Colorado Springs – Colorado College hadn’t swept Minnesota since December 2005, but a night after snapping a six-game losing skid to Minnesota, the Tigers started a streak of their own ñ edging the Gophers 2-1 in overtime tonight in front of a sold-out home crowd at the World Arena.
“Our emphasis was coming out and competing tonight and I think we did that pretty well,” Junior forward Blake Wheeler said. “Sometimes you come up on the short end of the stick when that happens.
Wheeler put the Gophers up 1-0 at the 4:24 mark of the second period when he put a back-handed rebound under freshman net-minder Richard Bachman. Senior forward Ben Gordon and sophomore forward Ryan Flynn assisted on the play.
But the Tigers struck back later in the period after sophomore Brian Schack was whistled for high sticking ñ giving CC a man advantage.
The Tigers were also helped when sophomore defensemen Nate Prosser caught the Gophers in the middle of a line change ñ finding forwards Scott McCulloch and Chad Rau for the 2-on-0.
A last second pass from McCulloch found Rau with an open shot, and the Eden Prairie native score his first goal of the year past a sprawling Jeff Frazee in goal for Minnesota.
Once again penalties plagued the both teams – __ were called over the 60 minute conflict.
But just like the night before, the Tigers were the only team to take advantage of the opportunities ñ converting one their four chances.
Meanwhile the Gophers were again blanked on the power-play failing to convert any of their eight opportunities in the game.
Minnesota has failed to score on its last 15 power-play chances dating back to the RPI game.
Frazee and Bachman both played solidly between the pipes stopping a combined 59 of 61 shots in regulation ñ including 21 shots turned away by Bachman in the third period alone.
“It easily could have been 5-5 at the end of regulation, both goalies were outstandingÖ” Gophers coach Don Lucia said. “It just seemed like any time somebody got an opportunity, the goalie was there to make the save.”
In the end, Minnesota resorted to simply teeing up with slap shots in hopes of beating the Tigers net-minder but to no avail as the game went into overtime.
“We put close to 40 shots on the kid and he gave up one goal. We had some great scoring opportunities on him and he shut the door,” Wheeler said. “They played a great game, and he was a big part of that.”
In the extra period, Colorado College played dominant hockey, out-shooting the Gophers 4-1 including the game-winning goal off the stick of Rau.
The junior forward tipped in a pass from sophomore defenseman Kris Freheim to end the game and tally his second goal of the night.
