Trust.

That’s the name of the game for Colorado College hockey as the Tigers prepare for their final regular-season series. 

CC travels to No. 9 Minnesota Duluth this weekend. Puck drop is 6 p.m. on Friday and 5 p.m. on Saturday. 

Last week, the Tigers (12-15-5, 6-11-5) held Western Michigan, which led the National Collegiate Hockey Conference in goals per game entering the series, to just three goals total across the two games. Unfortunately for CC, the Tigers netted one goal over the weekend in a tie (shootout loss) and a regulation loss to the Broncos. 

As a result, the Tigers are eliminated from a top-4 finish and home ice in the opening round of the NCHC tournament. However, making the tournament is still up in air. Only eight of the nine NCHC teams will make the postseason. The Tigers can clinch their spot in the tournament by earning at least two points or via a Denver or Miami win in regulation on Friday.

Knowing that the path to a conference title will be on the road, the Tigers have to trust their ability to generate offense will catch up to the recent stretch of good defense and great goaltending from senior Kaidan Mbereko which has seen CC surrender just four goals in three games. 

“You look at this past weekend, we score one goal on the weekend. As the weekend goes on, you feel like every chance you get is the most critical one and you might not get another one,” CC coach Kris Mayotte. “I think the best offensive teams and the best scorers just trust that they’re going to get another opportunity. So if they miss one, it doesn’t wear on them. They just trust that they’re going to go out, they’re going to do the right things, they’re going to get another one and when they get another one, they’ll be ready for it.”  

One player CC hopes will make his presence felt is sophomore top-line center and assistant captain Owen Beckner. In terms of points scored, the Ottawa Senators’ draft pick has just three assists over his past 11 games. 

After a blistering start with six goals in the Tigers’ first nine games of the season, Beckner hasn’t lit the lamp since Nov. 7 at Arizona State. Injury woes have contributed to the cold streak. Beckner was sidelined with an upper-body injury suffered on Nov. 29. He only missed six games on the Tigers’ schedule, but due to the injury’s proximity to the holiday break, Beckner was out of action for closer to two months. 

“It’s a hard time to miss time,” Mayotte said. “You’re coming back a couple of weekends into that second half where guys are kind of finding that next gear and he’s having to build it back up and so it’s a hard time to jump back into things. You’re kind of jumping on a moving train a little bit.”

“The middle chunk of the season is a really important one for a lot of players. It can be a turning point. There’s a lot of development in the middle of the season obviously,” Beckner said. “Coming back, it’s been a little slow, but I think I’ve progressed fairly quickly. I think I’m in a really good spot right now. I’m really happy with where my game is at, feeling strong, feeling confident. 

The key to holding steady on defense lies in limiting the production from Duluth’s top line of Max and Zam Plante and Jayson Shaugabay.

The trio lead the Bulldogs in scoring, combining for 121 points on the season (46 goals, 75 assists)

“Their top line accounts for 43% of their goals this year,” Mayotte said. “You don’t win hockey games with three guys. You need a team and they certainly are a good team but if you look at what stands out when you look at stats or watch them on film is the top line’s as dynamic as we’ve seen all year. Maybe as dynamic as we’ve seen in a while.”

Earlier in the season, CC split a home series with Minnesota Duluth.