Ten-game winning streak. Over.
Four-game losing skid. History.
The Gold Pan rivalry? Alive and well.
With so much to play for Friday night at Magness Arena, the top-ranked University of Denver failed to perform well enough to beat No. 15 Colorado College.
The Tigers, behind goals from Nick Dineen and Bill Sweatt and 25 saves from Joe Howe, triumphed 2-1 to make the Gold Pan up for grabs in tonight’s regular-season finale at the Colorado Springs World Arena.
“Our compete level was pretty good tonight. We competed,” CC coach Scott Owens said. “It was a good team win in the sense that a lot of guys — the fourth line, the fifth and sixth defensemen, the power play — everybody contributed, and that’s the only way to beat the No. 1 team in the country.”
The Pioneers (24-7-4), who clinched the Western Collegiate Hockey Association regular-season championship last week at Minnesota State, absorbed their first loss since Jan. 23. They were forced to accept the MacNaughton Cup from WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod after falling to 1-1-1 against CC this season.
Taking a team picture at center ice with the Cup did not feature any smiles, only frowns generated from the thought that a victory would have featured the Gold Pan beside the Cup.
“It was the worst thing that could happen,” DU senior defenseman Cody Brookwell said. “It’s nice we won the Cup, but it wasn’t a fun time (parading) around the rink after losing to our rival. It stings.”
The Tigers, who hadn’t won since Feb. 6, only need a tie tonight to retain the traveling trophy. The trophy must be won outright.
“This helps us a ton to get back on track. That was our goal and now we’re going to play for the Gold Pan in our home building,” said CC captain Mike Testwuide, who assisted on Sweatt’s game-winning power-play goal. “It should be an unbelievable game in an unbelievable atmosphere.”
Said Brookwell: “We’re going to come out battling, man. For the most part, we respond well after taking a loss. We’ll be ready.”
CC broke a 1-1 tie on the power play 16:03 of the second period — 1:07 after Brookwell was sent to the penalty box for tripping. Sweatt capitalized by tapping in a cross-crease feed from the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Testwuide, who could not be moved out of the scoring area.
The goal ruined the momentum DU forged after being outplayed in the first period but tying it at 1 early into the second.
Defenseman Patrick Wier-cioch got the equalizer 1:05 into the period, taking a circle-to-circle pass from Rhett Rakh-shani and beating Howe with a wrist shot.
DU nearly scored twice on its first shift and had plenty of chances to solve Howe after Wiercioch’s goal. Jesse Martin had a shot clang off the right post during his first shift, and Joe Colborne’s third-period breakaway was snuffed out by Howe’s blocker save.
“What an accomplishment,” DU coach George Gwozdecky of the WCHA title, “and tonight’s game personifies how difficult this conference is. . . . We’re playing a team that’s going to finish in the bottom half of the league, yet you see how competitive the games are, how close they are. Tonight, CC found a way to win.”
Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com
