CC, Michigan State well aware that one loss ends their season

One loss and it's over.

Two wins and a trip to the Frozen Four in Denver awaits.

Four wins and history is made.

For all four teams at this weekend's NCAA Tournament West Regional at World Arena, the season has whittled down to this.

But there's an added, underlying motivation.

Like Colorado College, which lost twice at last weekend's Western Collegiate Hockey Association Final Five, the other teams are coming off disappointing showings in their conference playoffs.

No. 1 seed New Hampshire, the Hockey East regular-season champion, lost in triple overtime to Boston College last Friday and will meet Notre Dame at 4:30 p.m. today.

"The only thing you learn from losing is that it stinks," said New Hampshire goaltender Kevin Regan, a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, given to college hockey's top player. "I don't think you learn too much Xs and Os. You just learn that it's no fun losing, especially in a triple-overtime game."

Notre Dame teetered on missing the NCAAs after two losses last week at the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Tournament, only to learn Sunday it had new life with a tournament bid. Sporting a grizzled beard in the spirit of playoffs, Notre Dame center Mark Van Guilder emphasized the team's fresh start.

"My razor's still at home," he said. "We're not done until they take our gear away from us. ... We're here and that's all that matters."

For CC's opponent, defending national champion Michigan State, losing two of three games to Northern Michigan in the CCHA playoffs has relegated them to practice for the past 12 days.

"We couldn't find a goal for some reason," said Spartans center Justin Abdelkader, who was Most Outstanding Player of the 2007 Frozen Four. "Maybe that's a good thing for us - we're coming into this tournament with a chip on our shoulder and we're rested and ready to go."

Back in World Arena, where they posted an 18-2 record in the regular season, the Tigers say they've forgotten about the Final Five and their MacNaughton Cup run.

"We're not really worried about last weekend," defenseman Jack Hillen said. "We've put that behind us. Everyone's excited because we've got a new fresh start and we're only four games away from doing something special. That's the way you've got to look at it. The rest of the season doesn't matter anymore."

Tonight's game against Michigan State is the type of scenario that CC has been working for all along, center Chad Rau said.

"They're the defending champs and they have a lot of big-time game experience," Rau said. "But in order to do this, you have to go through the best teams. It's only fitting that we're playing the defending champs in our building for the opening game."

CONTACT THE WRITER: 476-4803 or kate.crandall@gazette.com. Check out our Colorado College hockey blog at gazettecchockey.blogspot.com