Colorado College cruised to a 5-2 win over defending Atlantic Hockey America champion Bentley on Friday but all was not great at Ed Robson Arena. 

CC junior defenseman and captain Max Burkholder suffered an apparent injury in the first period and did not return. 

For the second-straight week, CC (2-1) took over the game in the second period, scoring two goals. The Tigers and Falcons were knotted at a goal apiece after the opening 20 minutes, but junior right wing Bret Link scored his second goal in as many games to give CC the lead. Tigers sophomore defenseman Nick Bear passed to Link at the crease, who finished for the score at 7:54.

Just under three minutes later, junior center Klavs Veinbergs found sophomore right wing Gavin Lindberg who scored in a similar fashion to Link.   

It was an evening for firsts for CC as Bear and freshman blueliner Matteo Mann earned their first career points with the assists. Tigers’ freshman defenseman also earned his first-career point in the first period.

But CC left wing Wilson Björck made the biggest splash in terms of firsts, earning a team-high three points, one in each period. The Swedish freshman earned his first-career point, assisting Veinbergs on the power play in the first period at 6:06. He recorded the secondary assist on Lindberg’s goal in the middle frame, and in the third period, Björck earned his first goal for CC, skating from his own zone and beating Bentley netminder Jack Erickson for the score at 1:26. 

Tigers freshman Brayden Schuurman scored the Tigers’ fifth and final goal and his second of the season at 3:47 of the third period.  

Tigers senior goalie Kaidan Mbereko finished with 25 saves as CC outshot Bentley 36-27.

On Saturday, the Tigers travel to cross-town rival Air Force to battle for the Pikes Peak trophy.