Despite disappointing end to season, this year’s Tigers garnered national respect, further set foundation for future championship aspirations

By Joe Paisley

This past season should be remembered for more than 0.0004, the Pairwise rankings margin that Massachusetts had over CC to secure the final at-large berth in this weekend’s NCAA Tournament.

Consider how Tigers fans and those around the program had to pay attention to the Pairwise rankings for the first time in more than decade. That’s telling when considering the progress made by this program in three seasons under coach Kris Mayotte and his staff.

“We got as close as we can to reaching our potential and I truly believe we became one of the best teams in the country,” Mayotte said during the season-ending media conference. “It’s always going to be a tough pill to swallow when you are that close and it doesn’t go your way. It cannot take away from the work that was done and the progress that was made.”

One step forward for the National Collegiate Hockey Conference program was a changed national perception of the 21-13-3 Tigers, who were ranked in the Top 10 for the first time since Feb. 2012 and will likely finish the season in the Top 20.

“The biggest thing we talked about with our guys is the respect they were able to bring to the program,” Mayotte said. “That is probably the hardest thing to get and it is certainly something that people don’t give freely. The way people will talk about this program moving forward is a lot different than it has been in recent memory and that is all due to their work.”

It showed as this season continued. which featured the 11^th most difficult schedule in the nation.

“It’s gotten the fans back,” Mayotte said. “We can all say the second half this this season had a completely different feel and energy playing games here. It was a true home-ice advantage.

That changed perception both locally and nationally should help in the future for a program that is well supported by the college and has a newer facility in Ed Robson Arena.

“I think it’s about when you talk about on the recruiting trail, we are a have program,” Mayotte said. “We are not a have-not program. We are not a middle-of-the-road program.

“We present a package on why you should come here that’s as good as anybody’s,” he added. “What we haven’t been able to show is recent success. So, the student athletes we have been recruiting have had to take a leap of faith that the success was going to come. The guys who are here right now have done that.

“It’s not going to be easier for the next guy but it’s not just us telling them why we think this will be successful. You can look around and see what we have built and how we have built it without using the transfer portal (heavily), investing in our recruits, investing in our player development.  They can see how it plays out instead of it just sounding like a pitch.”

The future

For next year’s team –about a third of the current roster will graduate, go pro or leave via the NCAA transfer portal – 0.0004 won’t provide additional motivation. The freshman class will be defenseman-heavy to balance out the roster after forward-laden classes in Mayotte’s first three years.

“It is going to be a good class, there just won’t be as much asked of it,” Mayotte said. “We don’t need to. We’ll see if that changes but as of right now, we don’t need a first-line center or a No 1 defenseman. We have that in our program. We think we have a lot of quality and depth coming in.”

Whether they or any possible transfers will be called on to replace NY Rangers draft pick Noah Laba or free-agent goalie Kaidan Mbereko remains to be seen. Both are rightfully getting scouts’ attention and they will spend the next several weeks considering whether leaving now for the pros would pave a path to the NHL.

The eight graduating seniors have one year’s eligibility remaining due to the pandemic so all might consider a return to CC or hit the transfer portal to start graduate school elsewhere. Six – Nicklaus Andrews, – Ray Christy, Tyler Coffey, Chase Foley, Danny Weight and captain Logan Will – have entered the portal.

Senior defenseman Jack Millar said he will either go pro or return to CC.

“It’s pretty much deciding whether I want to sign a contract and go somewhere or come back and play,” Millar said. “I am just weighing those options.”

And while the individual Tigers consider their futures, CC fans can look back on the 2023-24 season as another positive step towards becoming a program that can win a national title, something that seemed quite unlikely three short years ago.

“I have said it from the day I got this job,” Mayotte said. “This is a championship program. This is a top-five program in the country and I believe that as much today as I did then. But (now) I think it will be easier for others to see what we have been talking about for three years.”

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

Most wins since 2011

First winning record since 2012

Tied for third in NCHC, best finish since joining league in 2013-14

Tied for NCAA lead with nine wins over 2024 NCAA Tournament teams

Ten wins versus ranked teams most since the 20078-08 season

Mayotte named NCHC Coach of the Year

Mbereko named NCHC Goaltender of the Year and finalist for Mike Richter Award as nation’s best

Laba named NCHC Defensive Forward of the Year

First four-game season sweep of North Dakota in program’s 85-year history-

Ranked in Top 20 for first time since December 2012 and first time in Top 10 since February 2012

Tigers’ NCAA tourney waiting game begins after Game 3 loss to Omaha in NCHC quarterfinals

By Joe Paisley

Colorado College will be back at practice on Wednesday, hoping that their hockey season isn’t over.

