Colorado College vs. Western Michigan University When: Friday, Nov. 1, 7:37 p.m Saturday, Nov. 2, 6:07 p.m. Where: Broadmoor World Arena Live Streaming: NCHC.tv Live Audio: KRDO Radio Live Stats: CCTigers.com Twitter: @CC_Hockey1 Facebook: Colorado College Hockey Colorado College Game Notes

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This Weekend
Colorado College wraps up its season-opening six-game homestand this weekend and opens play in the NCHC with a two-game series against the Western Michigan Broncos at the Broadmoor World Arena. The puck drops at 7:37 p.m., on Friday, Nov. 1, and 6:07 p.m., on Saturday, Nov. 2. Both games will be broadcast in Colorado Springs on KRDO NewsRadio 105.5 FM, 1240 AM and 92.5 FM and streamed live on NCHC.tv.

Last Time Out
The Tigers split a pair of games against the Michigan State Spartans, Oct. 25-26, at the Broadmoor World Arena ... On Friday, Bailey Conger scored twice and Matt Vernon made 26 saves in his collegiate debut to lead Colorado College to a 3-1 victory. Conger opened the scoring with his first goal as a Tiger during a delayed penalty at the 12:57 mark of the first period. The transfer from Providence College moved across the slot and deflected a shot by Bryan Yoon past MSU goalie Drew DeRidder. Sophomore Jackson Ross collected his first career point with the secondary assist. After a five-minute interference call against MSU, Grant Cruikshank took a cross-ice pass from Chris Wilkie and buried a shot from the right circle with 15 seconds remaining in the first period to make it 2-0. Following a scoreless second period, Conger notched his second of the game 1:14 into the third period. He crashed the right side of the net and hit the post with a shot, but collected the rebound and went behind the net to put in a wraparound past DeRidder. Vernon was stellar throughout the game and made his best save of the night on a Michigan State power play early in the third period. Jerad Rosburg took a cross-ice pass at the top of the right circle and fired a rocket towards the top right corner of the net, but Vernon slid through the crease to make an outstanding glove save and keep the lead at three. The Spartans averted the shutout with a power-play goal by Mitchell Lewandowski with 1:03 remaining in the contest ... On Saturday, Michigan State scored three times in the first seven minutes Saturday and never looked back as the Spartans won 5-1. Jerad Rosburg put the Spartans on the board just 1:15 into the contest with a wraparound that went through the legs of Vernon. Cole Krygier doubled the lead at the 4:39 mark with a shot from the left point and Gianluca Esteves completed a give-and-go with Tommy Apap at 6:48 for a 3-0 advantage. Following Esteves' goal, CC head coach Mike Haviland pulled Vernon in favor of Ryan Ruck, who held MSU off the scoreboard for the rest of the period with eight saves. Ben Copeland cut the deficit to 3-1 with a 4-on-3 power-play goal with 35 seconds remaining in the opening frame. The Spartans extended their lead to 4-1 when Nico Muller put a rebound past Ruck at the 7:24 mark of the second period and Logan Lambdin closed out the scoring at the 6:29 mark of the third.
 
Tiger Tales
Freshmen Sam Renlund and Josiah Slavin and sophomore Jackson Ross each collected his first career point over the weekend ... Yoon posted three assists against Michigan State and has a three-game point streak ... Wilkie attempted a season-high seven shots, one shy of his career high, on Saturday ... Erik Middendorf tied his career high with four shots on Friday ... Cruikshank's GWG on Friday was the second of his career.

The Coaches
Mike Haviland (Elmira College, '90) is in his sixth 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 … Andy Murray (Brandon Univ., '72) is in his ninth season at Western Michigan. 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.

For the Record
Colorado College is 2-2 after splitting a pair of home games with Michigan State last weekend ... Western Michigan 2-3-1 after a home-and-home split with the University of Michigan, Oct. 25-26. The Wolverines won 4-0 on Friday in Ann Arbor, while the Broncos captured a 4-1 victory in Kalamazoo on Saturday.

