First-round playoffs vs. Alaska-Anchorage

CC clipped through a series of transition drills two minutes at a time in a quick 45-minute skate Thursday.

From the notebook:
–The Tigers hit the post several times in shooting drills.
–Back-up goaltender Drew O’Connell looked confident and ready to go this weekend if needed.
–One of the funnier moments of practice this season happened towards the end of practice when coach Scott Owens told the top power-play unit to use the full ice to run the power play and “try to be really (bad) because they’re watching.” Alaska-Anchorage was in the stands near the visitors’ side. Defenseman Jack Hillen ripped a shot from the high slot which bounced off the right post, hit the left post and smacked against the back of the net — a gorgeous shot — to which Owens said with a grin: “What did I just say?”
–Defenseman/forward Brett Wysopal did not practice (sick-virus).
–Players were reminded to set their alarms and get up for breakfast Friday because they don’t have class. CC is on Spring Break until March 24.
–Right wing Derek Patrosso will play on the fourth line and goaltender Richard Bachman will be in goal on Friday, Owens said.
–Anchorage arrived in Colorado Springs on Tuesday, as it did in January’s series.

Projected CC lines for Friday:
21 Bill Sweatt–14 Chad Rau–25 Mike Testwuide
26 Scott McCulloch–19 Andreas Vlassopoulos–23 Jimmy Kilpatrick
10 Scott Thauwald–17 Tyler Johnson–22 Eric Walsky
18 Matt Overman–9 Brian McMillin–16 Derek Patrosso

Fun facts:
–The Tigers finished with a league-best 92.9 percent clip on the penalty kill in WCHA play (104 for 112). Their overall mark is 91 percent (131 for 144). CC allowed just eight power-play goals while scoring eight short-handed goals in 28 conference games.
–CC’s last home sweep against a WCHA team came against Anchorage in January. The Tigers split with their final two WCHA opponents at World Arena
–The last time CC gave up a shorthanded goal was against Anchorage on Jan. 12
–CC hasn’t won more than three games in a row since it put together a six-game winning streak between Jan. 4 and Jan.19, which ended with a tie at Michigan Tech on Jan. 25.

History:
–Alaska-Anchorage has only won once in 20 games at World Arena, a 5-4 overtime victory last season.
–Friday is the 60th all-time contest between CC and Anchorage, with the Tigers leading the series 45-11-3, including a 30-2 mark in Colorado Springs.
–In seven previous post-season games, CC swept the first-round series at home in 1995, 2002 and 2003, while Anchorage won the play-in Final Five game in 2004. Captain Scott Thauwald played right wing in that game as a freshman.
–During that 1995 series, CC set a school playoff record for goals in a game with an 11-3 win over the Seawolves on March 10, 1995. Eric Rud had five assists in that series, also a school playoff record.
–CC’s all-time record in WCHA playoff games is 42-56-1 (.429).
–Of the nine regular-season championships CC has won in its 70-year history, six have happened in the last 15 seasons and three in the last six seasons.

Mankato Eve

When Colorado College looks back on one weekend that made a difference in its quest for the MacNaughton Cup and a top seed in the NCAA West Regional, it may look no further than the St. Cloud State series.

The Tigers stretched their lead to 4-1 just 24 seconds into the second period in Friday’s game (Feb. 8) and went on to win 5-3 after the Huskies put the pressure on.

On Feb. 9, CC suffered its first — and so far, only — home loss of the season, falling behind 3-1 after a period and eventually losing 4-2.

That series was sandwiched between two dominating performances: the sweep of Clarkson and the road sweep of Minnesota-Duluth, in which the Tigers shut out Duluth both nights.

Coach Scott Owens hopes CC can become a model of consistency, starting with this weekend’s series against No. 10 Minnesota State-Mankato, a squad that has won seven of its past nine.

“As soon as you think it’s automatic, that’s when you get into trouble,” Owens said after the Tigers’ final skate before the series in which they could clinch the MacNaughton Cup. “We’re on a one-game losing streak at home. We can’t go on autopilot and expect to win.”