With a 2-1 loss to Omaha in Game 3 of their best-of-three National Collegiate Hockey Conference quarterfinal playoff series, the 21-13-3 Tigers must wait until next weekend’s league championships to find out if they make the 16-team NCAA Tournament field.

“We’re not done yet,” Tigers coach Kris Mayotte said. “Unfortunately, it’s not in our hands. We got to believe we have the opportunity to do it again. We were hoping we could take care of business tonight, punch our ticket and control our destiny.” 

The loss before an announced sellout crowd of 3,416 at Ed Robson Arena dropped the Tigers down to 14^th in the Pairwise rankings and right at the cutoff line with the 15^th and 16^th seeds earmarked for the CCHA and Atlantic Hockey playoff champions.

“There are some scenarios out there that get us into the tournament,” Mayotte said. “We’ll take Monday and Tuesday off and come back and get ready to go, start preparing on Wednesday. That is all we can do at this point.”

With the win and according to the Pairwise Probability Matrix tool, 11^th-rated Omaha is in the NCAAs for sure while 12^th-rated Western Michigan has a 99 percent chance, 13^th Massachusetts 91 percent; 14^th Colorado College, 49 percent; with Cornell, Dartmouth and St. Cloud State all needing to win league playoff titles to get an automatic qualifier.

Cornell and Dartmouth play in one ECAC semifinal while SCSU plays Denver Friday at the NCHC Frozen Face-off. Omaha plays top-seeded North Dakota in the other semi in St. Paul. CC may move up if Massachusetts loses in the Hockey East semifinals.

Mayotte was a Providence assistant in 2015 when the Friars made the tourney as a 14^th seed and won a national championship. They made it in only after Minnesota ended Michigan’s bid for the Big Ten’s automatic qualifier in the title game, leaving a spot open for PC.

Knowing that, Mayotte spent time with the team after Sunday’s loss, making sure they know the season may not be over.

“I shared with (the team) that when we won it in Providence we were in much the same situation,” Mayotte said. “We’ll start preparing on Wednesday as if we are in and we have a week and a half to prepare. I trust if we do get a chance, this team will be ready and excited and attack the opportunity.”

On Sunday, Omaha forward Brock Bremer converted a 3-on-2 breakaway by one-timing a cross-ice pass from defenseman Griffin Ludtke, who forced a CC turnover in the neutral zone to set up the rush. 

That put the 22-11-4 Mavericks ahead 2-1 with 13:21 left in the third period. It would be enough with goalie Simon Latkoczy (31 saves) anchoring a defense that collapsed down low to keep opponents out of the slot.

“You have to find a way to get open looks and against them, that’s hard,” Mayotte said. “The way they defend they always have guys around the net. They don’t vacate very much.”

CC got the start it needed when freshman Klavs Veinbergs knocked in a rebound off a Noah Laba shot for a power-play goal and 1-0 lead with 4:26 left in the first period. It was the first lead this series for the Tigers, not counting Friday’s overtime winner, but would only last 21 minutes, 46 seconds.

Omaha would tie it up at 1-1 when Jimmy Glynn lifted the puck over CC sophomore goalie Kaidan Mbereko(20 saves) with 2:40 left in the second period. The Tigers looked to have retaken the lead but Latkoczy reached behind himself and covered the puck before it crossed the line – the on-ice officials ruled – with 1:52 left to keep it tied entering the third period. UNO had a goal disallowed about five minutes earlier on an offsides call.

“They capitalize on mistakes and we didn’t make many tonight,” he added. “(Mbereko) made some big saves. It wasn’t like they scored on their only two chances but they were fairly opportunistic. We just really couldn’t get our footing back. They started taking over in the second period. It felt like we chased it a bit after that.”

Knowing that Sunday might have been the final game for the eight Tiger seniors and one graduate student, they can take pride knowing what they accomplished.

“If we don’t get a chance to do it again, they changed the program,” Mayotte said. “Not many teams get that opportunity to actually do it. There are a lot of places that talk about it and lot of teams told they have a chance. But to actually do the work that it takes to really do it, especially in this league where it is a battle every night, (we are) incredibly proud of this group.”

”We hope we get another chance because they have a legacy that I would like them to continue building because they have done such good work pushing this program forward,” he added.

