BOULDER, Colo. – Competing in one of the tougher classics for ACHA Division II in the Big Mountain Classic, the East Texas Baptist University hockey team played four games in Colorado from January 13-16. They faced off against the #10 University of Denver, Colorado State, #14 Weber State, and the University of Colorado. In the West Region rankings is #4 Denver, #7 Weber State, #16 Colorado, and #17 Colorado State. ETBU is #19 in the West Region.
ETBU went 1-3 in the four-day span of games with the three losses by one-goal each. They win came against Colorado State who was ahead of them in the region.
#10 Denver 1, ETBU 0
Denver scored early in the game at 7:45 in the first period on a power play for the early 1-0 lead. ETBU took more shots on goal, 30-27, but couldn't get the puck past the Denver goalie who had 30 saves. ETBU's Gavyn McCutcheon collected 26 saves on 27 shots.
ETBU out shot Denver in the first period, 9-8, and in the third period, 11-7.
Denver had five penalties in the last 10 minutes of the third period as ETBU pushed to tie the game. Denver's defense proved to be to good as ETBU fell, 1-0.
ETBU 5, Colorado State 1
ETBU bounced back with a 5-1 win on day two of the Big Mountain Classic with a 5-1 win over Colorado State for their 14
th win of the year. ETBU scored in every period with one in the first and then two goals in both the second and third periods.
Dominic Desjardins netted a quick goal at 3:20 for the 1-0 lead. CSU responded at 16:05 for their lone goal of the game tying it at one. Matthew Duncan mimicked Desjardins goal scoring just 35 seconds into the second period for the go-ahead goal, 2-1.
Jeremy Niven then made it 3-1 on a power paly at 14:17 on assists from
Caleb Goudreau and
Trevor Begley.
At 7:12 in the third period,
Timothy Ruf added the fourth goal of the game for ETBU on an assist from Desjardins. Goudreau then made it 5-1 on a power play at 8:36 with assists from
Dmitrii Sergeev and Begley.
Tyler Fitzgerald earned the win in the net for 40 minutes of play and 22 saves on 23 shots faced. McCutcheon had five saves on five shots in 20 minutes of play. ETBU took 56 shots on goal and held CSU to just 28.
#14 Weber State 3, ETBU 2
Facing their second nationally ranked opponent in three days, ETBU came up short, 3-2, in knocking off #14 Weber State. ETBU tied the game at two halfway through the third period before Weber State had the game winning goal at 15:47.
Weber State scored the first goal at 15:35 in the first period.
Timothy Zittel answered just 34 seconds into the second period to tie the game at one on a power play. He was assisted by
Spencer Mills and
Avery Cook. Weber State then took a 2-1 lead at 10:49 in the second period.
Raymond Kelley tied the game at two in third period at 10:18 on an assist from Zittel but then Weber State had the winning goal five minutes later.
McCutcheon was in the net for 60 minutes and recorded 27 saves on 30 shots. ETBU took 27 shots as Weber State at 25 saves. Weber State out shot ETBU, 30-27.
Colorado 4, ETBU 3
In the final game of the Big Mountain Classic, ETBU battled Colorado down to the very end of game coming up short, 4-3. Colorado scored three goals in the third period to pull away for the win with two coming in the final minute of play.
Spencer Mills put ETBU up, 1-0, in the first period at 12:26 on assists from Cook and
Blake Branum. Colorado then tied the game at one in the second period at 19:41 just before the period ended. Colorado then took the 2-1 lead at 12:11 in the third period. ETBU scored the next two goals for the 3-2 lead.
Jason Guntow tied the game at 15:16 on a Branum assist and then Goudreau scored the go-ahead goal at 17:42 with assists from
Carson Loos and Zittel for the 3-2 lead. ETBU's defense looked strong right up until the final minute when Colorado scored at 19:09 and then the game winner at 19:57.
Colorado out shot ETBU, 44-27, and neither team had any power play goals. Fitzgerald played 40 minutes recording 27 saves on 28 shots faced. McCutcheon finished the final 20 minutes and had 13 saves on 16 shots.
ETBU will host Southern Methodist on January 21-22 in TCHC play at George's Pond at the end of the week.