Coming off of the defensive corps’ strongest performance of the season last weekend at Duluth, defenseman Jack Hillen said his fellow defensemen have adapted a playoff mentality and hope to cut down on the amount of shots allowed this weekend.

“It was a good lesson after we lost to St. Cloud,” said Hillen, the top-scoring Western Collegiate Hockey Association defenseman with 28 points. “We didn’t play that well. Against Duluth, we got into a roll a little bit. … It was maybe a good reminder to play hard every night, that we’ve got to play well no matter what. But no one’s dwelling on the loss.”

Captain Scott Thauwald, who returns to the lineup for the first time since Feb. 9, said that if anything, CC’s focus and intensity has only increased this week with the knowledge that two wins gives the Tigers a share of the MacNaughton Cup. If North Dakota loses or ties a game at Duluth this weekend, CC will win the Cup outright with two victories over Mankato.

Again, Thauwald pointed to the loss to St. Cloud State as added inspiration in CC’s bid for its first regular-season title since it shared one with Denver in 2004-05.

“It wasn’t necessarily the worst thing in the world,” he said. “It was a good eye-opener. Guys are fired up because we lost the last time we played at home. We’re ready to start a new streak here.”

Because right wing Stephen Schultz (concussion) will not return to the lineup this season and left wing Addison DeBoer (separated shoulder) will be out this weekend, the Tigers will have just 12 forwards plus converted defenseman Brett Wysopal at their disposal.

Notes:
1,000 tickets remain for Friday’s game against Mankato…400 tickets remain for Saturday’s game…CC’s regular-season finale against Denver on March 8 is sold out.

Anticipated CC lines for Friday:
Bill Sweatt–Chad Rau–Mike Testwuide
Scott McCulloch–Andreas Vlassopoulos–Jimmy Kilpatrick
Scott Thauwald–Tyler Johnson–Eric Walsky
Brett Wysopal or Dan Quilico–Brian McMillin–Matt Overman

Wednesday Notes

The Tigers departed this afternoon for Duluth without right wing Stephen Schultz, who is still recovering from a concussion suffered in the first period against St. Cloud State on Feb. 9. Captain Scott Thauwald will travel, but hasn’t skated since he suffered a concussion in the third period of the Feb. 9 game. Defenseman Brett Wysopal could pull spot duty on the fourth line after practicing at forward Monday and Tuesday for the first time in his life. Wysopal, who marveled at going through a whole practice without skating backwards, will be CC’s only extra skater.

Travel roster:
Sweatt–Rau–Testwuide
McCulloch–Vlassopoulos–Kilpatrick
DeBoer–Johnson–Walsky
Overman–McMillin–Quilico/Wysopal
D: Fredheim, Gannon, Hillen, Prosser, Connelly, Lowery
G: Bachman, O’Connell

UPDATE: Per Chris Heisenberg, CC landed its first Wisconsin kid since Brady Greco in defenseman Ted Behrend. Behrend hails from Oregon, Wisc., which is just south of Madison, coach Scott Owens’ hometown.

Around the league
The WCHA handed out more penalties for fights that occurred in last Saturday’s Denver-North Dakota game. Kyle Radke and J.P. Testwuide dropped gloves and squared off, which should have been an instant ejection and game disqualification, but referee Marco Hunt allowed them to go to the penalty box instead. Then, at the end of the second period, an all-out brawl broke out (YouTube) and Radke and Denver’s Brandon Vossberg went at it (from Vossberg’s perspective). Although the WCHA isn’t the first league to come out with additional penalties after the fact (this Canisius-RIT fight resulted in additional sanctions from Atlantic Hockey), when you take Hunt’s under-call into account with previous missed calls by now-suspended referee Randy Schmidt, it has been a rough year for officiating in the WCHA.

