COLORADO SPRINGS — Richard Bachman’s sensational goaltending and Chad Rau’s two goals delivered Colorado College to a 2-1 overtime victory Saturday night and two-game sweep of the mighty Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Rau’s wrist shot 2:42 into overtime was the difference against the two-time defending Western Collegiate Hockey Association champions and came before a World Arena sellout crowd of 7,432.
The Tigers (2-0, 2-0 WCHA) were 3-1 winners Friday in their season opener and wouldn’t have swept the series without Bachman’s heroics between the pipes. The freshman from Highlands Ranch had 38 saves for the game and 61 for the series, solidifying himself as CC’s No. 1 goalie over junior Drew O’Connell.
“He made some big-time saves down the stretch, there’s no doubt about it, and we were real fortunate to be in a position to win, because of him,” CC coach Scott Owens said of Bachman, who was born in Salt Lake City. “We were concerned a little bit to play a youngster back to back, you know, as a freshman, but … he looked so confident and poised in the exhibition games, and he was effective (despite) coming in cold in both of those.
“We just said, ‘Heck with it, we’re going to go with him Friday night,’ and he played so well we couldn’t keep him out of there.”
Bachman was at his best when Minnesota was on the power play. The Gophers (2-2, 0-2 WCHA) went 0-for-11 in the series, including 0-of-7 Saturday.
“I’m just proud of the team in front of me,” Bachman said. “I just tried not to think too much, and just react.”
CC had a power-play goal each game and was 2-of-9 in the series.
Gophers goalie Jeff Frazee was helpless on Rau’s first goal, a power-play tap-in off a 2-on-0 rush that began with Bachman’s long lead pass to defenseman Nate Prosser. Prosser dished it to winger Scott McCulloch and he slid it to Rau for an easy cross-crease tap-in.
That tied it at 1-1 at 15:36 of the second period.
Rau’s winner capped a terrific shift with him and linemates Scott Thauwald and Eric Walsky and defensemen Jack Hillen and Kris Fredheim. They kept the puck alive in the Gophers’ zone for about 60 seconds, and then Rau took Fredheim’s pass on his backhand, then went to forehand, and lifted it over Frazee’s shoulder.
“I think that was my first time all weekend that I found myself with some time in the slot,” said Rau, one of eight Minnesotans in the Tigers’ lineup. “No one was on me. I don’t know what happened, and I just shot.”
Blake Wheeler produced Minnesota’s goal 4:24 into the second period, a rebound off Ben Gordon’s shot that Bachman kicked to the side.
“You got to tip your hat to the kid,” Wheeler said. “We put close 40 shots on him and he gave up just one goal.”
Recap
Three stars
1. Richard Bachman. CC freshman goalie from Highlands Ranch was outstanding.
2. Chad Rau. Junior center scored both goals for the Tigers.
3. Jeff Frazee. Minnesota goalie had 24 saves.
What you might have missed
During Minnesota’s second power play, CC failed to capitalize on a breakaway and a 2-on-0 rush. Frazee made both saves on CC’s short-handed bids to keep the game scoreless.
Up next
At New Hampshire, Friday.
Minnesota 0 1 0 0 – 1
Colorado College 0 1 0 1 – 2
First period – None. Penalties – Patrosso, CC (tripping), :39; Thauwald, CC (interference), 4:24; Schack, UM (holding), 6:25; Wheeler, UM (slashing), 7:42.
Second period – 1, Minnesota, Wheeler 3 (Gordon, Flynn), 4:24. 2, Colorado College, Rau 1 (McCulloch, Prosser), 15:36 (pp). Penalties – Wysopal, CC (tripping), 8:59; Schack, UM (holding), 12:00; McCulloch, CC (holding), 12:00; Schack, UM (high sticking), 14:39; Hillen, CC (cross checking), 17:39; Rau, CC (tripping), 19:15.
Third period – None. Penalties – Barriball, UM (slashing), 3:13; Bickel, UM (unsportsmanlike), 4:43; Testwuide, CC (unsportsmanlike), 4:43; Hillen, CC (interference), 7:51; Flynn, UM (roughing), 12:02; Prosser, CC (roughing), 12:02; Fredheim, CC (interference), 12:28.
Overtime – 3, Colorado College, Rau 2 (Fredheim, Hillen), 2:42. Penalties – none. Shots – UM 5-12-21-1-39. CC 8-6-9-4-27. Power plays – UM 0 of 7. CC 1 of 4. Goalies – UM, Frazee (2-2) 27 shots-25 saves. CC, Bachman (2-0) 39-38. A – 7,432.
