The Colorado College Tigers hosted the Arizona State University Sun Devils in a home series over Jan. 30 and 31, splitting the two games and taking the season series 2-1-1. The Tigers earned four points between the two games, moving them into a tie for seventh place in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC), one point ahead of the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
Friday night’s campaign opened slowly. A CC power play six minutes into the period brought pressure early, but the Tigers failed to capitalize. The Sun Devils opened the scoring with just under seven minutes in the period on a breakaway and the visitors took advantage of a power play three minutes later, only taking 12 seconds to score. 2-0 Sun Devils. CC outshot ASU 13-8 in the period, highlighted by a shot off the pipe by Klavs Veinbergs ‘27, but would be playing from behind entering the second frame.
The Tigers returned in the second to close the score, as Veinbergs found defenseman Mats Lindgren ‘29 58 seconds into the period. Less than a minute later, former Sun Devil and current CC senior Ryan Alexander pushed a backhand shot through the wickets of ASU goaltender Sam Urban to equalize the contest, 2-2.
The Tigers’ momentum would not last, though. In the fourth minute, another ASU breakaway led to another ASU goal, once more taking the lead. With 12:31 minutes remaining in the second period, CC yielded a bench minor for too many men on the ice, committing the same penalty at the 05:14 mark. Both of these errors were capitalized on by ASU, and the period came to a close 2-5.
Following the game, Kris Mayotte, head coach of the Tigers, was highly critical of the team’s defensive performance.
“Our [power kill] has to be way better,” Mayotte said. “We weren’t even close to getting kills tonight.”
Momentum again began to gather early in the third period. Tomas Mrsic ‘29 chipped the puck over the Sun Devils goaltender’s shoulder to draw within two goals. Ten minutes later, ASU committed interference and cross checking penalties, giving CC a five-on-three, down two goals with nine minutes to go.
The first CC score came 17 seconds into the five-on-three, once more by Mrsic, and the second came with 32 seconds left in the power play, scored by Lindgren, this time from deep in the offensive zone. The two squads would trade shots in the waning minutes of the third period, but regulation time came to an end squared up at 5-5.
After the Sun Devils’ fifth goal, Mayotte lifted goaltender Kaidan Mbereko ‘26, instead placing Jackson Unger ‘29 in the goal for the remainder of the game.
Overtime would begin with multiple CC shots deflected and saved, but it was ASU who found the back of the net one minute and 40 seconds into bonus time. The 6-5 overtime victory yielded two points to the Sun Devils, but the third period comeback netted CC a crucial point in the conference rankings.
Though CC was able to salvage a point in the standings, Mayotte viewed the overtime loss differently.
“[We lost] two points tonight because we didn’t execute well enough through the critical moments,” Mayotte said.
The Tigers returned on Saturday night determined to tie the series.
ASU looked noticeably slow in the first period, and CC piled on shots throughout the 20 minutes. The Sun Devils killed off a power play early in the period, but could not fend off the hot stick of Mrsic with just under three minutes to go, finding the back of the net off a deflection from Brett Link ‘27 and placing the Tigers up 1-0. CC registered 35 total shots, 25 of which were on target, both being season highs.
CC continued to build pressure but failed to add any scores through the beginning of the second period, as two ASU penalties failed to yield any power play success. Ten minutes into the second, though, Phillipe Blais-Savoie ‘28 and Sun Devil Tucker Ness would be handed coincidental roughing penalties, with ASU’s Ness flagged for embellishment as well. Wilson Björck ‘29 was sent to the box for slashing in the twelfth minute, but the CC power kill held fast. Björck released from the box just as the puck went by, and was able to pass to Veinbergs, who assisted Seth Constance ‘28 to finally cash in the second CC goal of the night.
Five minutes into the third period, CC extended their lead to three with a Drew Montgomery ‘27 one-timer into the top of the visiting net. The Sun Devils remained without a goal until the final minute of the game, after ASU pulled their goaltender while CC played man down following a two minute minor for Veinbergs. CC answered back seconds later against the open net, making the final score 4-1.
Saturday’s total 73 on goal are the most by any NCHC team this season, surpassing DU’s 59 shots in their opener against the Air Force Academy.
Mrsic, the first-year forward, had a standout weekend, with his combined three goals more than doubling his season total. Rookie Unger recorded his first career win Saturday night, though the last-second ASU goal kept him from recording the shutout.
Asked about these two standout performances, Mayotte acknowledged their impressive weekends, but was also quick to mention Mateo Mann, Connor Hvidston, Brayden Schuurman and Lindgren as other standouts of this young Tiger team.
Following the weekend’s play, the Sun Devils and Tigers sit tied in seventh place in the NCHC, both in position to qualify for a berth in the NCHC tournament.
The Battle for the Gold Pan resumes with a match against University of Denver at Ed Robson Arena at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 6 before traveling north to Denver’s Magness Arena on Saturday, Feb. 7.