Denver, North Dakota Players Suspended for One Game
MADISON, Wisc. – The Western Collegiate Hockey Association today (Feb. 20, 2008) announced that J.P. Testwuide, a junior defenseman at the University of Denver, and Kyle Radke, a senior forward at the University of North Dakota, have been suspended for one game each as the result of an on-ice incident that occurred in the game between the two teams on Saturday, Feb. 16.

The supplemental disciplinary action was taken by WCHA Commissioner Bruce M. McLeod after a review of the incident that occurred at 6:38 of the second period and originally resulted in each player receiving two-minute slashing, two-minute roughing and 10-minute misconduct penalties.

Testwuide will be required to serve his one-game suspension during Denver’s home game against Alaska Anchorage on Feb. 22.

Radke, who also received a fighting penalty and game disqualification penalty later in the game on Feb. 16, will now be required to serve a two-game suspension during North Dakota’s upcoming home series against Bemidji State on Feb. 23-24.

Recruiting
USA Today featured CC recruit Colten St. Clair of Gilbert, Ariz., as evidence of the spread of talent beyond traditional hotbeds like Minnesota. Kevin Allen writes that St. Clair is “considered one of the top 1992-born players in the U.S. and maybe even the world.”

Tiger Tracks
–Several people brought up half-shields as I researched the concussion story that ran today with the argument being that if players wear visors, they keep their checks down and adhere to an honor code (enforced by fighting).
The American Hockey League requires half-shields, whereas the National Hockey League leaves it up to the players–visor or no visor. CC alum Noah Clarke, who plays for Lowell (AHL), may feel differently about facemasks after he was hit in the face with a slap shot last Saturday. Clarke was hospitalized. (In the notes section)
UPDATE: Clarke, who is out indefinitely, suffered a cheekbone fracture and nose damage, but his eyes are OK. Read here.
–I thought this story on former defenseman Tom Preissing, a Hobey Baker finalist in 2003, was pretty neat. The reporter got Preissing to open up about his senior thesis at CC. Paid to play hockey for the Los Angeles Kings at the moment, the 2003 WCHA student-athlete of the year has plenty to look forward to after hockey.

Game day: No. 4 CC 4, Alaska-Anchorage 1 (final)

Three thoughts:
1. The Tigers must be more determined about getting shots on net. Last night’s total of 16 simply isn’t enough. CC was outshot 46-36 overall with the breakdown like this:
–Shots blocked by defense: CC 10, UAA 12
–Shots off target: CC 9, UAA 6
–Pipes: CC 1, UAA 0
–Shots on target: CC 16, UAA 28
How CC fared Saturday: The Tigers were outshot 25-23. Early in the game, Anchorage was doing a great job of blocking shots, especially from CC’s defensemen. But the game opened up once the Seawolves scored and the defensemen started to change the shooting angle. CC ended up taking 52 shots total to Anchorage’s 42.
The breakdown:
–Shots blocked by defense: CC 17, UAA 10
–Shots off target: CC 10, UAA, 7
–Pipes: CC 2, UAA 0
–Shots on target: CC 23, UAA 25

2. Anchorage came off of a bye week. CC is heading into one. Who wants it more?
How CC fared: The Tigers got great goaltending from Drew O’Connell Friday and Richard Bachman Saturday. The pair combined to hold Anchorage by saving 52 of 53 shots. CC allowed its first power-play goal since Nov. 2, but has killed 34 of the last 35 penalties. The power play, thanks to opportunistic play from the Kilpatrick-Rau-McCulloch-Connelly-Lampl group, regained its somewhat shaky footing with two goals Saturday. All in all, CC gained some confidence heading into its next road series at St. Cloud State, but could stand to up the ante on offense after scoring just four power-play goals in the last three games.

3. Can the Tigers earn a road sweep? North Dakota beat Denver 3-1, meaning CC could pull six points ahead of the Pioneers, who have two games in hand, in Western Collegiate Hockey Association standings.
How CC fared: The Tigers proved they could get gritty on the road and rose to the occasion over the last 30 minutes of Saturday’s game. With Denver’s loss, the two points proved to be quite important. As right wing Jimmy Kilpatrick pointed out after the game, Anchorage hadn’t been swept by any team home or away this season. Even though the Seawolves are in last place in the WCHA, they are much more disciplined than in years past and if they can get a few more goals, could be a dangerous team. Could be interesting in mid-January when the teams meet again.

