CC tops Anchorage in OT to split weekend series

Colorado College was looking for a boost from its third and fourth lines and the Tigers got it in a big way.

At 2:39 of overtime, left wing Addison DeBoer came from behind the net and tucked the puck inside the right post to lift the third-ranked Tigers to a 4-3 win over Alaska-Anchorage on Saturday at Sullivan Arena.

"First, I was shocked couldn't believe it went in," said DeBoer, who was a healthy scratch on Friday but played on the third line on Saturday. "Then, I was pretty excited. It was a big goal that we needed."

DeBoer's goal marked the first 5-on-5 score from a player not named Eric Walsky, Chad Rau or Bill Sweatt since the second period of the Nov. 2 game against Denver.

That's a span of 389 minutes and 4 seconds.

"Still the top line did score three of the goals, but it was very nice and it's good for the team chemistry to have somebody else chip in tonight," coach Scott Owens said.

CC's first overtime win - the Tigers had three overtime ties earlier this season - helped them secure their third consecutive split and second win in a five-game road trip that concludes next Friday at undefeated Air Force.

"It was a very hard-fought two points for us tonight and it was very gratifying," Owens said. "We competed for 63 minutes. They were much better tonight and we were better tonight. I thought our hard work and perseverance helped us get that goal in the end."

After a scoreless first period, the Tigers took a 1-0 lead with their second power-play goal in 14 chances. Defenseman Gabe Guentzel thought about a shot, but dished the puck to center Chad Rau, who unleashed a wrist shot from the left circle.

More than halfway through the second period, Anchorage's Tommy Grant and Kevin Clark scored just more than 4 minutes apart to take the lead.

"They have some big strong forwards and they work hard down low," Guentzel said.

But CC knotted the score just 26 seconds later when right wing Eric Walsky centered the puck off a defenseman's skate. Left wing Bill Sweatt collected it off a defenseman's skate and backhanded it past goaltender Jon Olthuis.

With less than 6 minutes left in Saturday's third period, however, it looked as if CC might leave Alaska with just a point.

The Tigers gave up their second short-handed goal of the weekend when Anchorage's Tommy Grant beat goaltender Richard Bachman with a wrist shot from the right circle at 14:41.

"It was pretty deflating," DeBoer said. "It's not what you expect when you get a power play with a one-goal lead and less than 6 minutes to go. We need to get those power-play chances going and put them away."

CC went 2 for 5 on Saturday to finish 3 for 19 on the weekend.