Previous Meetings
Colorado College and Western Michigan have met 25 times, with the Broncos holding a 12-9-4 advantage in the series. The teams split a pair of games in Colorado Springs  during the 2018-19 regular season, then the Tigers won the best two-of-three series in the first round of the NCHC playoffs in Kalamazoo in three games.
 
Scouting the Broncos
Hugh McGing leads the Broncos with five points (1g,4a), followed by Drew Worrad and Paul Washe with four (2g,2a). Brandon Bussi has started all six games this season. He has a 2-3-1 record with a 2.26 goals-against average and .924 saves percentage.  

Up Next
The Tigers take a week off before heading on the road for the first time this season for a weekend series at St. Cloud State on Friday, Nov. 15, and Saturday, Nov. 16, in St. Cloud, Minn.

New Leadership for '19-20
Senior Alex Berardinelli and sophomore Grant Cruikshank will serve as co-captains of the team for the 2019-20 season, while seniors Nick Halloran and Chris Wilkie and junior Zach Berzolla will be the assistant captains. Cruikshank is the first sophomore in program history to wear the "C".

Another Tough Schedule
The Tigers are scheduled to play 16 of their 34 regular-season games this season against teams that are ranked in this week's USCHO.com Top 20 Poll. Colorado College, which received one vote, also will play 11 games against teams that received votes and 10 contests against the last four national champions (North Dakota, Denver and Minnesota Duluth).   

Tigers Picked Sixth in NCHC Preseason Poll
Colorado College was picked sixth in the 2019-20 NCHC Preseason Poll.

1.    Minnesota Duluth – 218 points (23 first-place votes)
2.    Denver – 178 (2)
3.    Western Michigan – 156 (3)
4.    North Dakota – 143
5.    St. Cloud State – 138
6.    Colorado College – 81
7.    Omaha – 53
8.    Miami – 41

Four For Copeland Against the Broncos
Ben Copeland scored four goals on Feb. 23, 2019 in CC's 8-2 victory over Western Michigan, the first CC player to score four times in a game since Andrew Hamburg against Air Force on Oct. 19, 2012 and the first Tiger freshman with four goals since Jay McNeill against Air Force on Nov. 11, 1992. Copeland was one of two Division I players in the country to score four goals in a game last season (Arizona State's Johnny Walker on Oct. 27 vs. Omaha) and the first Division I freshman with four goals in a game since New Hampshire's Patrick Grasso on Oct. 29, 2016 vs. Merrimack. He also was the second player to score four goals in an NCHC conference game in the history of the league. Joey Benik of St. Cloud State had four goals vs. WMU on Nov. 14, 2015.

Ten Newcomers Join the Program
Including grad transfers Ruck (Northeastern) and Andrew Gaus (Yale), the Tigers welcome 10 newcomers to the program. In addition, Bailey Conger is eligible to play this season after transferring from Providence and sitting out the 2018-19 campaign. The incoming freshman class was ranked No. 10 in the country by College Hockey News.

First Appearance at the NCHC Frozen Faceoff
After finishing the 2018-19 regular season in sixth place in the NCHC, Colorado College made its first appearance in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff in the six years of the league's   existence last season. By winning the best-of-three series, 2-1, over third-seeded    Western Michigan, the Tigers became the first lower-seeded team to win an NCHC quarterfinal series since St. Cloud State won at Omaha in 2015.

The Gold Pan and Pikes Peak Trophy Come to CC
Colorado College claimed The Gold Pan for the first time since 2014 when the Tigers swept Denver on March 8-9 to close the regular season. In addition, with the 6-1 victory over Air Force on Oct. 13, Colorado College claimed the Pikes Peak Trophy.  

Highest Pairwise Finish in Seven Years
Colorado College finished the 2018-19 campaign 23rd in the Pairwise rankings, the  highest finish to a season since 21st following the 2011-12 season. The Tigers' 17 victories last season were the most since 18 in 2012-13.   

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. The arena, with an estimated capacity of 3,400+ seats, will become the permanent home of CC Tiger Hockey and for the first time since the program began in 1938, the hockey team will play games on campus. The arena is expected to open in the fall of 2021.