 remaining in the first period after Alex Berardinelli feathered a behind-the-back pass to Bergh on the right side. Bergh sent the shot off Weninger's pad as he was sprawled out in the crease. Erik Middendorf evened the score just 2:57 into the third period and Troy Conzo gave CC a 3-2 lead at the 11:46 mark of the third on the power play with his first goal of the season. Fredrik Olofsson made it 3-3 with 2:20 remaining in regulation when he poked the puck past Alex Leclerc during a scrum in front of the net. The Tigers had to fight off an Omaha power play in the 3x3 overtime, and Leclerc stopped Steven Spinner on a breakaway during the PK to send the game to the shootout ... On Saturday, CC scored four goals in the first period and Trevor Gooch and Versich collected three points apiece as the Tigers defeated Omaha 6-3. Gooch scored two goals, his third career multi-goal game, and added an assist, while Versich recorded one goal and two assists for the second three-point contest of his career. The Tigers exploded for four goals in the first period, led off by Ben Copeland just 1:28 into the game. Leclerc moved the puck around the boards to Zach Berzolla, who rushed up ice and sent the puck off the end boards hard enough to collect himself and get it to Copeland, who scored his third of the season from the slot. Leclerc recorded his second assist of the season and is tied for the national lead among goalies. Versich doubled the lead at the nine-minute mark when Gooch won a faceoff and got the puck to Versich, who beat Weninger just inside the left post from the slot. Copeland earned an assist on CC's third goal by sending a shot from the end line towards Weninger, but the puck stayed loose and Berardinelli poked it into the net for his team-leading sixth tally of the season at the 14:21 mark. Gooch wrapped up the first-period onslaught with 2:44 left in the frame. Versich forced a turnover behind the Omaha net and found Gooch, who scored his third of the season from the bottom of the left circle. Each team scored once in the second period, including Gooch notching his second of the game at the 4:33 mark to make it 5-1. Bergh scored his fifth goal in the last four games for the final Tiger goal midway through the third.

For The Record
Colorado College is 6-6-2 overall and 2-5-1 in the NCHC after gtying and winning last weekend at Omaha ... Vermont is 4-7-1 overall and 1-6-1 in Hockey East after losing and tying against Maine at home last weekend.

Previous Meetings
CC and Vermont have played five times, with the Tigers holding a 3-2 advantage in the all-time series. The teams split a two-game series in Burlington last season. The two teams met in the semifinals of the 1996 NCAA Tournament, with CC winning 4-3 in 2ot.

Tiger Tales
Nick Halloran (4g,7a) leads the Tigers in scoring with 11 points, followed by Bergh (5g.5a) and Trey Bradley (3g,7a) with 10 points apiece. Berardinelli follows with nine  (6g,3a) and leads the team with six goals. Leclerc has a 6-5-2 record with a 2.56 GAA and .914 saves percentage. He is tied for the national lead among goalies with two assists this season percentage.  

Scouting the Catamounts
Liam Coughlin and Max Kaufman lead the Catamounts with seven points apiece (2g,5a). Joey Cipolione follows with six points (5g,1a) and leads the team with five goals. Stefanos Lekkas has played every game in the net this season and sports a 4-7-1 record, along with  a 2.23 GAA and .934 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 … Kevin Sneddon (Harvard, '92) is in his 16th season as head coach at Vermont. He has led the Catamounts to three NCAA Tournament berths in the last 10 seasons, including the program's second-ever NCAA Frozen Four berth in 2009.    

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
Colorado College travels to Tempe, Az., for a two-game series, Dec. 14-15, at 19th-ranked Arizona State.

Very Defensive in Six Wins
In their six victories this season, the Tigers have allowed 10 goals, and have given up 25 in the other seven games.

Balanced Scoring
CC has 22 players, including Leclerc, with at least one point in the first 14 games, while 17 Tigers have scored at least one goal this season.
 
Bergh Cracks Top 100
With his two goals at Omaha last weekend, Bergh moved into the top 100 on CC's career scoring list. He is tied with William Rapuzzi (2009-13) and Greg Hampson (1979-83) for 97th place with 87 points (41g,46a). All five of Bergh's goals this season have come in the last four games, setting a career high with at least one goal in four consecutive games.

Couple of NCHC Milestones Last Weekend
The Tigers' 1-0-1 mark at Omaha last weekend was just the second unbeaten series on the road against an NCHC opponent since beginning league play in the 2013-14 season. The other weekend was a tie and win at then-No. 1 Minnesota Duluth on Jan. 6-7, 2017. CC's nine goals last weekend were the most in a road league series since scoring the same amount at North Dakota on Nov. 25-26, 2011.

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 will also be available on KSBV 93.7 FM in Cripple Creek, Divide, Buena Vista, Monarch and Leadville.

Played Top Two Back-to-Back, Again
By playing No. 2 St. Cloud State and No. 1 Minnesota Duluth back-to-back earlier this month, Colorado College faced the nation's top two teams in consecutive weekends for the third consecutive season. 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.

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.

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 22 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 (Minn. Duluth, Denver and North Dakota), the most of any team in the country.

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.

Halloran Named to NCHC Preseason Team
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.

Teddy Bear Toss on Saturday
Saturday's game will feature the annual "Teddy Bear Toss", once agian benefitting the Bob Telmosse' Christmas Giveaway. Fans will have the opportunity to throw a stuffed animal onto the ice during the first intermission, while other donated toys can be dropped off at collection boxes along the arena concourse. The donations will help make this the biggest and best Christmas giveaway for families in the community who need a little help this holiday season. The annual Bob Telmosse' Christmas Giveaway is simply about "people helping people." For more information, please visit www.santa-bob.org.

Berardinelli Tied for National Lead with Two Shortys
Berardinelli, who scored five of his team-leading six goals in the first five games this season, leads the NCHC and is tied for the national lead with two shorthanded goals. He scored both SHG during the same penalty Oct. 13 against Air Force. Berardinelli is the first collegiate player to score two shorthanded goals during the same penalty since Feb. 5, 2016 (Minnesota State's Bryce Gervais did it in a 5-1 victory over Bowling Green).

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.

Strong out of the Gate
The Tigers have outscored their opponents 34-21 in the first two periods this season. CC has led or been tied after two periods in 11 of its 14 games.