Contact CU Independent Assistant Sports Editor Justin Guerriero at justin.guerriero@colorado.edu and follow him on twitter @TheHungry_Hippo
The University of Colorado men’s club hockey team traveled to Bensenville, Illinois, this weekend to partake in the annual American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) national championships.
The No. 8-seeded Buffs faced the No. 9 Iowa State University Cyclones and lostby a final score of 5-2.
After dominating the Colorado State Rams, 8-2, at the Pepsi Center in its final game of the final season, Colorado fell short in the first round of nationals. Iowa State knocked out No. 1 Minot State Sunday evening and will take on No. 2 Stony Brook University in the semi-finals on Monday night.
The Cyclones opened up the scoring in the first period, taking a 1-0 lead courtesy of a goal from Aaron Azevedo about six minutes into the game.
The Buffs responded a few minutes later when Matt Anders scored a power play goal, tying the game. Anders, the Buffs’ regular season scoring leader, scored a hat trick against CSU in the first period during their regular season finale and played hard in the loss. Jake Bauer and Chris Burkemper tallied the assists on the goal.
The Cyclones would take a 2-1 lead later in the period, but with 53 seconds left in the first third of the game, CU’s Robert Salvato tied the game at two, with Erik Kardash and John Nitchen getting the assists.
ISU’s Jake Bruhn contributed two goals in the Cyclones’ victory, both of which came on power plays. The Buffs registered three minor and one major penalties while Iowa State was whistled for four minors.
Buffs’ goaltender Colin Champine made made 25 saves on 30 total shots on goal in the loss. Colorado was outshot 30-20.
The Buffaloes were unable to get into an offensive groove in Saturday night’s loss. The Buffs dominated the Rams in their final game of the regular season, but the tides were turned vs. the Cyclones.
The Buffs and Cyclones headed to the locker rooms after the first period with the score tied at two. But for the final 40 minutes of play, ISU dominated, scoring one goal in the second period of play and two goals in the third while containing Colorado’s offense, as the Buffaloes were shutout in the final two periods.
Two Iowa State power play goals in the third period were the final nails in the Buffs’ coffin, as the season is now officially over for the CU men’s hockey team. The Buffs finished the season 20-8.
