Tigers bounce back for another split

Colorado College hopes Saturday's 3-2 victory over Colgate is a harbinger of things to come.

Defenseman Kris Fredheim and center Tyler Johnson scored their first goals of the season.

The No. 3 Tigers committed only three penalties and limited high-percentage opportunities.

And, most importantly, they won.

With bruised egos after Friday's loss across town to 11th-ranked Air Force, the Tigers salvaged the weekend, picking up their first win over a nonconference opponent this season.

"On the heels of last night's emotional game, it was huge," coach Scott Owens said.

After splitting four consecutive weekends, CC finishes November with a 5-4 mark and moves to 9-4-3 overall.

"We went through some adversity," Fredheim said. "We struggled and we know what it's like to lose now. It's not a very good feeling. We want to win."

In front of 5,971 at World Arena, the Tigers trailed 1-0 after Colgate forward Austin Smith converted teammate David McIntyre's short-handed rush, the fourth consecutive game CC has allowed a short-handed goal. The Tigers allowed only three short-handed goals last season.

Before the start of the second period, Fredheim gave his teammates some encouragement, patting them on the back and trying to pump them up.

"We needed guys to step up," he said. "I was just trying to get guys going."

It must have worked.

Less than 7 minutes into the period, left wing Bill Sweatt one-timed a pass from right wing Eric Walsky inside the right post to tie the score.

With 53.9 seconds left in the second, Fredheim scored a diving goal for only the third of his career.

"When a guy like me can score, it's great," Fredheim said.

Then, at 5:30 of the third period, Johnson unloaded 14 games' worth of frustration into his wrist shot from the left face-off dot.

"It felt so good," said Johnson, who had played an estimated five power-play shifts before Saturday. "It's a big monkey off the back for sure. It had to go in."

Johnson's power-play goal snapped a streak of 15 scoreless power plays for CC.

Colgate responded 18 seconds later to cut the lead to one, but the Tigers refused to let this one slip away.

"That was a big game for us, for just our confidence," Fredheim said. "We had to win."