COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — UMD and Colorado College entered Friday night’s game averaging the following through eight and six games, respectively:
Goals: UMD 3.75, CC 4
Shots on goal: UMD 34.4, CC 31.5
Opponent shots on goal: UMD 23, CC 30.5
Not a lot of discrepancies here. It’s why UMD coach Scott Sandelin said before the game he thought the teams were pretty even.
It played out that way. UMD just got a play from a big-time player that made the difference, as Ty Hanson finished his own rebound on a partial breakaway late in the third to give UMD a 1-0 win.
It was UMD’s first 1-0 win in regulation since beating Miami on March 1, 2014, in Oxford, on a second-period goal by Kyle Osterberg and 30 saves from Aaron Crandall.
Shots were only 20 apiece, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Colorado College took 57 shots, missing the net 22 times, a total that doubled the Tigers’ average through their first six games.
(UMD missed the net 13 times on Friday, a touch above the season average heading in, which was 12.1.)
Friday wasn’t a perfect game for UMD. The Bulldogs started strong, but Colorado College seized some momentum after the only power play of the game ended early in the second period. UMD was good in the first period on the dot, then fell off tremendously as the game went on.
Hanson, by the way, has eight goals over UMD’s first nine games. It’s the second straight season that’s seen a UMD player start with eight goals in the first nine games. Max Plante did it last year, before ripping off a separate run of nine goals over eight games around midseason. Later in the year, Zam Plante scored nine goals in an eight-game run that started Feb. 6 and carried into the postseason.
As for the rematch, UMD has made a couple changes. Victor Plante has moved down to Callum Arnott’s line, with Kade Kohanski back in the lineup as the right wing. Zam Plante will center Barrett Hall and Harper Bentz. The top line didn’t have a great night Friday, as it struggled to hold possession against some pretty heavy guys for Colorado College. We’ll see if these changes help.
Carl Axelsson vs Jackson Unger for the last three points of the weekend.
UMD forwards
Plante (Victor) – Plante (Zam) – Hall
Bibby – Shaugabay – Anderson
Plante (Victor) – Arnott – Kohanski
Fischer – Platter – Bechen
UMD defense
Hanson – Kleber
Pionk – Siepmann
Cleveland – Murphy
McInnis
UMD goalies
Axelsson – Dahlmeir – Sheffield
Colorado College forwards
Montgomery – Beckner – Link
Bjorck – Veinbergs – Olsen
Mrsic (Tomas) – Hvidston – Crandell
Mrsic (Mateo) – Halaburda – Stuart
Colorado College defense
Lindgren – Scott
Koering – Burkholder
Blais-Savoie – Roberts
Constance
Colorado College goalies
Unger – Pradel – Dempsey
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