Tigers' formula doesn't add up

It was bound to happen.

Colorado College, which staked its early-season success on the play of goaltender Richard Bachman and penalty killing, looked a step slow against North Dakota on Friday.

The Fighting Sioux scored two goals in a 14-second span of the second period to upend No. 1 CC 3-1 for the Tigers' first loss of the season and only their fourth at World Arena since the start of last season.

The Tigers dropped to 5-1-3 and 3-1-1 in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.

Unranked North Dakota improved to 3-4 and 3-2 in the WCHA.

CC's unbeaten record entering Friday's loss had come in spite of its anemic offense.

Until meeting the Sioux, the Tigers had skirted the scoring issue by holding opponents to a paltry 1.5 goals per game and curbing their high penalty minutes with superb penalty killing.

That formula might have worked against North Dakota, which entered the game averaging just 2.17 goals, but the Tigers were simply outhustled.

"I thought we got a lot of mileage out of it," coach Scott Owens said of the penalty killing and goaltending combination. "At some point you've got to score more than two goals a game, especially if you're at home a lot. The forwards need to carry us a game or two to take pressure off of everybody else."

Midway through the first period, CC defensemen Gabe Guentzel and Ryan Lowery mixed messages and North Dakota center Darcy Zajac capitalized, slamming a wrap-around goal past Bachman to hand CC a first-period deficit for the first time this season.
Matters didn't improve much in the second when the Sioux's third line swarmed the net and, unobstructed by CC defensemen, poked the puck under Bachman.

After winning the faceoff at center ice, North Dakota players swarmed into the slot and right wing Brett Hextall backhanded a shot under Bachman.

As feisty as the Sioux were around the net, the Tigers looked frozen on their best opportunities, especially late in the game.

CC went 0-for-8 on the power play, including a 95-second 5-on-3 chance in the third period.

"When you're given four or five power plays in a row in the third period by a team that's known for giving up third-period goals and you don't convert, that's a little bit of a concern," left wing Scott McCulloch said.

CC, which has now killed 65 of 67 penalties this season - including four on Friday - dodged the shutout bid with a goal from left wing Bill Sweatt with 87 seconds left.

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Contact the writer: 476-4803 or kate.crandall@gazette.com.

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