Colorado College opens Ed Robson Arena this fall, a beautiful 3,000-plus seat on-campus facility, and that will certainly benefit recruitment. Because CC can use the help.
The Tigers have not reached .500 since 2011-12, and their .217 winning percentage last season was their worst in five years.
To be fair, Colorado College’s schedule consisted exclusively of NCHC teams, and the Tigers were harder hit with COVID in-season than most teams in the league.
View From the Glass begins its seven-part league snapshot series with an overview of Colorado College:
COLORADO COLLEGE
NCAA TITLES: 2 (1950, 1957).
COACH: Kris Mayotte (first season).
2020-21 RECORD: 4-17-2.
RINK (capacity): Ed Robson Arena, Colorado Springs, Colo. (3,376).
MIAMI VS. COLORADO COLLEGE LAST SEASON: 0-1-1 (4-1 loss on Dec. 15, 1-1 tie on Dec. 19 – both games in the Omaha bubble).
ALL-TIME SERIES: Colorado College leads, 13-10-3.
SCHEDULE VS. MIAMI: At Miami – Jan. 7-8; at Colorado College – Feb. 18-19.
TOP RETURNING PLAYERS: G Matt Vernon, G Dominic Basse, D Jack Millar, D Bryan Yoon.
KEY NEW FACES: F Stan Cooley, F Danny Weight, D Nate Schweitzer.
KEY LOSSES: F Josiah Slavin, F Ben Copeland, F Grant Cruikshank, F Hunter McKown, D Zach Berzolla.
NOTES: After the 2020-21 season, seven-year head coach Mike Haviland and CC parted ways. Kris Mayotte was hired to take over behind the bench.
Mayotte has been an assistant as Michigan and Providence the past seven years and has been a key to both programs’ recent successes.
In addition to playing in a brand new rink, Mayotte will benefit from a pair of quality assistants.
Peter Mannino, an up-and-coming ex-Miami assistant who lost his job in Oxford when Enrico Blasi was let go in 2019, and Mark Stuart, a 12-year NHL veteran who obviously brings a plethora of knowledge to the program, will help Mayotte’s quest to guide the Tigers to more success.
Mayotte’s first challenge will be to fix the Tigers’ offensive woes. Colorado College scored just 36 goals in 23 games last season, or 1.57 per game.
Only Michigan State, Alabama-Huntsville and Vermont were less efficient offensively.
The following is not a typo: Of the three skaters to record 10-plus points in 2020-21, none will return this fall.
Granted the Tigers only played 23 games last season, but having no players who scored more than six points last season does not bode well for Colorado College’s need to put more pucks in the net.
Hunter McKown is the only returning forward to record six points for CC last season, going 2-4-6.
Patrick Cozzi tallied five points. Logan Will had four, including three goals.
Former RedHawk Brian Hawkinson is another offensive threat for the Tigers, as he scored twice last season and tallied 16 points as a freshman for Miami.
Players with NHL pedigree should help jump-start CC’s offense, as Boston College transfer Danny Weight – son of former NHLer and GM Doug Weight – and 6-feet-6 Brett Chorske, son of Tom Chorske, should provide some punch up front.
On defense, Jack Millar is the top returning points-producing blueliner after a six-point freshman season.
Connor Mayer, Bryan Yoon, Hugo Blixt, Nicklas Andrews and Chase Foley all logged significant ice time on the blue line last season and all will likely start again in 2021-22.
Goaltending was not a strength for Colorado College last season. Primary starter and Chicago Blackhawks draftee Dominic Basse finished with an .895 save percentage, and Matt Vernon – son of former NHL standout Mike Vernon – ended the season at .865.
Jake Begley is another option in net for the Tigers, although the sophomore did not appear in a game last season.
New rink, highly-touted new head coach, new quality assistants – the future looks bright for Colorado College.
View From the Glass 