(7) Colorado College Tigers at (2) Denver Pioneers

NCHC Quarterfinal Series

Game Notes: Colorado College | Denver
Dates: Friday, March 9 | Saturday, March 10 | Sunday, March 11 (if nec.)
Times: 7:07 pm | 7:07 pm | 6:07 pm
Location: Denver, Colo.
Venue: Magness Arena (6,026)
Radio: KRDO NewsRadio 105.5, 92.5 FM / 1240 AM | 93.7 KSBV (West of Pikes Peak)
TV: None
Live Streaming: NCHC.tv
Records: Colorado College 14-15-5, 8-12-4-3 NCHC | Denver 18-8-8, 12-6-6-4 NCHC
Rankings: Colorado College --/-- | Denver 4/5
Series: Denver leads 176-117-19
First Game: 1/6/50, CC won 16-0
Last Game: 2/17/18, CC won 1-0

This Weekend
Colorado College travels north on I-25 to Denver this weekend for the first round of the 2018 NCHC playoffs against the No. 2-seed and fourth-ranked Denver Pioneers at Magness Arena. The best-of-three series begins on Friday, March 9 at 7:07 pm. The 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 at NCHC.tv.

Last Time Out
The Tigers split with Western Michigan in the final series of the 2017-18 regular season ... On Friday, Alex Leclerc had 33 saves and Cole McCaskill scored the game-winning goal with 2:50 remaining in the third period to lead CC to a 2-1 victory. The Tigers trailed 1-0 heading into the third period, but Mason Bergh evened the game at the 9:42 mark with his 16th goal of the season. Trey Bradley gathered the puck in his own end, found Nick Halloran along the left boards and Halloran centered the puck to Bergh, who beat WMU goalie Austin Cain from the high slot. Leclerc kept the momentum on CC's side throughout the third period, making 16 saves, then McCaskill scored his second goal of the season to give the Tigers the victory. With the teams playing 4-on-4, Halloran took a pass from Zach Berzolla, skated to the corner and found McCaskill streaking down the slot and he cleanly beat Cain for his second career game-winner. After a sluggish first period by the Tigers, which included a goal by WMU's Austin Rueschhoff at the 8:13 mark, Leclerc was outstanding the rest of the way. He made a spectacular save on Hugh McGing during a 2-on-0 rush midway through the second period, then stoned the Broncos several more times from point-blank range in the final 20 minutes, including a couple in the final minute as WMU pulled its goaile for an extra skater ... On Saturday, Western Michigan scored six goals in a span of eight minutes, 50 seconds during the second period and defeated the Tigers, 8-2. Christiano Versich put the Tigers on the board just 1:44 into the contest when he took a pass from Trevor Gooch, moved to the center of the ice and placed a wrister past Cain from the high slot. Bergh also collected an assist on Versich's fifth goal of the season. Later in the period, Western Michigan took advantage of two CC penalties and Corey Schueneman scored during the 5-on-3 advantage to even the game at the 13:27 mark. Just 1:44 later, after the Tigers killed off the second penalty, Brett Van Os completed a give-and-go play with Cam Lee and sent a wrist shot over the right shoulder of Leclerc to give WMU a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes. Bradley evened the score at 2-2 with a power-play goal at the 2:59 mark of the second period, assisted by Westin Michaud and Bergh, but the Broncos blew the game wide open by scoring the next six goals. Josh Passolt and Paul Stoykewych scored 50 seconds apart to make it 4-2, then Cam Orchard and Ethen Frank scored 49 seconds apart and it was 6-2 at the 13:48 mark. Van Os notched his second of the game at the 15:28 mark and Frank scored on a shorthanded breakaway with 1:58 left for the final goal of the game. Leclerc made 23 saves before giving way to Alec Calvaruso after Orchard's goal made it 5-2. Calvaruso made 10 saves in 27 minutes of action. Cain finished the game with 25 saves.
 
Tigers Finish Tied For Fifth in NCHC
The Tigers finished in a three-way tie for fifth place in the NCHC standings with Western Michigan and Omaha, CC's best regular-season finish in conference play since a fifth-place finish in the WCHA in 2011-12. The Tigers, who posted the second-biggest improvement by points in the league standings from last season (+14; St. Cloud State was +22), finished eighth in the league the last three years and seventh in the first year of the NCHC in 2013-14.

Halloran Named First-Team All-NCHC; Bergh Honorable Mention
Halloran was named to the NCHC all-conference first team, while Bergh was an honorable mention. Halloran finished tied for second in the voting among all players with 19 points, including six first-team votes, in balloting by the league's eight head coaches. He produced a breakout season that has him tied for the NCHC scoring lead with 44 points (19g,25a) heading into the NCHC playoffs after scoring nine points last season as a freshman. He is even atop the scoring list with Denver's Henrik Borgstrom, who was the only unanimous all-conference selection this season. Halloran joins Jaccob Slavin as the only Tigers to earn first-team honors from the NCHC. Slavin, who currently plays for the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes, was a first-team defenseman in 2014-15 after leading the Tigers in scoring with 25 points. Bergh collected four points in the voting and was named an honorable mention for the '17-18 campaign after recording a career-high 37 points (16g,21a).

Conference Tournament History
Colorado College is 58-82 all-time in conference postseason play. The Tigers were 41-51-2 during first-round series' in the WCHA (a two-game, total-goal series was played prior to the 1987-88 season, best-of three series since then), and are 1-8 in the NCHC first round the past four seasons, with the first seven games played at North Dakota and two last year at Denver.