Briefly:
–There was a brief moment with two minutes left — after left wing Cody Lampl was checked from behind by Anchorage’s Chris Tarkir and defenseman Kris Fredheim went for retaliation — where it looked as if the series might end with a brawl as it did last December at World Arena.
“I must say I had a little flashback,” coach Scott Owens said. “But (coach) Dave (Shyiak) did a good job of getting everyone settled down.”

–Best fashion statement: Defenseman Ryan Lowery, inspired by classmate Brett Wysopal, was sporting some moccasins he bought Saturday in Anchorage with his CC windsuit.

Colorado College
10 Thauwald–14 Rau–23 Kilpatrick
21 Sweatt–19 Vlassopoulos–25 Testwuide
26 McCulloch–17 Johnson–22 Walsky
2 Lampl–9 McMillin-18 Overman

8 Hillen–15 Prosser
7 Fredheim–4 Gannon
11 Connelly–27 Wysopal

30 Bachman
31 O’Connell

Alaska-Anchorage
21 Lunden–20 Crowder–9 Clark
24 Tassone–37 Cartwright–18 Tarkir
8 Selby–17 Parkinson–7 DayChief
28 Haddad–34 McCabe–16 Grant

4 LaFranchise–33 Robinson
13 Backstrom–23 Vidmar
10 Lovdahl–22 Tuton

30 Olthuis
39 Gordon
21 Mayo

Speed, Defensive Systems Are Focuses Monday

With less than two weeks until Colorado College’s first hockey game, coaches Joe Bonnett and Norm Bazin began implementing defensive systems on Monday night. As in seasons past, the Tigers will play a man-to-man defense and minimize switches–when one player trades his defensive assignment to another player–which Bonnett said promotes an aggressive mentality.

During one-on-one defensive drills in the corners, defenseman Brett Wysopal was a standout. Even though he is the shortest player at 5-foot-7, Wysopal uses his lower center of gravity to his advantage. Against left wing Scott McCulloch, Wysopal was a downright pest with his stick and not afraid to check McCulloch whenever possible.

Bazin also had the forwards practice backchecking by having them sprint down the ice, take a shot, and sprint back.

Fitness in the form of cross-ice sprints and serpentine skating patterns was integrated throughout the practice to Bazin’s and Bonnett’s chorus of “speed, speed, speed!” and “go, go, go!”

All together the practice laid out the ingredients of success for the Tigers this season. They’ll be going all-out up the ice, generating shots with their speed. With the forwards backchecking aggressively, they’ll try to create turnovers in the neutral zone and keep the puck from even reaching the young defensive corps and untested goaltender. When the puck gets into the defensive zone, each player will play in-your-face defense with the hopes of never giving their opponents an open look or an easy lane to drive the net.

Of course, all of this is easier said than done.

Only 11 days left until the season-opening exhibition against Calgary and 24 until the first game against Minnesota.

***
Here were Monday night’s lines:
White Sweatt–Vlassopoulos–Walsky
Red McCulloch–Johnson–Testwuide
Blue DeBoer–Rau–Schultz
Gold Overman–McMillin–Patrosso
Maroon Thauwald–Lampl

What are your thoughts about these combinations? Post a comment.

***
An interesting article on the utility of face shields, which features the contrasting stances of Boston Bruin and former CC defenseman Mark Stuart, and his father, Michael Stuart, who is USA Hockey’s Chief Medical Officer. It mentions Stuart’s older siblings and former Tigers, Colin and Mike Stuart.

Tiger Tracks:
–Mark Cullen assigned to Grand Rapids (AHL).
–Marty Sertich reports to Iowa Stars (AHL) training camp.