Fisher scores four as men's Division II stays undefeated in BMHC

Brick Fisher scored his third career hat trick in a 8-1 win against the University of Wyoming Cowboys (photo by Zachary Muniz/Sko Buffs Sports).

Who in the Big Mountain Hockey Conference can beat the Colorado Buffaloes? That is the question after the men’s Division II hockey team (6-1-0-0, 4-0 BMHC) dismantled the Wyoming Cowboys (1-8-0-0, 1-6-0-0 BMHC) in an 8-1 rout on Sunday, Oct. 11.

The Buffs have now outscored BMHC opponents 26-4 in their four conference matchups. They have yet to face the Metro State Roadrunners (3-4-1-1, 3-2-1-0 BMHC), but the reigning conference champs seem poised to repeat.

As seen in the score, the offense was firing on all cylinders against Wyoming. Fresh off an impressive 7-0 win against the Colorado State Rams in Fort Collins the night before, the team seemed anything but tired. Colorado forward Brick Fisher was responsible for half of the team’s goals against the Cowboys.

Colorado looked to goalie Caleb Allen against the Cowboys for his third start of the year. Allen stopped 18 of the 19 shots he faced for his second victory of the season. The Cowboys tested Allen multiple times with high-danger chances, but he only allowed one goal that came on the man-advantage for Wyoming.

The only blemish on the otherwise strong performance was the Buffs’ special teams. CU went 0-for-3 on power play opportunities and 2-for-3 on the penalty kill. Wyoming filled both passing and shooting lanes on the kill, making it difficult for Colorado to get clean looks at the net on the power play. On the other side, CU did a good job of limiting the Cowboys’ chances on the power play, allowing only one goal to a power play that had been operating at 36%.

The early Sunday game only drew a half-full CU Rec Center Ice Rink crowd, but the Buffs put on a show nonetheless. 

The game started rather slowly, with neither team able to generate many chances or much momentum. However, Colorado soon shook off the early-afternoon lethargy and began to pressure Wyoming’s goalie Isaak Erickson. After a clearance in the defensive zone, forwards Elyjah Sue and Ethan McEneany and defenseman Chase Messner found themselves on a three-on-one. Three quick passes gave Messner a wide-open net for the Buffs’ first goal of the day.

Wyoming then transitioned to the power play on a trip by Colorado forward Aiden Johnson. The Cowboys put four shots on Allen in those two minutes, but none could find the back of the net.

The kill energized the Buffs as they flipped the pressure back onto Wyoming. The first line got its first goal of the day with a quick passing play off the faceoff that opened up Fisher for a one-timer from the dot to make it 2-0. 

Wyoming was held to just one shot on goal for the rest of the period. The score remained unchanged by the end of the first period.

Once the second period began, CU continued to dominate. McEneany got a great feed from defenseman Truman Boettiger in the crease with an empty net. The puck jumped over his stick on the one-timer attempt, but he caught enough of it to put it in on the second attempt.

Up 3-0, Will Hadrick headed to the box on an interference call. The Cowboys’ strong power play got its second look of the day and took advantage. Wyoming captain Ian Bullard took a slap shot from the point that skimmed off of forward Wesley Amos to stun Allen and put the Cowboys within two.

Amos’ goal was the Cowboys’ last real pressure in the second as the Buffs began to pull away. Colorado outshot Wyoming 8-4 and outscored the Cowboys 2-0 in the final 14 minutes of the second with goals from Fisher and forward Stephen Schaefer. The Buffs failed to convert on two power play chances, but they got offensive looks.

Colorado came into the third leading 5-1, and it didn’t let off the gas. Fisher started the period with a bang, scoring a backhand breakaway goal 21 seconds in to complete his hat trick. He wasn’t finished there, scoring his fourth of the night with the same move on another breakaway with 14:11 to go.

With a 7-1 lead, CU and Wyoming were merely going through the motions in the last half of the period. Both teams traded low-danger chances as the game began to slow down. 

As time wound down, forward Ben Clarke put home a rebound off Erickson with 28 seconds to go to seal the 8-1 victory.

Colorado will head up to Fort Collins, Colorado, for a home game, not to play the Rams, but instead to play the Boston Terriers. The Terriers are in town playing against the Denver Pioneers on Friday, Oct. 16 at 7:30 p.m. MT, then the Buffs on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 8:00 p.m. MT.