Schultz toeing Tigers' top line

Stephen Schultz hardly needs Colorado College coach Scott Owens to twist his arm.

He would join Chad Rau and Eric Walsky again.

The sophomore left wing registered two goals and an assist Saturday against Minnesota-Duluth in his debut on the top line and might stay there this weekend when No. 10 CC travels to No. 2 Minnesota.

Owens shuffled the lines - Rau, Walsky and Bill Sweatt have been separated three times in 18 outings - after Scott McCulloch sprained his left knee and Tim Hall suffered an upper-body injury in Friday's game.

Sweatt dropped to the second line with Andreas Vlassopoulos and Mike Testwuide; the third line featured Addison DeBoer, Tyler Johnson and Matt Overman; and the fourth line consisted of Dan Quilico, Nick Dineen and Brian McMillin.

Rau is second in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association with 24 points and tied for third with 10 goals. Walsky is tied for third in the WCHA with 22 points and tied for ninth with 13 assists.

"It's not just playing with those guys," said Schultz, whose five goals are one more than he had in 21 games as a freshman. "It's going through practice and having to work hard and having to earn my spot. It's not going to be given to me. It has to come every night."

Skating with Schultz instead of Sweatt doesn't bother Rau.

"It's one of those tough decisions (Owens) has to think about and deal with," Rau said.

"Whatever he does, we'll go with it. Whatever he chooses is right. He has been here long enough to know."

No Tigers chosen for U.S. junior team

The Tigers didn't have any players named to the U.S. national junior team, which will begin competition Dec. 26 at the World Junior Championship in Ottawa.

Sweatt missed four games last season in helping the Americans to a fourth-place finish.

Four WCHA players were selected last week to the 22-person squad - Ryan McDonagh of Wisconsin and Cade Fairchild, Mike Hoeffel and Jordan Schroeder of Minnesota.

"I was not surprised," Owens said of not having any players picked. "It's not a measuring stick. And it's nice to have them that time of year."

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CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0256 or brian.gomez@gazette.com. Check out our Colorado College hockey blog at gazettecchockey.freedomblogging.com

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Minnesota at CC, 6 p.m. Friday, FSN, 103.9 FM