Colorado College Begins Break From WCHA Play
Nov. 20, 2000
GOING AGAINST HEA: Colorado College, currently third in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association standings after last week's split at the University of Wisconsin, takes a breather from its WCHA schedule this weekend with two games at home against teams from the Hockey East Association. The Tigers host Providence College at 7:35 p.m. (MT) Friday, then take on Boston University at 7:05 p.m. Saturday, both at the Colorado Springs World Arena (7,343 capacity).
ON THE AIR: All Colorado College games this season, home and away, are broadcast live throughout Southern Colorado on The Jock (AM 1240 KRDO), with Jeff Thomas calling the action. Pre-game show starts 20 minutes before faceoff. Saturday's game against Boston University will be televised live in Colorado Springs, courtesy of Adelphia and Pikes Peak Broadcasting Co., on cable channel 4. The radio broadcasts are available worldwide via Yahoo!Sports at broadcast.com, as well as throughout North America by calling TeamLine (1-800-846-4700, ext. 8475). Thomas also hosts the Scott Owens Coaches' Show every Tuesday evening on The Jock, from 6 to 7 p.m. (MT). Saturday's game is being broadcast in the Boston area on WROL Radio (AM 950), as well as three network affiliates in Massachusetts and nearby New Hampshire, with Bernie Corbett handling the play-by-play.
TEAM RECORDS (OVERALL/LEAGUE): Colorado College 7-3/7-3, Providence 7-2-1/4-1-1, Boston University 2-5-1/1-4-1
ALL-TIME SERIES: CC and Providence have met 10 times previously, with the Tigers retaining a 5-4-1 edge despite a 5-4 loss in Rhode Island last season. They are 5-8-2 in 15 all-time meetings with Boston University after suffering a 5-1 defeat at BU a year ago. They're 3-2-1 in six games vs. the Terriers in Colorado Springs, all at the old Broadmoor World Arena. This week marks their first visit since 1988-89.
COACH'S CORNER: Scott Owens (Colorado College `79), the 13th head coach in the history of Tiger Hockey, is in his second season at the helm of his alma mater. Owens previously spent eight seasons as a head coach in the United States Hockey League, where he posted a record of 328-173-18 (.649) with the Madison Capitols and Des Moines Buccaneers. The former goaltender also served on the CC coaching staff for four years (1991-95) between stints in the USHL. He's 25-21-3 (.541) at the Colorado College helm.
ABOUT THIS WEEK'S FOES: Providence, 7-2-1 overall, currently leads Hockey East with a 4-1-1 conference record in its 50th season of intercollegiate hockey. The Friars are coached by Paul Pooley (Ohio State `84), who owns a 110-107-17 (.506) mark in seven seasons at the PC helm. Their top scorer is sophomore center Devin Rask, with 14 points (8g,6a)...Boston University, 2-5-1 overall, is 1-4-1 in HEA play under legendary coach Jack Parker (BU `68). The Terriers, currently eighth in their league standings, have been led so far this season by sophomore defenseman Mike Bussoli, who has 6 points (1g,5a). Parker, who claimed his 600th coaching victory at Colorado College's expense a year ago, is 618-300-59 (.663) in 27 seasons behind the bench at his alma mater.
LAST WEEK'S RECAP: After dropping a 2-1 decision to Wisconsin on Friday, the Tigers claimed a 4-3 sudden-death victory on Saturday when junior center Alex Kim (Fullerton, CA) scored at 2:39 of overtime. Freshman left wing Peter Sejna (Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia), who also scored twice in the contest, set up Kim's game-winning goal with a goalmouth pass from the right boards. Sophomore left wing/center Noah Clarke (LaVerne, CA) added a power-play goal in the triumph as CC snapped a three-game losing skid. Junior winger Chris Hartsburg (Villa Park, CA), who scored the team's only goal in Friday's loss, added an assist Saturday while sophomore defenseman Tom Preissing (Rosemount, MN) helped set up a goal in both games. Senior goaltender Colin Zulianello (Thunder Bay, Ont.) made a season high 34 saves on Friday while junior Jeff Sanger (Madison, WI) backstopped Saturday's victory with 25 stops.
