No. 8 Tigers host UNLV in exhibition game on Sunday

The No. 8 ranked Colorado College Tigers close out the 2024 calendar year with an exhibition game against UNLV on Sunday, December 29 at Ed Robson Arena. The match starts at 3 p.m. UNLV is a member of the Western Collegiate Hockey League at the ACHA D1 level. Live streaming links and live stats can be found at CCTigers.com.

How to listen/watch

Sunday's game will be broadcast live in the Colorado Springs area and Southern Colorado on KRDO NewsRadio 105.5 FM / 95.5 FM / 1240 AM with the 'Voice of the Tigers' Ken Landau. It will also be streamed live on NCHC.tv.

Last timeout

No. No. 10 Colorado College and No. 4 Denver split the first two games of the Gold Pan series, Dec. 13-14…On Friday, CC rallied from a 3-0 deficit to score five unanswered goals and top No. 4 to defeat Denver, 5-4, in front of a record crowd of 3,952 at Robson Arena. Denver jumped on the board late in the first period with a pair of shorthanded goals from Samu Salminen to take a 2-0 lead at the first intermission. Carter King made it 3-0 at 11:49 of the second period. The Tigers roared back with a pair of goals later in the middle frame. Gavin Lindberg scored from the left circle after Davis saved a shot from the right point Stanley Cooley at 3:38 PM then Ryan Koering scored his first career goal at 17:46. Owen Beckner made it three straight goals for Tiger freshmen with a power-play goal at 4:13 of the third period. Chase McLane scored his third of the season to give CC its first lead at 9:33 of the final frame. Drew Montgomery then scored what turned out to be the game winner at 2:51 p.m. Jack Devine scored at 16:03 with Davis on the bench in favor of an extra attacker for the final goal of the game, while CC held on for the final 3:57 with Davis on the bench… The next evening, Denver rallied for a 2-1 win at Magness Arena. TyGallagher opened the scoring at 9:49 of the first period. Kaidan Mbereko showed why he is one of the best netminders in the country later in the period when he made a spectacular save on Rieger Lorenz, stopping a 2-on-1 rush to preserve the one-goal lead. Aiden Thompson evened the score at 2:35 of the second period with an unassisted goal, and Cale Ashcroft took a pass from behind the net and fired a shot from the right circle past Mbereko at 5:28 of the third period. . CC couldn't get the equalizer with Mbereko on the bench in favor of an extra skater for the final 1:33 of the game.

The coaches
Kris Mayotte is in his fourth season at the helm of the Tigers. He came to Colorado College after serving two years as an assistant coach at the University of Michigan, and was an assistant coach for Providence College when the Friars won the 2015 NCAA Division I title. Mayotte is the reigning NCHC Coach of the Year Anthony Vignieri -Greener is in his 10th season as head coach at UNLV. He has led his alma mater to an ACHA D1 Final Four appearance in 2022 and last year's national championship game.

Best start in 15 years

Colorado College's 10-5-1 record is its best start through 16 games since the 2009-10 season (10-4-2).

Highest ranking in almost 13 years

Colorado College is ranked No. 8 in the USCHO.com and USA Hockey/The Rink Live Top 20 polls. The Tigers' No. 7 ranking on November 18 was their highest since they were ranked No. 6 on January 2, 2012.

Balanced score

Eleven Tigers have at least seven points this season, led by graduate transfers TyGallagherwhich has 12 (4g,8a). Max Burkholder (4g,7a) and Noah Laba (1g,10a) followed by 11, while Klav Weinberg (5g,4a), Gleb Veremyev (5g,4a), Drew Montgomery (5g,4a) and Bret Link (2g,7a) have nine each. Veinbergs, Veremyev and Montgomery lead the team with five goals each, while Laba has a whopping ten assists.

UNLV – CC connection

UNLV goaltender Doug Wakelyn is the son of 1986 CC graduate and goaltender Marty Wakelyn, who is No. 1 on CC's career list with 3,630 saves and No. 2 with 121 games played.

