Tigers juggling numbers

After falling out of the top 10 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll, Colorado College gladly will get back on the ice Friday.

CC hasn't played a game since Dec. 20 but dropped a couple of spots in the poll. The Tigers were ranked 10th on Dec. 15 but 12th in the poll released Monday. Air Force is 14th.

CC is 11-6-5 overall and 7-5-2 in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, tied for third three points behind first-place Denver.

The Tigers played 22 games before their first bye, the most in college hockey. CC plays Minnesota State-Mankato this weekend at World Arena.

"We went a long time without a break," coach Scott Owens said. "I think we were mentally fried a little bit."

The Tigers needed the time off to heal physically as well. Owens said the only player who will not be available this weekend because of an injury is left wing Scott McCulloch, who has a sprained left knee. Owens said McCulloch could return for games at Wisconsin on Jan. 16 and 17.

Among the players who have missed time lately are captain Jake Gannon, who has been out because of a fractured finger, and forward Matt Overman, who has been out with an undisclosed injury.

Also, forward Cody Lampl has been reinstated after serving a 47-game suspension for violating the school's student-conduct policy.

"For the first time in a long time, we'll have all eight defensemen available and 14, 15 healthy forwards," Owens said.

Lucia ill

Minnesota coach Don Lucia, who twice won WCHA Coach of the Year honors in the 1990s while with CC, has been dealing with an undisclosed illness, according to College Hockey News.

The report said he was not at practice last week, didn't attend Friday's game against Brown and watched Saturday's game from the press box, addressing his team between periods. The team doctor said no specific diagnosis has been made but Lucia, who is 50, is undergoing tests, according to College Hockey News.

"Don's a good friend, and I am concerned," Owens said. "Thoughts and prayers are with him, and hopefully we'll know a lot more by the end of the week."

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CONTACT THE WRITER: 476-4891 or frank.schwab@gazette.com. Check out our Colorado College hockey blog at gazettecchockey.freedomblogging.com

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine
(first-place votes in parentheses)

Rank School Last Week Record Weeks Top 15

1. Notre Dame, 504 (32) 1 16-3-2 13
2. Boston, 472 (1) 3 13-4-1 13
3. Minnesota, 435 4 10-3-5 13
4. Northeastern, 360 6 12-4-2 10
5. Princeton, 332 8 13-3-0 12
6. Cornell, 316 (1) 9 9-1-3 7
7. Denver, 309 5 13-6-2 13
8. Miami (Ohio), 277 2 12-5-3 13
9. Boston College, 261 7 9-5-2 13
10. Vermont, 218 13 11-4-2 8
11. Michigan, 200 11 13-7-0 13
12. Colorado College, 164 10 11-6-5 13
13. New Hampshire, 74 14 9-6-3 12
14. Air Force, 50 12 15-4-1 8
15. Ohio State, 38 NR 13-6-1 1

Others receiving votes: Quinnipiac, 18; Dartmouth, 14; Maine, 8; Nebraska-Omaha, 8; Wisconsin, 8; Yale, 6; North Dakota, 4; Alaska, 2; Michigan State, 2.

NEXT FOR CC

Minnesota St.-Mankato at Colorado College, 7:37 p.m. Friday, 103.9 FM

NEXT FOR AIR FORCE

Canisius at Air Force, 7:05 p.m. Jan. 16, 1300 AM