A GUTSY EFFORT: Already minus their top scorer in junior center/assistant captain Mark Cullen (Moorhead, MN), the Tigers were forced to play on Saturday without senior defenseman/team captain Paul Manning (Red Deer, Alta.) after Manning injured his kneecap early in Friday's loss to the Badgers. CC became even more shorthanded when junior right wing Trent Clark (Superior, WI) was assessed a spearing major and game disqualification penalty early in the second period. The DQ makes Clark ineligible for Friday's game with Providence. The extent of Manning's injury will be known later in the week. Cullen, who suffered a compression fracture of a vertabra in his neck during a 3-2 overtime loss to St. Cloud State on Nov. 11, is expected to be out for six to eight weeks.
FRESHMAN SENSATION: Sejna, who had a five-game point-scoring streak snapped last Friday, recorded his fifth multiple-point game of the season on Saturday. He now has set up three GWG this season. Already named WCHA Rookie of the Week on two occasions earlier this season, he has taken over the team scoring lead after collecting at least one point in eight of 10 games to date in 2000-01. He ranks fourth overall among WCHA leaders with 16 points (7g,9a) in league play.
OVERTIME JUSTICE: Last Saturday marked CC's first overtime victory on the road since midway through the 1997-98 season when the Tigers won 4-3 at Alaska Anchorage. It was the Tigers' first sudden-death triumph over Wisconsin since they beat UW, 1-0, in historic Game 2 of a first-round WCHA playoff series at the Air Force Academy's Cadet Ice Arena in 1997. The Badgers had won both overtime games between the teams since then, both at the Colorado Springs World Arena...CC is 3-6-4 in 13 overtime outings overall since finishing with a winning 3-2-2 record in OT during the 1997-98 season.
SPECIAL TEAMS UPDATE: The Tigers now have scored at least one power-play goal in seven consecutive games after clicking once in each game at Wisconsin...Last Saturday marked the seventh outing this season in which Colorado College has held an opponent without a PPG. The Badgers went 0-for-3 that night, failing to capitalize during the five-minute advantage that resulted from Trent Clark's major in the second period...CC is 12-for-49 on the power play this season, good for a .249 success ratio that continues to rank second behind Minnesota's .309 mark. The Tigers are third in penalty killing at .875 (42 of 48).
TIGER TIDBITS: Colorado College's three-game losing streak heading into last Saturday's game matched its longest in WCHA regular-season play since midway through the 1998-99 season. CC has not lost four league outings in a row since 1992-93...The Tigers have split all three of their series against the Badgers at the Kohl Center since playing there for the first time in 1998-99...Like Sejna, Preissing also has been involved in three game-winning goals this season while collecting at least a point in eight of CC's 10 games...The Tigers, who fired 36 shots on goal against UW on Friday and 40 more on Saturday, have been held to less than 30 in a game only once this season...Half of CC's 10 games in 2000-01 have been decided by one goal.
ELSEWHERE IN THE WCHA: Everyone takes a break from league play this
holiday weekend as Minnesota and Wisconsin host Michigan State and
Michigan as part of the College Hockey Showcase. Denver swaps opponents
with the Tigers, playing BU on Friday and Providence on Saturday, while
North Dakota is home for a pair of games against St. Lawrence. St. Cloud
State travels east to meet Northeastern and UMass.-Amherst. Minnesota
State, Mankato and UM-Duluth also head east to play New Hampshire and
Vermont in the Sheraton/Howard Bank Classic. Minnesota is alone in first
place after sweeping SCSU, 2-0 and 4-3, last weekend. North Dakota also
climbed past CC in the standings by sweeping Duluth, 5-3 and 5-2, while
MSU, Mankato and Denver salvaged splits at home against Alaska Anchorage
and Michigan Tech, respectively. The Mavericks rebounded for a 3-0
victory on Saturday after losing to UAA, 3-1, on Friday. DU, which
dropped a 5-2 decision to Tech in their series opener, bounced back to
win 4-1 on Saturday.
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