This night, Tigers' failure is complete
MADISON, Wis. • The offense mustered one goal. The goaltender was pulled in the third period. And two key players didn't arrive here until Friday because it was feared they had mononucleosis.
It's pouring on Colorado College, which lost 6-1 to Wisconsin on Friday at the Kohl Center.
The loss drops CC to 12-8-5 and 8-7-2 in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Wisconsin is 13-9-3 and 10-5-2.
Sophomore goaltender Richard Bachman suffered the most embarrassing moment of the night, getting the hook after giving up a fourth goal early in the third period. But he was far from the biggest problem for the Tigers.
"No, it was everything," coach Scott Owens said.
Bachman wasn't completely to blame for the goals. A bad turnover in CC's zone led to a breakaway for the Badgers and their first goal. Two rebounds off Bachman - with Wisconsin players standing uncontested in front of the net trying to jam the puck through - accounted for the Badgers' next two goals.
To compound matters for the Tigers, the offense once again couldn't score enough to overcome the goals that Bachman did surrender.
"He did all he could," defenseman Nate Prosser said. "We weren't playing the way we should in front of him."
Owens said he pulled Bachman 2 minutes, 37 seconds into the third period because Bachman wasn't sharp, Wisconsin led by three goals and he wanted his goaltender to rest for tonight's game. Drew O'Connell took over in net and gave up two goals.
"Sometimes it can be used to give the guys a little jump, so I understand," Bachman said.
CC's weekend got off to a weird start. Leading scorer Chad Rau and captain Jake Gannon didn't depart Colorado Springs on Thursday because they were tested for mononucleosis. After receiving a clean bill of health, they were up at 4 a.m. Friday to catch a flight to Madison, where they arrived about 11 a.m.
The Tigers seemed to be in the game when Prosser tied the score 1-1 on a shot through a good screen by forward Bill Sweatt. But the Badgers scored twice in the second period to take control.
CC had some good opportunities but simply couldn't convert them. In the third period, Nick Dineen had an empty net but his short shot hit a defenseman's leg. The Tigers had a flurry of shots off the ricochet, but Wisconsin goaltender Shane Connelly saved them all.
That's the kind of night it was for CC, and that's the way its season has been going.
"We're just not playing very well," Owens said. "It's very frustrating. We don't have enough guys playing well enough. The ones that are playing well are generating chances, but the pucks aren't going in."
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Contact the Writer: 476-4891 or frank.schwab@gazette.com
TODAY
Colorado College at Wisconsin, 5:07 p.m., FSN, 103.9 FM