For the Record
Colorado College is 14-15-5 overall after splitting at Western Michigan. CC finished with a record of 8-12-4-3 in the NCHC, good for 31 points and a fifth-place tie ... Denver is 18-8-8 overall and finished 12-6-6-4 in league play, earning 46 points and second place in the NCHC ... The teams went 1-1-2 against each other this season, with the Tigers recording a 1-0-1 mark at Magness Arena. The teams tied 4-4 in Denver on Dec. 8, with CC scoring in the 3x3 overtime period, then the Tigers collected a 1-0 victory at Magness on Feb. 17.  

Previous Meetings
Denver holds a 176-117-19 advantage in the all-time series with Colorado College. The 312 games between the two teams is the second-most played rivalry in college hockey. Michigan and Michigan State have played 314 times. The teams have squared off 24 times in the postseason, with the Pioneers holding a 14-10 advantage. The two teams faced off last season in the NCHC quarterfinal series, with the top-seeded Pioneers winning the best two-of-three series, 2-0. Denver won the two games, 4-1 and 4-0.  
 
The Coaches
Mike Haviland (Elmira College, '90) is in his fourth season at the helm of the Tigers. He led the Tigers to the Florida College Hockey Classic title last season. Haviland came to Colorado College after serving one year as head coach of the Hershey Bears (AHL) and was an assistant coach for the Chicago Blackhawks from 2008-12, helping the team win the Stanley Cup in 2010 … Jim Montgomery (Maine, '93) is in his fifth season as head coach at Denver. He spent the previous three seasons as head coach and general manager of the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL. Montgomery is Maine's all-time leading scorer with 301 points (103g, 198a).

Scouting the Pioneers
Henrik Borgstrom leads Denver and is tied for the NCHC scoring lead with Halloran, both with 44 points (19g,25a) this season. He is followed by Dylan Gambrell with 41 (12g,29a) and Troy Terry with 37 (11g,26a). Tanner Jalliet leads the NCHC with a 1.93 goals-against average and is second in the league with 17 wins and a .926 saves pct.

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. The pregame show begins 37 minutes prior to the start of the game. The broadcasts also can be heard worldwide via the Internet ... Select games, including all games this weekend, also will be available on KSBV 93.7 FM in Cripple Creek, Divide, Buena Vista, Monarch and Leadville.

14 Wins Most in Five Years
With Friday night's victory, the Tigers achieved their 14th win of the season, more than the team's win total in each of the last four seasons. It was also CC's eighth league victory, the most in one season since 2012-13.

Outstanding in One-Goal Games
Following the victory over WMU Friday night, the Tigers are 9-3 in one-goal games this season. That is the most one-goal victories in a season since 2012-13 (11).

Another Tough Schedule
After playing the second-toughest schedule in the country last season, the Tigers are at it again this year. Five of Colorado College's 13 opponents this season played in last season's NCAA Division I Hockey Tournament last season and 20 of CC's 34 games this year were against teams in the top 20 of this week's Pairwise rankings.

Very Defensive in 14 Wins
In their 14 victories this season, the Tigers have allowed just 21 goals, including three shutouts, which are the most in one season since 2010-11 (5).
 
Halloran Ties For NCHC Scoring Lead
Halloran, who had two assists against Western Michigan Friday night, finished the regular season tied for the NCHC scoring lead with Henrik Borgstrom of Denver. Both players scored 44 points (19g,25a) and are tied for sixth in the country in scoring.

Seven Career Highs This Season
Halloran (44), Bergh (37), Bradley (27), Michaud (23), Gooch (19), Kristian Blumenschein (13) and Ben Israel (11), have a career-high in points this season.

Rally, Rally, Rally
Including Friday's victory, Colorado College has rallied from a 1-0 deficit to win five times this season, surpassing last year's total of wins after an opponent scored first. The Tigers won only once last season after the opponent scored first, a 2-1 victory at St. Cloud State in the regular-season finale.

And More Rallying ...
Friday's victory over Western Michigan was the second this season by the Tigers when trailing after two periods. The other was Jan. 20, a 6-5 overtime victory at Western Michigan, which was the first since Dec. 5, 2015.

Most Goals Since 2013
Colorado College has scored 94 goals this season, the most in one campaign since   scoring 133 in 2012-13.

Saturday Success
Despite the loss last Saturday to Western Michigan, the Tigers have been very successful on Saturday this season, posting a 9-5-3 record. Four of the five losses were against ranked teams and seven of the nine wins have been by one goal.

5 with 20
After having just one player reach the 20-point mark each of the last three seasons, five Tigers have reached that plateau this season, the most since seven players hit the mark in the 2012-13 campaign.

Halloran Fastest to 40 Points in 12 Years
Halloran reached the 40-point mark in 28 games, the fewest by a Tiger since Brett Sterling needed 27 during the 2005-06 campaign. He is the first Tiger to score 40 points in a season since Rylan Schwartz (53) and Alexander Krushelnyski (43) in 2012-13.

First 1-0 Victory in Over Seven Years
CC's victory over Denver on Feb. 17 was its first 1-0 win since Oct. 23, 2010 at
Minnesota State. It also marked the first shutout in a true road game for the Tigers since a 3-0 victory at Wisconsin on Nov. 3, 2012.
 
No Seniors This Season
Colorado College is one of only two Division I programs in the country without a senior on the 2017-18 roster. Boston College is the other. However, BC does have a graduate student on its roster this season.