COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Colorado College got the bounce-back defensive performance it needed to secure a 2-1 nonconference home win over Merrimack College Saturday night.
The Tigers improved to 9-8-3 on the season –- the program’s most wins since 18-19-5 in the 2012-13 campaign. Not coincidentally, CC has given up only 10 goals total in those victories.
Friday’s 6-3 road loss to Air Force served as a powerful reminder about the Tigers’ need to play defense-first hockey, coach Mike Haviland said.
“Obviously, we were not very good at all (Friday) night,” Haviland said. “We played a pond hockey game (Friday) night, and they made us pay. We know who we are. We needed to get back to that.”
The game also featured a strong individual bounce-back effort by sophomore goalie Alex Leclerc (21 saves) after he allowed three goals on as many shots to end his night early at Air Force on Friday. He and the Tigers looked much improved after that poor showing.
“We had to show up with a bit more structure tonight,” Leclerc said. “We had some guys who were in a situation where they needed to put in a second and third effort, and they were letting down. (Friday’s loss) was an eye-opener for us. Although it was a tough video session (Saturday morning), it was a real message we had to get. I think we responded pretty well tonight.”
The Tigers prevailed after junior co-captain Tanner Ockey one-timed a long diagonal rebound that thumped off the left leg pad of Merrimack goalie Craig Pantano (25 saves).
The tally with 1:05 left in the third broke 1-1 tie and dropped the Hockey East member Warriors to an 0-8-1 mark when trailing entering the third period. It spoiled an otherwise solid performance by Pantano for Merrimack (5-10-4).
The rebounding puck went straight to Ockey’s stick blade as he skated into the left faceoff circle and provided the break the Tigers needed.
“It was perfect,” Ockey said. “I got lucky. It’s the kind of thing you practice and practice, fire a shot off the pad for a rebound. It was a good shot by (Ben Israel).”
The Tigers were in position to win late due to a return to the defensive structure. CC got away from that in blowout losses at St. Cloud State and it showed with a 1-3-3 record since a Nov. 11 home win over Omaha.
“The last few weeks we weren’t playing the right way,” Ockey said. “We got back to what makes us successful. We are a one-goal team. That is how we win.”
During the second period, CC was unable to cash in a five-minute power play after Merrimack junior Michael Babcock, son of Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock, was sent off for contact to the head on the Tigers’ Westin Michaud with 9:11 left in the second period. Michaud returned to action during the resulting power play.
The long penalty kill may have worn down the Warriors, with sophomore Nick Halloran finding some space between the faceoff circles to fire off a shot that resulted in the opening goal with 2:55 left in the middle frame.
It was the Utah native’s 11th goal, which tied him with junior co-captain Mason Bergh (11 goals, 13 assists), who assisted the tally, for the team lead. Halloran (27 points, 16 assists) has now tripled his freshman totals (nine points, five goals).
Merrimack came back with a goal by Logan Coomes just as a Warriors’ power play expired with 9:45 left in the third period. That tied it at 1-1 and set up Ockey’s second NCAA career game-winner.
