No. 17 Colorado College and No. 4 University of Denver met over Block Break for the 349th and 350th times—the most in NCAA hockey history. The storied rivalry yielded two competitive games, but CC failed to produce results, losing Friday night 1-2 in overtime and Saturday night 2-3 in regulation. The losses mean the Gold Pan Trophy will remain with DU for the seventh consecutive year.
Beginning the series on Friday, Nov. 14, in Denver, Colorado College played well, outshooting the Pioneers 12-10 in the first period of Friday’s contest. The interval was highlighted by a Tomas Mrsic ‘29 penalty shot saved by DU freshman goalkeeper Quentin Miller.
DU’s forward Kristian Epperson committed a pair of minor penalties in the first period, but CC failed to convert both times, entering the second period in a scoreless tie. The second period began as much of the same, with the Tigers surviving a DU power play but failing to capitalize on a power play of their own.
A flurry of shots in the closing minutes of the period began to build momentum for the Tigers. They carried this momentum into the third period, and cashed it in five minutes and 41 seconds later when Ryan Alexander ‘26 centered the puck to Riley Stuart ‘27, whose shot found the top right corner of the net. The 1-0 lead lasted 11 minutes, but a shot by Eric Pohlkamp found the back of the net, equalizing the game in its final minutes and sending the series opener to extra time, tied 1-1.
CC dominated possession to begin extra time, holding the puck for the first three minutes. Still, a shot by junior defenseman Boston Buckberger found the back of the net for DU, sealing the victory for the Pioneers and sending the series south to Colorado Springs for Saturday night’s sequel.
The second installment in the weekend series started less favorably for the Tigers. Two minutes into the first period, a shot by sophomore Pioneer forward Jake Fisher bounced off the CC pipe, but his next shot, just 13 seconds later, was true, giving DU a 1-0 lead. CC cobbled together 10 shots in the period, equal to DU, but none made it past the opposing team’s staunch goalkeeping. With 13 seconds remaining in the period, DU junior defenseman Garrett Brown took a hit behind the DU net and collapsed on the ice. In what was a tense moment for all players and fans, Brown was stretchered out of Ed Robson and taken to a nearby hospital, where he was discharged later in the evening.
Following the stoppage, CC struggled to put their foot on the gas. A lethargic second period from the Tigers, which coach Kris Mayotte called “as bad a period as we played all year,” featured some strong moments, including a penalty kill in which DU attempted only one shot, but was ultimately capped off with an Eric Jamieson wrister past Tigers goalie Kaiden Mbereko ‘26, giving the Pioneers a 2-0 lead heading into the third period. Though the Tigers and Pioneers both attempted 8 shots in the period, the momentum was decidedly with DU heading into the final period.
In the third period, CC outshot DU 21-7, controlling the puck well and piling on pressure. Less than a minute into the period, on a power play which continued from a Buckburger cross check the previous period, CC’s Brandon Lisowsky ‘29 redirected a centering pass by Gavin Lindberg ‘28 into the top right corner of the DU goal, cutting the lead to one.
A deluge of quality shots were stopped by DU keeper Miller, and a cross-checking penalty by Philippe Blais-Savoie ‘28 led to a DU power play goal courtesy of Buckberger, widening the gap once more to 3-1. With two and a half minutes left in the third period, CC pulled keeper Mbereko and scored an empty net goal a minute later off the stick of Wilson Björck ‘29, cutting the deficit to one score. Still, the Tigers could not find an equalizer, with DU holding on for the 3-2 victory.
Following the match, Mayotte said, “We sat and watched a hockey game for two periods, and you’re not going to win many in this league like that.”
Following this weekend, CC falls to 1-4-1 in NCHC play, leaving them in seventh place of nine teams. In the most recent NCAA rankings, DU rose to No. 3 nationally, while CC fell to No 22.
“When you feel like you’re playing well enough to win hockey games … keep playing, but nothing builds confidence the way winning does,” Mayotte said. He expressed confidence in his young group’s resilience and ability to respond well. A tough series next weekend against No. 4 Minnesota-Duluth represents an opportunity to do just that, presenting a potential pivotal series early on the Tigers’ home ice.