Kaidan Mbereko, Colorado College gets late bounce, knocks off Denver in Game 1

Colorado College has had so many nights this season when the Tigers felt like they played well, but some bit of adversity went against them.

The Tigers got a bounce they desperately needed Friday night.

Sophomore defenseman Brady Cleveland scored with 3:43 remaining in the third period, and the sixth-seeded Tigers knocked off third-seeded University of Denver, 3-1, in Game 1 of a best-of-three NCHC conference tournament series Friday night at Magness Arena.

Kaidan Mbereko was fantastic in net for the Tigers, turning aside 33 shots. Matt Davis, who put together a historic postseason a year ago and led DU to its NCAA-record 10th national championship, had a strong night as well.

Cleveland’s shot from the top of the zone broke a DU player’s stick and re-directed into the Pios net to give CC its first lead of the game. It was also Cleveland’s first goal of the season. Junior center Noah Laba added an empty-netter in the final minute.

Ty Gallagher scored 32 seconds into a 5-on-3 for the Tigers to bring CC level early in the third period. DU’s Rieger Lorenz had a shorthanded chance, but barreled into Mberko and was called for charging. It was Gallagher’s seventh goal of the season, which leads the CC defense corps.

Jack Devine gave the Pios the lead at 13:38 of the second period on a goal mouth scramble shortly after an offensive-zone faceoff. It was Devine’s 13th goal and team-leading 51st point of the season.

The Pios had a faceoff in the CC end in part because Tigers forward Gleb Veremyev was laying on the ice in pain at the other end. When DU transitioned the puck out of the defensive zone and away from Veremyev, the officials let play continue — much to the chagrin of a very animated Kris Mayotte, the CC head coach.

It was an intense game with plenty of hitting and post-whistle scrums throughout, but the temperature started rising in the second. Veremyev took an interference penalty on a blindside hit later in the period. Another CC player, Tommy Middleton, was shaken up just before the buzzer. Mayotte had a long conversation with the officials during the second intermission.

Despite allowing the goal, the Tigers were much better in the middle period. DU goalie Matt Davis had very little to do in the first period, but needed to make several saves on shots from the slot in the second.

Mbereko kept the Tigers afloat despite a hot start from the Pioneers. Denver had the first 12 shots on goal of the game, and it took more than 10 minutes for CC to get its first shot on Davis.

DU retained the Gold Pan for the sixth straight season, winning three of the four regular-season matchups. Three of the games were tied in the third period, and the other ended up a one-goal contest.

Both of these teams got off to great starts to this season. The Pioneers set a program record by winning their first 12 games, spending eight weeks at No. 1 in both major polls. The Tigers won eight straight at the start, climbing as high as No. 8 in the national rankings.

Colorado College stumbled through January, losing seven of nine at one point, and the Tigers’ only path to an NCAA tournament bid is winning this series, then winning twice next weekend at the NCHC Frozen Faceoff in St. Paul, Minn.

DU entered this weekend at No. 9 in the Pairwise rankings, solidly in the NCAA field of 16, but what seed the Pios land is still to be determined.

Game 2 of this series is Saturday night at Magness, with Game 3 on Sunday evening if necessary.

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