Ice chips

Freshman Bret Link missed Sunday’s game with an upper-body injury sustained in Saturday’s loss. … CC is now 1-3in NCHC quarterfinal series Game 3s. The Tigers lost to North Dakota (2013-14) and Denver (2017-18) and won at Western Michigan in 2018-19 to secure the program’s first semifinals appearance. … The Tigers are now 65-93 all-time in postseason play. …. CC’s 21 wins are the most since the 2010-11 squad that won 23 games and made the NCAA West Regional Final in St. Louis. That was the last time CC competed in the NCAA Tournament. … The Tigers are 18-2 this season when scoring three or more goals and 20-6-3 when allowing fewer than three. … The Tigers have lost just five times in regulation in the past 22 games. … Laba has seven game-winning goals, the most by a Tiger since Brett Sterling (8) during the 2005-06 season. … Nine Tigers have recorded at least 10 assists, the most since the 2012-13 squad (9). … UNO leads the all-time series 30-15-7 with a 14-10-1 mark in Colorado Springs.

NCHC Quarterfinals 

Sunday Game 3s

No. 3 St. Cloud State 5, No. 6 Western Michigan 1, Huskies win series 2-1

No. 5 Omaha 2, No. 4 Colorado College 1, Mavericks win series 2-1

NCHC Frozen Faceoff

Excel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minn.

All games on CBS Sports Network

Friday semifinals

4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. CT

No. 3 St. Cloud State at No. 2 Denver

No. 5 Omaha at No. 1 North Dakota

Saturday championship

Semifinal winners, 7:30 p.m. CT

Omaha clamps down in third, forces decisive Game 3 Sunday at Ed Robson Arena for Tigers

By Joe Paisley

There was no memorable Tigers rally Saturday. So, there will be a decisive Game 3 on Sunday.

Omaha converted on both its power-play chances and used a stifling defensive effort in the third period to down Colorado College, 3-1, and forced a best-of-three NCHC quarterfinal series finale at 6 p.m. Sunday at Ed Robson Arena.

Omaha never trailed after scoring a power-play goal just 3:13 into Game 2 on a snipe by Tanner Ludtke before an announced sellout crowd of 3,410.

“We didn’t handle them being a desperate hockey team well enough,” Tigers coach Kris Mayotte said. “When you are trying to eliminate a team, you cannot give them that type of life. Unfortunately, we did. I liked our response but we never got a lead.”

Colorado College controlled most of the play, hemming in the Mavericks for extended stretches and peppering Mavs goalie Simon Latkoczy with shots, but the Tigers were unable to connect on the rebounds, which were there for the taking.

The Slovakian made 31 of his 39 saves through the first 40 minutes to keep Omaha ahead, 2-1, entering the third.

“You can’t let it frustrate you,” Mayotte said. “You start squeezing it and start trying to make something out of nothing. We have to recommit to what has worked for us for two games in terms of how we get possession and how we get O-zone time.”

“I think there are a lot more positive than negative coming out of this game,” he added, noting the 32-10 shots margin and lopsided time of possession. “That has to be our focus.”

With the loss and Western Michigan’s win over third-seeded St. Cloud State, there will be two Game 3s in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference quarterfinals with Western Michigan 11^th Omaha 12th, CC 13^th and the Huskies 17^th in the most recent Pairwise rankings, which help the NCAA Selection Committee determine the 16-team field. 

All four teams need to win and advance to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff next weekend to bolster their chances of garnering an at-large NCAA Tournament berth. The loser would no longer be playing and likely miss out on the NCAAs.

Omaha salted the win away when it converted its second power play in as many chances when Brock Bremer fired a wrister high stick side with 12:23 remaining in the game to pull ahead, 3-1.

By then, the 21-11-4 Mavericks were forcing CC to dump the puck in and chase. Omaha kept CC from setting up in the UNO zone over the final 20 minutes and the 21-12-3 Tigers were unable to mount a comeback even with an extra attacker over the final two-plus minutes.

“We were pressing,” Mayotte said. “We had a little more time and space than we thought sometimes and we just put pucks deep. I thought (Omaha) did a good job breaking pressure and then punting pucks out into the neutral zone, making us have to retrieve and go back at it.” 

In the first period, CC senior defenseman Chase Foley scored his second goal in as many games about four minutes after the opening goal to tie it at 1-1. Assists on Foley’s third career goal went to Evan Werner who collected the puck after defenseman Max Burkholder forced a UNO turnover in the Tigers’ zone.

It was the senior defenseman’s third career goal with his first being the inaugural goal recorded at Robson Arena back in October 2021. He was happy to start finding the net, but knows Sunday’s result is the real concern.