Tiger Stories

Seven of CC's last eight games have been decided by one goal or less… Prior to the December 13 win, the last time CC scored at least five goals was in a game against Denver on February 9, 2013 (6-12). 5 OT win) … The December 13 game was the first since January 22, 2000 (6-4 win) that the Tigers recovered from a three-goal deficit to defeat Denver … Kaidan Mbereko is the seventh goaltender in program history to reach 40 career wins … Mbereko remains No. 2 on the school's career lists for goals against average (2.29) and save percentage (.920) … The Tigers are third in the country in penalty kill (90.2%) and opponents are 0-for-15 on the power play in the last five games.

Mbereko named National Co-Goalkeeper of the Month for November

Junior Kaidan Mbereko was named National Co-Goaltender of the Month for November after leading the NCHC in wins during the month. Mbereko posted a 5-2-1 record in CC's eight games, allowing just fourteen goals. He ranked fourth in the NCHC in goals-against average (1.71) and save percentage (.941). Mbereko had a season-high 41 saves against Arizona State on November 9 and defeated St. Cloud State on November 23.

Mbereko and Laba named to the preseason All-NCHC team

Juniors Noah Laba And Kaidan Mbereko were named to the 2024-25 National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Preseason All-Conference Team. Thirty (30) ballots were submitted by local media members from each school, as well as select national media. Laba was one of two players, along with Denver defenseman Zeev Buium, named on all 30 ballots. Senior forward Jack Devine of Denver followed with 26 votes, while sophomore defenseman Jake Livanavage of North Dakota collected 25 votes. Mbereko received 22 votes as the team's goalkeeper.

Preseason All-NCHC
F: Noah LabaJr., Colorado College 30 votes (unanimous)
Q: Jack Devine, Sr., 26 Denver
F: Cameron Berg, Sr. North Dakota 11
D: Zeev Buium, So., Denver 30 (unanimous)
D: Jake Livanavage, So., North Dakota 25
G: Kaidan MberekoJr., Colorado College 22

12 newcomers in the selection of '24-25

Twelve newcomers are joining the Tiger hockey program for the 2024-2025 season. The class consists of eight incoming freshmen and four transfers. The incoming class consists of Nick Baer (Bismarck Bobcats NAHL), Owen Beckner (Driestedenstorm USHL), Philippe Blais-Savoie (Driestedenstorm USHL), Jordan Brisson (Chicago steel USHL), Brady Cleveland (University of Wisconsin Big Ten), TyGallagher (Boston University HEA), Ryan Koering (Muskegon Lumberjacks USHL), Gavin Lindberg (Waterloo Black HawksUSHL), Chase McLane (Penn State University Big Ten), Carsen Musser (Madison Capitol USHL), Fisher Scott (Dubuque Fighting Saints USHL) and Charlie Strobel (University of Minnesota Big Ten). Six of the players (Beckner, Cleveland, Gallagher, McLane, Musser and Scott) were drafted by NHL franchises.

Tigers finished third in the NCHC Preseason Poll

Colorado College was picked third in the 2024-25 NCHC Preseason Poll.

1. Denver 263 points (24 first place votes)
2. North Dakota 241 (4)
3. Colorado College 200 (1)
4. St. Cloud State 149
5. Omaha-137
6. Western Michigan – 127 (1)
7. Minnesota Duluth 115
8. Arizona State – 80
9. Miami-38

Most NHL Draft picks on the roster in two decades

With six of the twelve newcomers (three transfers and three first-years). Noah Laba, Klav Weinberg And Zacharya Wisdom As per National Hockey League draft picks, the 2024-2025 roster consists of nine players drafted by the NHL. That ranked third in a selection in program history. The 2003-04 and '04-05 rosters each had ten draft picks, while the 2002-03 roster had nine. Last Friday against Air Force was the first time that all nine were in the lineup.