Men's DII win weekend matchups to stay undefeated in BMHC
The Colorado Buffaloes men’s Division II hockey team (12-1-0-0, 9-0 BMHC) remained perfect in Big Mountain Hockey Conference play with two wins this weekend.
The Buffs beat the Metropolitan State Roadrunners (4-5-2-1, 4-6) 3-2 in overtime on Friday and the Wyoming Cowboys (5-11-0-0, 4-9) 6-2 on Sunday.
Sunday's win marked 10 straight for Colorado, with its only loss of the season coming against the Montana State Bobcats back on Sept. 25. Since that loss, Colorado has outscored opponents 45-13, and it has not conceded more than two goals in a game.
The offense was spread out once again, with eight different goal scorers contributing to nine goals. Captain Kory Diponio had the best performance of the weekend, with two goals and an assist in the two games
Colorado’s power play has been a slight blemish on what has been a near-perfect season for the Buffs, and this weekend was no exception. The man-advantage took to the ice six times in both games, and CU only converted three times, once against MSU and twice against Wyoming. Going 3-for-11 on the power play isn’t a glaring concern, but in close games like Friday’s, Colorado could use some added offensive success on the power play.
Both of Colorado’s goalies saw light loads this weekend, with neither goalie facing more than twenty shots. Caleb Allen got the nod against the Roadrunners and stopped 12-of-14 shots faced, including a two-on-one opportunity in overtime. In Sunday’s game against Wyoming, Harrison Smith got his first start on home ice, saving 18-of-20 shots he saw.
Game One
The Roadrunners were the only team remaining in the BMHC that the Buffs had yet to face, and they gave them a run for their money.
MSU came out and played to the Buffs’ pace, skating with Colorado to start the game.
The Roadrunners’ speed was rewarded with a power play after CU forward Marius Krasauskas slashed MSU forward Bryce Margolis.
On the power play, the Roadrunners wasted no time. Off the offensive-zone faceoff, MSU forward Mathew Clift won the draw back to the blue line, and three quick passes resulted in a shot on Allen. Forward Cooper Pederson picked up the rebound to give the Roadrunners an early lead eight seconds into their power play.
Colorado could not find the back of the net in the first, marking the first time the Buffs had been held scoreless in the first since Oct. 2 and the first time on home ice all season.
“I think we came out pretty flat. Didn’t have any energy,” said Diponio between periods. “I think we have to pick up a lot of things in order to get back to what we want to do.”
Metro continued to suffocate the Buffs’ offense as it killed off three Buff power-play chances in the first and second combined.
However, the Roadrunners could not replicate their early success on their own power play, as they went 0-for-2 on their other man-advantage chances in the first and second.
Twenty shots into the game, Colorado finally solved Metro’s goaltender Patric Loeffler. With 1:37 remaining in the second, Diponio picked up a loose puck in front and squeezed it through the five-hole to tie the game at one.
In a game full of firsts, Colorado entered the third tied with its opponent on home ice for the first time all year.
Less than two minutes in, MSU defenseman Colton Gorsuch headed to the box on a hooking call to give Colorado its fourth power-play chance of the night.
The Buffs finally generated some dangerous chances on the man-advantage. CU forward Brick Fisher found himself with time at the right hash marks. Fisher made no mistake and slipped the puck past the short side of Loeffler for CU’s first lead of the night.
Less than five minutes later, Fisher found himself back on the scoresheet, but for a much different reason. Fisher went to the box for a 10-minute misconduct after mouthing off to the refs after he felt he was fouled on a breakaway.
Although the game remained at even strength, without its top point-scorer, Colorado sat back in its zone more.
The Roadrunners knocked on the door as they peppered Allen. Their pressure came to a boiling point when forward Hank Kasch’s backhander trickled past Allen to tie the game with 11:02 to play.
One last look on the power play for the Buffs wasn’t enough to finish the game in regulation as both teams headed to their benches for overtime.
Colorado controlled overtime, out-shooting the Roadrunners 4-1 in the near three minutes of action.
Defenseman Will Hadrick was the surprise overtime hero on Friday, scoring his first goal of the season in tight on Loeffler to maintain the Buffs’ perfect BMHC record.
Game Two
Colorado switched opponents to the Cowboys on Sunday for a matinee.
The Buffs were nearly held off the scoreboard again in the first.
After a failed power-play chance 9:19 in, Colorado returned to the power play seven minutes later. Forward Elyjah Sue scored the Buffs’ second power-play goal of the weekend on a snipe from the slot to put them up 1-0 going into the second.
The second belonged to the Buffs as they out-shot the Cowboys 20-7 in the middle frame. They also outscored the Cowboys 2-0 in the second, with goals from defenseman Hunter Wraalstad and forward Ethan McEneany.
The Cowboys struggled in the second; even two power-play chances were not enough to help Wyoming back into the game in the second.
Down by three, Wyoming needed to come out with speed in the third.
Its leading goal scorer, forward Mario Rodriguez, gave the Cowboys the ideal start. A minute into the period, Rodriguez tipped a pass past Smith to ruin his shutout bid and bring the Cowboys within two.
Rodriguez and the Cowboys’ comeback attempt came up short, as the Buffs outscored the Cowboys 3-1 in the final 18 minutes of the period, highlighted by CU forward Aidan Mulhearn’s first goal of the season.
Colorado took its 10th straight victory, 6-2, as the final horn sounded.
The Buffs will look to keep their win streak and undefeated conference record alive in a series against the New Mexico Lobos (4-9-1-0, 5-6-1-0) next weekend. Colorado will take the trip down to the Land of Enchantment for two games on Friday, Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m. MT and Saturday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. MT.
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