CHAMPS: Colorado D2 wins BMHC Tournament

Colorado men’s Division II hockey celebrates first BMHC championship in almost a decade. (Photo by Katie Flecca/CU D2 Hockey)

For the first time since 2017, the University of Colorado men’s Division II hockey team has won the Big Mountain Hockey Conference tournament. The title game came down to the wire, with Colorado outlasting a third-period comeback attempt by the University of Denver Pioneers to come out on top, 3-2.

CU topped the BMHC in the regular season, going 11-1-0 in 12 games played. The Buffs’ only conference loss came against the same Pioneers squad back on Nov. 16. The Pioneers had a strong season in conference as well, going 8-3-1 in their 12 games and finishing second in the standings. As the only BMHC team to defeat the No. 1 seed Buffaloes, the Pios had a chance to win the postseason tournament.

The final was held at the Promenade Ice Center in Westminster on Sunday. Both teams arrived ready to lift the Tivoli Brewers Barrel at the end of the 60 minutes. 

Colorado forward David Levkus and Denver forward Willem Van Aarem leaned in at center ice to get the BMHC final underway. The playoff atmosphere was quickly felt, as both teams played fast and physical to set the tone. With such physicality, the ice seemed to shrink, with little room to stick handle or pass, and both teams filling lanes.

Neither team gave an inch, with the shot total at a lowly four nine minutes into the period. Colorado made the first mistake of the game, and the Pios jumped on the chance. Miscommunication on the defensive end left DU captain Blake Blazin wide open in the middle of the right circle for a wrister. Caleb Allen was left stunned, unable to stop only the second shot he faced.

Allen redeemed himself only a few seconds later, closing the door on a Nolan Patrick breakaway. DU’s goaltender Jackson Karlitz held his own in net, keeping the Buffs off the board in the first period. Karlitz fought off 10 shots and two power play opportunities to send the Pios into the second up by one.

Colorado came into the second still on the power play. Levkus was on a mission to tie the game at one, dominating possession in the offensive zone early. When forced to exit the zone on an errant pass, Levkus returned with a fake slap shot at the point, then cut to the left and put the puck in the top right corner to tie it at one.

The Buffs’ usual hot second-period play had returned early in the middle frame. With momentum, Colorado kept up the pressure. But Denver refused to let the Buffs get into their usual rhythm and outshot them 8-3 over the next six minutes. In that span, DU got a power play look, but Allen stood tall and kept the game tied.

Despite being outplayed, Colorado continued to battle and look for chances in the offensive zone. At the blue line on an entry, Patrick crushed Brick Fisher, but the referee’s arm went up, and Patrick headed to the box on a cross-checking call. Fisher proceeded to do his best Paul Kariya impression as he went from off the floor to on the board on a one-timer from the right circle, giving CU a 2-1 lead.

DU once again tried to stop CU from getting into its usual second-period flow. The ice appeared to shrink again, as both teams tried to gain the upper hand. DU’s power play, which was so hot the night before, was put out by the Buffs’ penalty killers. On a chance to equalize with Levkus in the box, the Pios struggled.

The game tightened up again in the back half of the period, and it looked like Colorado would enter the third up by one. The strong second-period Buffs were not done yet, however. On a bizarre play in the offensive zone, the puck deflected straight up into the air, which Levkus gloved down and ripped home to extend the lead with 50 seconds left in the period.

Twenty minutes from a championship, Allen and company entered the third to protect the “most dangerous lead in sports” with all that they had left.

Both teams traded chances and checks, but kept the first half of the third period clean with no penalties called. At five-on-five, neither team could get the best of the other's goaltender. Allen stopped all six shots from the Pios, while Karlitz matched his tenacity, stopping all five shots he faced in the first 11 minutes.

In such a tight environment, both teams needed to play near-perfect hockey just to get shots off on either goalie. Colorado slipped up, gifting the Pios a golden opportunity. Hunter Wralstaad went to clear the puck from the slot, but it caromed off the boards right onto the stick of Trae Campbell. He made no mistake and put it on Allen, who only got a piece of it as it slowly rolled in with 9:02 left.

The Pioneers looked destined to at least tie the game, but the Buffs let it roll right off them. Colorado began to dictate pace, even earning a power play after Henry Seebeck went to the box for tripping. Defense tightened up for the Buffs, and they generated one offensive chance after another. 

DU struggled to gain the zone and spent the majority of the final minutes defending its net. With their championship hopes dwindling, the Pios only managed to put three shots on Allen in the final nine minutes.

Time ticked away in the final seconds with DU’s net empty, but the late comeback fell short. Equipment rained onto the ice as CU prepared for the celebration. 

The Barrel was passed from player to player, starting with the captain, Issac Nefs, and ending on Allen, who finished with a .935 save percentage. The team then ended the on-ice celebration with a “Sko Buffs” chant as they headed to the locker room.

Colorado’s season is far from finished. The team will head to Salt Lake City, Utah, for the ACHA regionals against a currently undecided opponent on Feb. 20.

No matter the result in Salt Lake, this team can hold its heads high after a historic season with the program's best record (21-5-1-1).