“We have to find a way to win on Sunday, that’s our focus right now,” Foley said. “When they had that lead, they did a good job locking us down. We have to find a way to get to the net better and get more pucks on net. That has to be our focus (Sunday).”

Omaha would go ahead 2-1 when Jimmy Glynn collected a rebound, spun and fired a backhander past a screened Kaidan Mbereko (18 saves) with 3:14 left in the first for the eventual game winner.

Ice chips

The Tigers are now 65-92 all-time in postseason play. …. CC’s 21 wins are the most since the 2010-11 squad that won 23 games and made the NCAA West Regional Final in St. Louis. That was the last time CC competed in the NCAA Tournament. … The Tigers are 18-2 this season when scoring three or more goals and 20-5-3 when allowing fewer than three. … CC’s 50 shots on Friday were the most by the Tigers on one game since Nov. 20, 2009 versus Robert Morris. … Friday’s 34-shot margin was the largest since 55-15 vs. Mercyhurst on Nov. 30, 2002. … The Tigers have lost just four times in regulation in the past 21 games. … Friday’s 4-3 playoff home OT victory was the first since 4-3 over Wisconsin on March 12, 2011. …  Noah Laba has seven game-winning goals, the most by a Tiger since Brett Sterling (8) during the 2005-06 season. … Nine Tigers have recorded at least 10 assists, the most since the 2012-13 squad (9). … UNO leads the all-time series 29-15-7 with a 13-10-1 mark in Colorado Springs.

NCHC Quarterfinals 

Best of three series, Game 3, 6 p.m. Sunday (if necessary)

Friday’s scores

St. Cloud State 5, Western Michigan 2

Denver 4, Minnesota Duluth 0

North Dakota 5, Miami 1

Colorado College 4, Omaha 3 (OT)

Saturday’s scores

North Dakota 7, Miami 1; No. 1 UND advances to NCHC semifinals

No. 6 Western Michigan 6, No. 3 St. Cloud State; series tied 1-1

Denver 5, Minnesota Duluth 2; No. 2 DU advances to NCHC semifinals

No. 5 Omaha 3, No. 4 Colorado College 1; series tied 1-1

Sunday games

No. 6 Western Michigan (21-14-1) at No. 3 St. Cloud State (16-15-5), series tied 1-1

No. 5 Omaha (20-11-4) at No. 4 Colorado College (21-11-3), CC leads 1-0

Laba, Mbereko named to NCHC first team

Colorado College sophomores Noah Laba and Kaidan Mbereko were both named to the all-National Collegiate Hockey Conference first team, the league announced Wednesday, making them the first multiple Tigers since Richard Bachman, Jack Hillen and Chad Rau to be named to an all-league first team in the same year.

They are the first Tigers to make the NCHC first team since Nick Halloran for the 2017-18 season. Bachman, Hillen and Rau, who all played in NHL, were feted by the former men’s Western Collegiate Hockey Association.

“It’s a huge credit to them and the work they have put in and the seasons they have had,” Tigers coach Kris Mayotte said. “Not only have they been tasked with coming in and being impact players in a league that is really hard to be an impact player, they have been tasked with doing it from the ground up and really having to help build something here. If you look at what has been placed on their shoulders, it is different than anybody else they are sharing that honor with.”

Mbereko, a second-team honoree last season as a freshman, was a unanimous pick this season after leading the league with a 2.15 goals against average, a .927 saves percentage and 14 wins in conference play. The other two unanimous selections were freshman Denver defenseman Zeev Buium, the likely NCHC Rookie of the Year honoree later this week, and North Dakota sophomore forward Jackson Blake, who set the NCHC single-season scoring record with 37 points in conference play, breaking the previous mark of 35 held by the Canucks’ Brock Boeser and Philly’s Bobby Brink.

Overall, Blake leads all NCHC players with 52 points, scoring 19 goals and adding 33 assists in 36 games. His 52 points tie for third nationally.

Laba, a NY Rangers draft pick, led the NCHC with 16 goals in league play, six game-winning goals and a plus-19 rating, five better than second in the league, with 24 points in 28 conference contests.

