CC retains Gold Pan despite disappointing 3-3 tie with Denver

Richard Bachman tried to carry Colorado College to a win. The sophomore goaltender fought off the University of Denver for 59 minutes Friday night. He needed to hold on for one more.

Denver's Joe Colborne scored with 56.3 seconds left in the third period to even the score, then the teams skated a scoreless overtime for a 3-3 tie at World Arena.

CC is 14-9-8 and 10-8-5 in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Denver is 17-9-4 and 13-7-3.

The Tigers retain the Gold Pan, awarded to the victor of the season series between the rivals. That led to a strange scene after the game in which the disappointed Tigers accepted the trophy on the ice while regretting the win that slipped away.

"It's kind of disappointing," Bachman said. "We need those points."

CC had a 3-1 lead in the second period, but DU cut the deficit to 3-2 late on Colborne's first goal. Most of the third period was played in the Tigers' zone. The Pioneers had plenty of chances to tie the score, but Bachman kept turning them away.

"They put the pressure on us in the third period," coach Scott Owens said. "It was unbelievable. They had us on our heels the whole time."

Bachman had 41 saves. For most of the third period, he seemed to be stealing a win for the Tigers.

"That was the plan," he said. "I wanted to. I thought we pretty much had it there."

Bachman never saw Colborne until after he shot the puck, which beat Bachman high. Denver was able to get the puck out of the corner to Colborne in front, with a few bodies screening Bachman.

CC played well in the first two periods but couldn't put the game away. The Tigers scored in the first when Stephen Schultz knocked a pass from Brian Connelly out of the air and into the net. Cody Lampl and Bill Sweatt scored 98 seconds apart in the second to provide a 3-1 advantage.

The Tigers led 3-2 for most of the third period only to see the Pioneers forge a tie.

"It was a tough point to get," DU coach George Gwozdecky said.

Senior defenseman Jake Gannon said at some point the CC players will appreciate winning the Gold Pan, but not after a game that he described as feeling like a loss.

"It's tough, it's not how we wanted to celebrate it," Gannon said. "It would have been nice to celebrate it with a win."