Colorado College’s Derek Patrosso has been named the Western Collegiate Hockey Association offensive player of the week. The sophomore wing had four goals and five points to lead the Tigers to two victories in this past weekend’s IceBreaker Invitational: 6-1 over Union College and 3-2 over Maine. A night after his first career hat trick against Union, Patrosso scored the overtime goal against Maine. The No. 6 Tigers (2-0) remain at home this weekend for a two-game series against No. 5 Ohio State (0-0).
Two-time defending national champion Denver (0-0) lost its No. 1 ranking to Minnesota (0-0) in this week’s U.S. College Hockey Online poll. The No. 2 Pioneers, who open the season Friday at No. 12 Maine, received 23 first-place votes, eight more than the Gophers.
DU trainer Erik Rasmussen has accepted a similar position with Minnesota.
– Mike Chambers
Loveland grad leaves CU basketball team
University of Colorado men’s basketball freshman walk-on Ryan Dermody has withdrawn from school because of personal reasons, coach Ricardo Patton said.
Dermody, a 6-foot-7 Denver Post all-state player from Loveland High School, previously spurned a commitment to Southern Methodist in December by accepting an offer to walk on at Colorado.
The Buffs open practice for the 2005-06 season Friday.
Rams get early basketball commitments
Colorado State received its first two men’s basketball oral commitments for 2006 from Jarrel Smith, a 6-7 forward who averaged 24.5 points last season and his older brother, Jimmy II, a 6-5 guard who averaged 10 points and five assists at Birmingham High School in Encino, Calif. Both will sign early letters of intent next month.
“We wanted to go together. A lot of schools were looking at just him or just me,” Jarrel Smith said.
– Natalie Meisler