2023-24 First-Team All-NCHC
F: *Jackson Blake, So., North Dakota – 45 points (15 first-team votes) – unanimous
F: Noah Laba, So., Colorado College – 39 (12)
F: Jack Devine, Jr., Denver – 38 (12)
D: Zeev Buium, Fr., Denver – 45 (15) – unanimous
D: Dylan Anhorn, 5th, St. Cloud State – 35 (10)
G: *Kaidan Mbereko, So., Colorado College – 45 (15) – unanimous
 
2023-24 Second-Team All-NCHC
F: ^Massimo Rizzo, Jr., Denver – 21 (4)
F: Luke Grainger, Sr., Western Michigan – 15 (3)
F: Ben Steeves, So., Minnesota Duluth – 13 (2)
D: Shai Buium, Jr., Denver – 17 (3)
D: *Jack Peart, Jr., St. Cloud State – 7 (2)
G: %Ludvig Persson, Sr., North Dakota – 8 (1)
 
2023-24 Honorable Mention All-NCHC
F: Cameron Berg, Jr., North Dakota – 11
F: Sam Colangelo, Sr., Western Michigan – 3
F: *&Riese Gaber, Sr., North Dakota – 3
D: Sean Behrens, Jr., Denver – 7
D: Jake Livanavage, Fr., North Dakota – 5 (1)
D: Garrett Pyke, 5th, North Dakota – 5 (1)
G: Simon Latkoczy, So., Omaha – 4
 
^ 2022-23 First-Team All-NCHC
* 2022-23 Second-Team All-NCHC
​& 2021-22 First-Team All-NCHC
% 2020-21 Second-Team All-NCHC

Tigers’ improvement since last Denver series has Colorado College eyeing playoff opportunities heading into final weekend against Pioneers

By Joe Paisley

These Tigers are not the same Colorado College hockey team that started the regular
season, which concludes this weekend.

And that is, in part, thanks to No. 4 Denver manhandling the Tigers by a
combined 11-2 margin in early November to open their annual four-game Gold Pan
Rivalry series.

That weekend and playing poorly at home against Western Michigan later that
month helped a young team (average 21.1 years, tied for third in Division 1) realize
what they needed to do to be the NCAA Tournament-caliber team the 19-10-3 Tigers
are now.

“We got shown pretty clearly we weren’t where we wanted to be yet,” CC coach
Kris Mayotte said. “The nice thing is, it was early in the year. Guys
recommitted to the work and the belief and now we just have the belief that we
can execute anywhere against anyone. That has been a huge step for this team
and something that has allowed us to be in the position we are today.”

The team dialed it in defensively, using an aggressive forecheck within a 1-2-2
structure to frustrate opponents into mistakes that a more-capable forwards
group can convert into goals.

“We were a different team then,” said senior Ray Christy. “We have grown tremendously
throughout this year using all our hard work and building belief and (taking that)
confidence into this weekend.”

Fourth-place Colorado College must play well defensively against the second-place
Pioneers (23-8-3) who are headed to yet another NCAA Tournament, likely as a
high seed.

DU relies on its offensive firepower and maintaining puck possession to hem
in foes and alleviate pressure of its own back end, led by junior goalie Matt
Davis (14-4-3, 2.74 goals, .906 saves).

“They have a lot of good players playing good hockey,” Mayotte said. “They are
so good offensively that you spend a lot of time defending so that by the time you
get the puck back you don’t have a ton left to go back and attack them. A huge key
against them is being able to end plays and end them early so we can build an
offense for ourselves.”

Possession of the Gold Pan is already decided but a first for 10^th-ranked
CC, hosting an NCHC first-round playoff series, remains in reach entering the
weekend.

The Tigers are currently 11^th in the Pairwise rankings, which are
used by the NCAA Selection Committee to determine the 16-team tournament field.

“We are excited by the opportunity in front of us,” Mayotte said. “We are
excited for the fan bases and can’t wait for the packed buildings. It’s
obviously a huge weekend for our alumni and everyone who supports our program.
But we have a job to do. All our energy needs to go into our execution and our
ability to control what we can control.

“Our focus is that we have a great opportunity to do what this team set out
to do in early September. That will be our focus.”

With tiebreakers and other possible results, the Tigers could finish as high
as second and as low as fifth with third-fifth most likely. Each team could
garner a maximum of six standings points this coming weekend.

As of now, here is the playoff field with an asterisk by the three seeds
already decided.

*No. 8 Miami (seven points) at *No. 1 North Dakota (49)

* No. 7 Minnesota Duluth (21) at No. 2 Denver (42)

No. 6 Western Michigan (31) at No. 3 St. Cloud State (40)

No. 5 Omaha (34) at No. 4 Colorado College (38)

Note: Omaha and CC have never met in the postseason.

This weekend’s games (Friday-Saturday)

North Dakota at Omaha

Miami at Western Michigan

Denver at CC/CC at Denver

St. Cloud State at Duluth

Ice chips

This Friday’s contest is the first time since Dec. 2, 2011 that both teams
are ranked in the Top 10 with then-No. 8 CC downing No. 10 DU 4-3 in overtime
on Alexander Krushelnyski’s penalty shot. That 8 p.m. Friday night game was
also broadcast by CBS Sports Network.

