Tigers captain Dineen on CC-Denver rivalry: ‘A lot of hatred'

Nick Dineen typically wears his emotions on his sleeve, refusing to sugarcoat the state of Colorado College’s rivalry with Denver. He tells the truth, and he never apologizes for it.

“It’s a lot of hatred between the two programs,” said Dineen, the CC senior captain with one last opportunity to help the Tigers reclaim the Gold Pan trophy from the Pioneers.

The Gold Pan has resided with Denver the past two years, the Pioneers taking ownership of it during Dineen’s sophomore season. And after a split in their first two meetings, No. 11 CC requires three points against No. 13 Denver – two wins or a win and a tie in games Friday in Denver and Saturday in Colorado Springs – to snatch the hardware back.

Perhaps the only way that CC (14-9-1, 11-7 Western Collegiate Hockey Association) can justify superiority over Denver (15-8-3, 10-5-3) is by capturing the Gold Pan – something the Tigers have done 10 times in 18 tries since its 1992 inception. CC fans don’t need to be reminded that since the Tigers last won a national title in 1957, Denver has won seven. Plus, Denver has topped CC 12-9 in WCHA titles and 15-1 in WCHA playoff crowns.

Simply put, Denver has prevailed when it has mattered most, and CC hasn’t been able to seal the deal. That’s why Denver coach George Gwozdecky has two rings on his fingers, from back-to-back national championships in 2004 and 2005, and CC coach Scott Owens doesn’t have any jewelry, his closest call a loss to Denver in the 2005 national semifinals.

There’s no disputing that the playing field between CC and Denver isn’t level. Of the 12 WCHA schools, CC has the highest tuition at $39,900, the lowest enrollment at 2,065 and the lowest acceptance rate at 33.6 percent, according to 2011 data collected by U.S. News & World Report. Denver has a comparable tuition at $37,833, but its enrollment is 5,455, and its acceptance rate is 71.6 percent. And with 17 Division I teams, Denver surely has a larger athletic budget than CC, which is Division III minus hockey and women’s soccer.

The bottom line: It’s much more difficult for CC to stay competitive. When Owens heads on the recruiting trail, he has to think as much about a prospect’s grade-point average and SAT score as he does about his slap shot and puck-handling. CC has gone after a couple players on Denver’s roster, but with no free passes at a private school that’s 27th among national liberal arts colleges, Owens is strapped, often not able to land all the top players.

“It’s hard to be that consistent,” Owens said, noting that the constant departure of players to the professional ranks and grand expectations on CC are immovable obstacles. About Denver, he said, “We respect their program, and we respect the way they do business.”

Also a senior, CC defenseman Gabe Guentzel called the Gold Pan a “part of our legacy to have it back here. We want to leave (CC) in a better place than we found it.” He added, “Everybody knows what’s at stake. … It’s going to be hard-fought, and it’s going to be a physical game, and it’s going to be tough. That’s why the men play and the kids don’t.”

With Denver leading CC by a point for third place in the WCHA with only 10 games left, “this series is as big as they get at this time of the year,” Gwozdecky said. For Dineen, it “means that much more,” he noted. “It’s that much closer to the playoffs.” The Gold Pan is “something we’re ready to get back,” he said. “Ever since we lost it, we’ve wanted it.”

Pioneers forward suspended

Denver left wing Ty Loney has been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules, meaning he won’t play this weekend. He had skated on the first line, centered by Drew Shore, with eight goals and eight assists, including 12 points in his past seven games.

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