#5 Men's Ice Hockey Seeks First CCC Championship with Trip to #4 Endicott
The fifth-ranked Curry College men's ice hockey team will play #4 Endicott College at 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon in the Commonwealth Coast Conference Championship Game.
MILTON, Mass. - The fifth-ranked Curry College men's ice hockey team will play #4 Endicott College at 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon in the Commonwealth Coast Conference Championship Game. The Colonels will be playing in their first conference championship game since the CCC began sponsoring men's ice hockey in the 2016-17 season, and last won a conference crown in 2011 as a member of the ECAC Northeast.
What's On the Line
The winner of Saturday's title game will receive the CCC's automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey Championship. The Gulls and Colonels are currently ranked third and fourth respectively in the Pairwise rankings, used to determine seeding in the NCAA Tournament, and the winner will likely receive a bye into the national quarterfinals. It is highly likely that Saturday's losing team will receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Season Series
The Colonels and Gulls are 1-1-1 against each other this season, and all three games have been instant classics. The teams tied in their first meeting, a 2-2 final at the Canton Ice House on January 27, with the Gulls earning an extra point in the CCC standings with a shootout victory. The next night at Endicott, the Gulls earned a 2-1 victory in overtime. On Curry's Senior Night on February 18, Curry claimed a 3-2 regulation win to earn a first-round bye in the CCC Tournament
How They Got Here
Endicott and Curry received the top two spots in the CCC Tournament, and each received a bye into the semifinals. Endicott rallied from a two-goal deficit with under six minutes to play to stun Salve Regina by a final score of 5-4 in its CCC Semifinal. The Colonels took down third-seeded University of New England by a score of 5-1.
Players to Watch
Curry and Endicott rank fourth and fifth nationally this season in goals per game, but Reid Cooper (Corman Park, Saskatchewan) of Curry and Endicott's tandem of Ryan Wilson and Atticus Kelly have kept their opponents under their season averages in all three games head-to-head. Cooper owns a .938 save percentage and 1.80 goals against average this season, Wilson a .945 save percentage and 1.33 goals against, and Kelly and .933 save percentage and 1.71 goals against average.
Curry senior Mark Zhukov (St. Petersburg, Russia) is averaging almost two points per game this season, with 12 goals and 24 assists for 36 points in 19 games played. Six of his 12 goals have come on the power play this season.
Classmate Nick Favaro (Vaughan, Ontario) is the anchor of Curry's vaunted power play, which ranks sixth in the nation at 28.0 percent. With eight goals and 25 assists for 33 points this season, Favaro is ranks third in the nation in scoring among defensemen.
Freshman Gage Dill (Estero, Fla.) has put together an outstanding rookie campaign, and is tied for the team with 15 goals on the season. Dill has also accumulated 14 assists for 29 points, ranking fourth on the Colonels.
Endicott junior Andrew Kurapov and sophomore Ryan Willett are tied for Endicott's team-lead with 30 points. Kurapov is tied for the team lead with 13 goals while also tallying 17 assists, while Willett has notched seven goals and a team-high 23 assists.
Junior Cass Bowes netted four goals in Endicott's semifinal win over Salve Regina, and is tied for fourth on the Gulls with 11 goals.
From the Coach's Desk
"Our goal at the beginning of the season was to earn the opportunity to play in the CCC Championship Game," said Curry head coach Peter Roundy. "Our group has been building and refining its game all year and focusing on getting better each day. I am extremely proud of our seniors and leadership group, who pushed our program to new heights. With their consistency and enthusiasm, they have shown our younger players how special it is to be a Curry Colonel. We look forward to competing on Saturday and seeing our fans in Beverly."
How to Watch
Saturday's CCC Championship between the Colonels and Gulls will take place at Endicott's Raymond J. Bourque Arena, located at 300 Hale Street in Beverly, Mass. Tickets will be $5 for adults and $3 for students and seniors. Curry fans in attendance are encouraged to wear purple. If you are not able to make the trip to Beverly, live statistics and video will be available at curryathletics.com.
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