Excited Colorado College fans should pump the brakes on NCAA Tournament talk for now

By Joe Paisley

Colorado College fans making travel plans to the NCAA regionals better make sure it’s refundable.

The Tigers fan base is understandably excited after a historic four-game season sweep of North Dakota last weekend and the subsequent rise to No. 11 in the Pairwise rankings.

But do keep in mind that this regular season is far from over, let alone the NCHC playoffs.

“There is too much volatility right now for you to feel good or bad about the number next to your name,” CC coach Kris Mayotte said. “We just got to keep doing what we’ve been doing and focusing on our daily process. I know that is coach speak but if we were a lock, I would tell our guys we are a lock, but we are not.”

For example, two losses in regulation at Omaha this weekend – a very real possibility — would drop the Tigers from 11^th and a No. 3 seed down to 16^th and out of the NCAA Tournament due to the automatic berth from Atlantic Hockey taking that spot.

A win and loss, both in regulation would keep the Tigers in 11^th according to the College Hockey News Pairwise customizer which allows you to forecast the rankings based on projected results.

If 18-9-1 CC goes .500 the rest of the way, third or fourth place and home playoff ice for the first round is likely, putting the Tigers at 20-plus wins and in good position to advance to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff in St. Paul. Without going down the rabbit hole that is the Pairwise customizer, it is a safe bet CC would be an NCAA bubble team at worst and probably in as an at-large team.

Most likely, an at-large team needs to be 13^th or higher entering the league semifinals to feel confident they will qualify with other automatic berths up for grabs in other league finals.

And yes, while being ranked 10^th is exciting for fans, the national polls are subjective and have no bearing on the NCAAs as the CC coaches reminded the team on Monday and Mayotte the media at Wednesday’s weekly conference.

Surging Hawks, Tigers back for rematch of pivotal December series as playoff race heats up

By Joe Paisley

The December National Collegiate Hockey Conference series between Colorado College and North Dakota could be viewed as the turning point for both programs’ seasons as they jockey for playoff position entering this weekend’s rematch.

The Tigers pulled off a historic road sweep, the school’s first at Ralph Engelstad Arena and the first since Thanksgiving 1993 in Grand Forks, to reinvigorate the team, winners of nine of their last 12 games (8-2 league), that pushed them into fourth place in the NCHC and the NCAA Tournament hunt.

It cemented a growing team confidence, further solidified by a subsequent road win at Minnesota when the second half of the season began. In short, this year’s CC team is a good one and they garnered the results to prove it to themselves and others.

“That weekend definitely added something to us,” said sophomore Gleb Veremyev. “Coming out of there with two wins gave us the belief that we can win those hard games and win against anyone.”

“Every win you get reconfirms and allows you to believe in it a little more,” CC coach Kris Mayotte said. “The way we played Saturday (against North Dakota) showed that (confidence) was growing. College hockey is so good, winning one game somewhere happens all the time. Your ability to stack wins is really about belief, confidence and good play.”

Which sets the stage for a highly anticipated league series between two teams playing good hockey when the second-ranked Fighting Hawks take on the No. 15 Tigers (16-9-1) this weekend at Ed Robson Arena.

That December series result, hard as it was to swallow for the team and its fans, proved beneficial for North Dakota (20-6-2), judging from subsequent results, with an 8-1-1 record since to vault into first place in the league.

“That was a good punch in the face. That’s something we needed,” defenseman Bennett Zmolek said during UND’s weekly media conference.

“We learned a lot as far as ourselves and a lot about what (CC) brings to the table as well,” said coach Brad Berry who recorded his 200^th win at UND earlier this month. “They are a patient team. They try to capitalize on miscues or errors. Puck management (will) be a key. You have to force them into bad situations.”

The series pits strength against strength with a fast-skating Hawks offense looking to punch holes though CC’s frustrating defensive structure, which has it as the top-ranked defensive team in NCHC play (2.44 goals per game) with just 12 allowed in the last seven games.

A major reason behind CC’s surge is the foundation of that team defense — sophomore goalie Kaidan Mbereko, who became the NCHC’s lone semifinalist for the Mike Richter Award on Wednesday. The Aspen native stopped 54 of 58 shots (.931 saves percentage) against UND in December and is now 16-9-1 (2.52 goals against, .912 saves) overall and even better in NCHC play (2.25 goals, .924 saves).

