Tyler Coffey scored two goals and Kaidan Mbereko and Matt Vernon combined for 42 saves to lead Colorado College to a 4-2 upset over No. 3-ranked St. Cloud State Friday night at the National Hockey Center.
 
With the victory, the Tigers improved to 10-10-1 overall and 6-4-1 in the NCHC, good for a second-place tie with the Huskies (15-6-0, 7-4-0 NCHC). CC also snapped a nine-game losing streak and 11-game winless skid against St. Cloud State, dating back to a 5-2 victory in St. Cloud on Nov. 16, 2019.
 
The Tigers were on their heels early in the contest and had to kill two penalties in the first 12 minutes of the game. The Huskies dominated the play in the first 20 minutes and Grant Cruikshank put the Huskies on the board with 2:26 remaining in the first period when he deflected a shot by Ondrej Trebel past Mbereko.
 
Mbereko was forced to make 20 saves in the first period, the most by a Tiger goalie in one frame this season, as SCSU outshot the Tigers 21-6. Colorado College turned the tide in the second period and took the lead with a pair of power-play goals one minute apart.
 
With a 5-on-3 advantage, Coffey put the Tigers on the board at the 6:12 mark with a one-timer from the bottom of the right circle that went top shelf over SCSU goalie Jaxon Castor, then Hunter McKown notched his national-leading 10th power-play goal 60 seconds later with a nasty wrister from the slot.
 
Mbereko made six saves in the middle frame, including one that went right off his facemask late in the period. He had to exit the game and was replaced by Matt Vernon for the final 3:18 of the second period. Vernon stopped three shots and the Tigers took a one-goal lead into the second intermission.
 
Vernon continued in net for the third period and Coffey put the Tigers up by a pair just 1:06 into the frame off a perfect cross-ice pass from Ethan Straky for his seventh goal of the season. Noah Laba (two assists) also had a helper on the play. 
 
Noah Prokop sealed the victory with an empty-net goal with 3:35 remaining in the contest. SCSU's Joe Molenar scored the game's final goal with 1:01 left to play.
 
St. Cloud finished with 44 shots, the most by an opponent this season, while CC attempted 24. Mbereko had 26 saves, while Vernon finished with 16 in his relief appearance. Castor had 20 saves for the Huskies.
 
The Tigers capitalized on both of their power-plays and killed off all three penalties, including one with 35 seconds left in the third period.
 
The two teams will battle for possession of second place on Saturday, Jan. 14, beginning at 5 p.m. (MT).