The University of Northern Colorado Hockey team is still looking strong as playoffs draw ever near. The fall semester had its strong opponents, but spring semester matches that as the pressure is on to stay number two in the ACHA Western standings and first in the BMHC conference standings.
Spring semester opened with two rematches against The University of Mary. Both games were ugly losses for the Bears, but motivation to get better as the season goes on. While the losses do count towards UNC’s losses column, number one University of Mary do not have playoff eligibility since they are a first year ACHA team.
The next week UNC would resume its winning ways by edging out Texas A&M University 6-5. This would be the second time these seniors have beaten the large Texas school at the Ice Haus.
A bitter and unexpected overtime loss occurred the next night on the road at University of Denver. UNC had won nearly every match up against DU in the past two years, but were caught off guard.
The Bears competed in the Annual Big Mountain Hockey Classic which is an invitational tournament to the best teams in the Western region primarily. UNC would notch three wins and a technical tie since ACHA does not recognize shootouts against non-conferce opponents, so the Utah State game ended in a tie despite UNC winning the shootout.
Game one of the classic the Bears snuck past Grand Canyon University for a 6-5 win. Game two was a rematch with bitter non-conference rival Utah State. Unfortunate for both teams, overtime would not be enough time to decide the game. UNC would go on to win the shootout, but receive the same result as Utah State since ACHA rules declare that a tie if more than overtime is needed.
Game three the Bears cruised past University of Washington at a blistering 9-0 victory. The final game of the classic was a more competitive match up against Dakota College of Bottineau. The back and forth game ended in a 6-3 decisive win for the Bears. The Bears hosted Metro State for Senior Night where the seniors were honored, but the game went horribly wrong. Chaos ensued as the Bears could not win the fights, goals nor the officials decisions. UNC will head to Oklahoma next for a three game road trip.