He has more offensive support this season thanks to sophomore center Noah Laba’s breakout season (24 points, 15 goals, 7 game-winners) and linemate Veremyev (18, nine goals), who ended an eight-game scoreless streak in a home series split against second-place St. Cloud State two weeks ago.

Overtime bodes well for CC. Laba has four of the team’s five OT game winners with Veremyev collecting the fifth at UND in December. UND has gone 21-straight games without a loss in regulation (Nov. 3 at Boston University) but own a 3-5 record when playing the extra period.

To get there, the Tigers will need their secondary scorers to produce timely goals. That group is led by senior captain Logan Will (17, 11 assists), sophomore Ryan Beck (15, team-high 12 assists) and 12 points each from junior Stanley Cooley (eight assists) and freshman Evan Werner (eight assists).

The CC defenseman corps is producing as well, led by freshman Max Burkholder (11, three power-play goals) and seniors Nicklas Andrews (11, eight assists) and Jack Millar (10, seven assists). Freshman forward Bret Link is the 10th Tiger in double figures with 11 points (eight assists).

The Fighting Hawks are paced by Jackson Blake with team-highs in Points (39), goals (17) and assists (22) as part of a 10-game points. UND also has 29 points each from Cameron Berg (15 goals) and Owen McLaughlin (20 assists) and a solid goaltender in Miami transfer Ludvig Persson (17-6-2, 2.38 goals, .907 saves), especially behind an improved defensive corps paced by Alaska transfer Garrett Pyke (22, 19 assists).

Ice chips

UND owns a 173-86-12 all-time series lead against CC with 173 victories the most against any one program in North Dakota history.  … UND is 61-60-4 all-time in Colorado Springs. … The Tigers are one victory away from matching their best season win total since going 17-20-4 during the 2018-19 season. Those 16 wins are the best after 26 games since the 2007-08 season (started 18-7-1). … CC’s five OT wins are the most since the 1979-80 season (six).

CC stays at No. 15 in one poll, now 16th in Pairwise and other poll

With both North Dakota and Colorado College idle this past weekend, there was no movement for either team in the national USCHO.com poll entering this weekend’s National Collegiate Hockey Conference showdown at Ed Robson Arena.

UND did gain some first-place votes and finished just one point shy of No. 1 Boston College. CC dropped to No. 16 in the USA Hockey rankings.

There was no change in the more-important Pairwise Rankings either. For the first time in years, CC fans need to pay attention to those rankings, which are the math-based criteria used by the NCAA selection committee to determine the at-large berths and seeding for the annual tournament.

Fans could easily drive themselves nuts with What Ifs but to guarantee themselves a spot, the Tigers (16-9-1) would need to finish in the top 13-14 spots to allow for the Atlantic Hockey tournament champion automatic qualifier (usually the 16^th seed) and 1 or 2 conference tournament (AQ) champions from teams rated below them.

That is one major reason why this weekend’s home game against No. 2 North Dakota, in both the USCHO.com poll and the Pairwise, is a big opportunity for CC, No. 17 in the Pairwise, to move up, depending on results nationwide. The Pairwise rankings can change nightly and even game-by game once league postseason play starts.

For example, Northeastern’s Gunnarwolfe Fontaine (actual name) downs BU in OT for Beanpot title which moved CC up to No. 16 in Pairwise with a 38 percent chance of making the tournament after starting the night at No. 17.

The College Hockey News has a good customize feature that allows you to predict future results for any team and see how that may affect their Pairwise ranking.

Tigers winger Ryan Beck’s sophomore development one reason why CC enters this weekend’s series against Huskies on win streak

By Joe Paisley

Tigers sophomore Ryan Beck learned perhaps the most important lesson a talented forward can absorb in college hockey.

Controlled defensive tenacity leads to more offensive chances. Understanding that has paid off for the Colorado College winger, who surpassed his first-year offensive output (13 points, 11 assists) by mid-January (14 points, 11 assists) already.

The Michigan native plays at a consistent high level alongside freshman linemate Bret Link (11, eight assists) and senior captain and center Logan Will (17, 11 assists), who is enjoying a strong season of his own.

“Ryan Beck is playing the best hockey he has played since being here,” CC coach Kris Mayotte said. “I think Link is doing the same. You can see his confidence growing every game. Becker the same thing. His desire to create turnovers and his ability to create turnovers just keeps getting better and better because he is a dynamic stick.”

Beck’s improvement started in practice and video sessions.

“There is always something when you watch it back where I could have done better in that area or this area,” Beck said. “I do feel like I have taken strides in different parts of my game, especially defensively, and kind of earned the trust of the coaches, more so this year.”

