No. 10 Colorado College ends losing streak
MINNEAPOLIS - For the first time in two weeks, Colorado College's players went home smiling, with confidence, instead of frowning, with battered egos.
Addison DeBoer scored a short-handed goal and Richard Bachman stopped 21 shots as No. 10 CC ended a three-game winless streak Sunday with a 1-0 victory over No. 2 Minnesota before an announced crowd of 9,910 at Mariucci Arena.
The Tigers (10-6-4, 7-5-2 Western Collegiate Hockey Association) beat the Golden Gophers (8-3-5, 7-2-3) at Mariucci for the first time since Jan. 9, 2005, and moved into a tie for third in the WCHA, three points behind first-place Denver.
It wasn't the prettiest win for CC, which looked just as sloppy as in Saturday's 4-1 loss to Minnesota, managed only 23 shots and failed on five power-play chances, including a pair of 5-on-3 advantages.
But Bachman made three saves on as many Minnesota power plays, and the Tigers showed newfound toughness, delivering open-ice hits, corralling loose pucks in the corners and trading finesse for nastiness.
"It's big for our team's mental state," said coach Scott Owens, whose team plays host to Sacred Heart this weekend before a 19-day holiday break. "To win on the road, to score two goals in a weekend and get a split, we're thrilled."
After CC killed two Gabe Guentzel penalties in the opening 14 minutes, Tim Hall was whistled for elbowing and Minnesota again took the man advantage.
On the power play's first shift, DeBoer carried a puck into the neutral zone and passed to Andreas Vlassopoulos, who muscled an attempt from the slot. Alex Kangas couldn't get his glove on the puck, and DeBoer wrapped a shot past Nico Sacchetti at the right post.
"It came right on my skate," DeBoer said, "and I kicked it up."
Bachman hardly flinched in his seventh career shutout.
He got lucky when Patrick White hit the crossbar in the first, then dominated the second and third with glove saves on R.J. Anderson and Justin Bostrom. With 8:15 left, he received help from Tyler Johnson, whose stick on Ryan Flynn in the slot gave him time to cover an open left side of the net.
"I got that with the toe of my right pad," Bachman said of Flynn's shot. "An inch to the right, an inch higher, it was in."
With CC minus bruising defenseman Jake Gannon and hard-hitting forward Scott McCulloch because of injuries, Kris Fredheim picked up the slack by "trying to get sticks in the passing lanes and trying to limit their chances. ... When we come out and hit, they are a little surprised."
"We can play physical," Nate Prosser added. "When we're finishing hits and taking the body at the blue lines and corners, we're a great team."
