Colorado College's 2024-25 season came to an end Sunday with a 9-2 loss to 6^th-ranked Denver in the deciding game three of the NCHC quarterfinal series at Magness Arena.
 
The Tigers, playing without injured Kaidan Mbereko, Zaccharya Wisdom and Drew Montgomery, finished the campaign with an 18-18-1 record.
 
Carter King scored twice and Cale Ashcroft and Jack Devine each collected three assists as Denver improved to 28-10-1 and advanced to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff next weekend in St. Paul, Minn.
 
Samu Salminen opened the scoring just 2:20 into the contest. Carsen Musser, who started in place of Mbereko, saved a shot by Ashcroft but the puck went right to Salminen, who placed the rebound in the open net. CC challenged the play for offsides, but after a review, the goal stood.
 
The Pioneers doubled the lead at 17:27 of the opening frame when Garrett Brown raced down the left side and placed a shot over Musser's right shoulder as DU had an extra skater during a delayed penalty.
 
Ty Gallagher cut the lead in half with 1:28 remaining in the period. His centering pass to Gleb Veremyev went off Veremyev's skate and right back to Gallagher, who beat Denver goaltender Matt Davis for his eighth tally of the season.
 
For the second consecutive night, Denver scored three times in the second period to take a commanding lead. Kent Anderson fired a slap shot from the left point past Musser at the 3:38 mark to make it 3-1, then a Denver goal at 15:12 was waved off after CC challenged the play for goaltender interference.
 
However, the Pioneers did make it 4-1 at the 15:58 mark when Kieran Cebrian collected the puck along the right boards, moved to the middle and beat Musser from the slot. King then scored a shorthanded breakaway goal at 17:29 and DU held a 5-1 advantage after 40 minutes.
 
King scored a power-play goal just 49 seconds into the third period, then Gallagher notched CC's first shorthanded goal of the season. Noah Laba's breakaway attempt went wide but he sent a centering pass to Gallagher, whose first shot was saved by Davis but he put home the rebound for the second multi-goal game of his career.
 
Denver added three more goals for the final margin.
 
Musser finished with 19 saves before giving way to senior Henry Wilder (five saves) for the final 9:46 of the game. Davis stopped 20 shots and backup Freddie Halyk had three saves.
 
Gallagher played his 150^th career game and Laba his 100^th Sunday night, while Gallagher, Wilder, Tyler Coffey, Chase McLane, team captain Stanley Cooley, Tommy Middleton and played their final collegiate game.