It’s a good sign for a successful college career when an offene-oriented freshman learns to be a two-way player, typically by or during their sophomore season. It’s vital to do so in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.

“Everyone plays hard-nosed hockey,” Beck said. “You can’t get away with anything. That first year was a big learning year. This year, things started to click, especially with the line that I am on. They know how to play that style of game very well, which helps me out, helps me fit in more. It’s really my linemates and the coaches helping me through that this year.”

Mayotte credited Beck’s improved game management. That often comes with experience and better familiarity of the CC systems you expect from a sophomore.

“Ryan Beck is probably as talented guy as we have with the puck on his stick,” Mayotte said. “He uses it in the right moments. He knows when it is time to hang onto it for the extra second. He knows when it is time to try and beat a guy to the inside. He knows when it is time to just advance the puck and move forward.

“That’s where he has really grown, which is allowing him to get the points and be the impact player that he is becoming.”

Thanks to that simple lesson.

“When you don’t cheat for offense. you actually get more offense,” Beck said. “That’s been the biggest learning curve and that has paid off the most.”

The Link-Will-Beck line are one of the reasons not named Noah Laba or Kaidan Mbereko why the 14^th-ranked Tigers (15-8-1, 9-5-0-5-1-0, 23 points NCHC), tied for third with Denver, are on a five-game winning streak.

This weekend’s home series against second-place St. Cloud State (11-8-5, 7-3-4-0-1-2, 28 points) is the only one scheduled between the league foes this regular season.

The talented Huskies started off NCHC play 7-0-1 but have since come down to Earth — in large part due to the weekly grind of the NCHC schedule. SCSU has not won a league game in regulation in 2024 with former Tigers goalie Dom Basse looking to rebound from a rough personal stretch (0-3-1, 4.67 goals against, .835 saves percentage).

Regardless, the 16^th-ranked Huskies are more than capable of sweeping the Tigers, who are 6-5-1 at Ed Robson Arena.

“They are good defensively,” Mayotte said. “Their D corps has changed a lot. They have some younger guys back there, but they play such good team hockey that it is hard to create advantages. It’s going to come off of our structure and our pursuit to create turnovers and putting our guys in spots where we can attack off of those.”

The importance of each game grows as the NCHC playoffs near. CC shows signs of developing into a team built for the postseason, including the NCAA Tournament, which the program has not reached since NHLer Jaden Schwartz led the Tigers to the 2011 West regional final.

The Tigers are 6-1 this season in tied games when entering the third period, supported by an improved offensive output with 21 goals scored in the last eight games, in contrast with the 8-game run CC ended last season on when they managed just 10.

“We are building the characteristics of teams that win down the stretch,” Mayotte said. “But what we have done has no bearing on what is ahead of us. This team has a good focus, a good hunger and a good drive, so I trust we will be ready to play.”

Colorado College sophomore Noah Laba, Kaidan Mbereko garner NCHC monthly honors

Colorado College sophomore goalie Kaidan Mbereko repeated as the National Collegiate Hockey Conference Goalie of the Month, garnering the award after taking home December’s honors while second-year center Noah Laba was named as the January Player of the Month for his performance.

This was Laba’s first monthly honor while Mbereko is a five-time career honoree, including three last season. North Dakota defenseman Jake LIvanavage is January’s Rookie of the Month.

All three NCHC honorees are now eligible for national player, goalie and rookie of the month awards, which will be announced Feb. 6.

Laba, of Northville, Mich., led the league with seven goals and three game-winners to pace CC to a 6-2 record in January with an average of 1.25 points per game. The New York Rangers draft pick recorded four multi-point games. The 15-8-1 Tigers went 6-0 when Laba scored a goal in January.

His seven goals in January doubled his season total to a team-high 14 goals and pushed him to the team lead in points at 22, matching his total from his freshman season (22 in 35 games) in just 23 games as a sophomore.

Mbereko led the Tigers to a 6-2-0 record in January with a league-high 234 saves, 36 more than the second best, while ranking second with a .921 saves percentage. The Aspen native posted a 2.52 goals against average.

The college free agent did not allow more than two goals during his current, career-high five-game winning streak and recorded 30-plus saves in four January contests, including 38 in a 2-1 overtime win at Western Michigan last Saturday.

He received the NCHC Goaltender of the Week honor twice in January. He now leads the league with a .915 saves percentage, and is fourth at 2.52 goals against. His 15-8-1 record is tied for most wins among NCHC goalies.

Image courtesy CCTigers.com.