Weekend in review: CC gets Gold Pan, Air Force gets sweep

If you missed it: Against No. 13 Denver, No. 11 Colorado College won 2-0 on Friday in Denver and tied 2-2 on Saturday in Colorado Springs. Air Force swept the Rochester Institute of Technology at the academy, prevailing 3-0 on Friday and 4-2 on Saturday.

No. 1 star: CC left wing Jaden Schwartz scored in both games, his power-play tally Friday giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead and his highlight-reel, end-to-end goal Saturday the first step in bringing the Tigers back from a 2-0 deficit. Schwartz also assisted on David Civitarese’s empty-net goal Friday, and he generated eight shots on the weekend and finished with a plus-two rating. He has 28 points, including a team-high 18 assists.

No. 2 star: Air Force goaltender Jason Torf (3-2-1) perhaps did enough to reclaim the starting job from Stephen Caple, showing he has recovered from a strained groin that sidelined him for almost three months. Torf stopped 57 of 59 shots, and he helped the Falcons to a 6-for-7 clip on the penalty kill. He limited rebound attempts by RIT, and he was aided by a defense that blocked 23 shots and pushed RIT onto the perimeter.

No. 3 star: CC defenseman Gabe Guentzel played a pivotal role in holding Denver to two goals, despite 60 shots by the Pioneers. Guentzel skated more than 30 minutes each night, and he marked two assists, nine shots and a plus-two rating. He led a defense that looked much more cohesive, with increased support from the forwards, and the Tigers illustrated newfound toughness in blocking 32 shots and going 3 for 4 on the penalty kill.

How CC managed three points: The Tigers (15-9-2, 12-7-1 Western Collegiate Hockey Association) controlled the action for sustained stretches, thanks to disciplined forechecking and constant intensity in the neutral zone. They had 35 shots both games, and even though they were 2 for 11 on the power play, they totaled 23 shots with the man advantage. Josh Thorimbert (10-4-1) backstopped the first shutout of the season Friday, and after he was hurt Saturday in the second period, Joe Howe (5-5-1) denied all 17 shots that he faced. It was a gutsy effort by CC, considering that the Tigers were without right wing Scott Winkler because of an undisclosed injury Friday, then on Saturday, Thorimbert and center Nick Dineen went down with upper-body injuries and defenseman Aaron Harstad served a one-game suspension for a Friday fight. And CC received a goal and an assist from right wing Jeff Collett and two assists from center Rylan Schwartz.

CC coach Scott Owens: “You’re just trying to make some things happen, put pressure. … We’ve got to figure out what we’ve got for a lineup for next weekend.”

The impact on CC: It marks the first time in three years the Tigers have won the Gold Pan and the 11th time since the rivalry trophy was established in the 1992-93 season. CC stayed third in the WCHA – two points behind No. 1 Minnesota-Duluth and five points in back of No. 2 Minnesota, with a one-point lead on Denver and a three-point cushion on Michigan Tech, Nebraska-Omaha and No. 17 North Dakota. It’s 16th in the PairWise rankings that decide the 16 NCAA Tournament qualifiers, so if the season ended today, the Tigers would be the first team left out, bounced by the Atlantic Hockey Association champion. College Hockey News predicts CC won’t make the NCAA Tournament.

How Air Force pulled off a sweep: The Falcons (14-7-6, 12-4-5 AHA) benefited from productive starts, and lots of action on the offensive end forced RIT to defend for lengthy periods. They went 1 for 12 on the power play, hampered by several lost faceoffs to begin the man advantage, but they collected a plus-24 rating. More balanced scoring also was key for Air Force, with two goals by right wing Casey Kleisinger; a goal and two assists by center Chad Demers and defenseman Tim Kirby; a goal and an assist by right wing John Kruse and defenseman Scott Mathis; and two assists by left wing Kyle De Laurell.

Air Force coach Frank Serratore: “We build our team with defensemen that can skate. … We would not have had the success that we have had without skill on our blue line.”

The impact on Air Force: The six-game unbeaten streak for the Falcons is tied for the third-longest in the country. Air Force took over first place in the AHA, one point ahead of Mercyhurst and two points in front of RIT and Niagara. It isn’t in the 31-team PairWise, meaning a win at the AHA Final Four is the only way for the Falcons to make the NCAA Tournament. College Hockey News also has Air Force out of the postseason.

Next: CC at Bemidji State (13-12-3, 7-10-3 WCHA) at 6:37 p.m. Friday and 6:07 p.m. Saturday. Air Force at Niagara (12-9-7, 11-5-5 AHA) at 5:05 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

The last word: CC was healthy for the first half of the season, and now Thorimbert and Dineen join an injury list that includes right wing Dakota Eveland (upper body), defenseman Eamonn McDermott (left knee) and left wing Michael Morin (right ankle). Morin is probably sidelined for the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery Wednesday, Eveland is out indefinitely and McDermott will miss at least one more week. If Thorimbert and Dineen don’t make the trip to Bemidji, CC will have 23 players to fill 20 lineup spots, with untested freshman Courtney Lockwood as the backup to Howe and a traveling roster that includes defenseman Ted Behrend, who hasn’t played all season.

Contact Brian Gomez: 719-636-0256 or brian.gomez@gazette.com. Facebook: Brian Gomez. Twitter: @gazettehockey. Google+: Brian Gomez. YouTube: Colorado College Hockey, Covered by The Gazette. For the CC homepage, visit www.gazette.com/sections/sports/cchockey. For the CC blog, visit http://cchockey.freedomblogging.com.