The Rams are back for more Big Mountain Hockey action this weekend – two games against the top teams in the BMHC: UNC and MSU-Denver.

Recap – @Wyoming

Last weekend, Colorado State traveled north to Cheyenne to take on the University of Wyoming Cowboys for two games. Friday evening featured an exciting affair between the two teams, with the Rams trailing 4-3 heading into the third period. Luckily for CSU, forward Jackson Birdsall produced two goals in the final period as the Rams fended off the Cowboys for a 5-4 win in regulation.

On Saturday night, the Rams again mounted a thrilling come-from-behind, although this time they would come up short. Down 4-0 in the third period, CSU battled back with three goals in the final half of the period, capping it off with a game-tying goal with their goalie pulled. Despite the tremendous effort to tie the game in regulation, the Rams couldn’t continue the magic as they fell to Wyoming in a shootout.

However, the shootout loss still gave the Rams a point in BMHC standings, which means CSU now sits firmly in 3rd place with nine points, just behind UNC and MSU-Denver.

Preview – @UNC, @MSU-Denver

The University of Northern Colorado Bears currently sit atop the BMHC standings, and are the Rams’ first opponent this weekend. Colorado State pits their 7-4-0 record up against the Bears’ 5-4-0 (5-1 in the BMHC) record at UNC’s home rink in Greeley, CO.

UNC boasts a high-powered offense, with four players already at 10+ points this season – Jake Seibold (15), Brantt Heble (10), Cade Boreing (20), and Truman Gonzales (12). The Bears have also been getting decent production from their defensive corps as well, with all listed defenseman registering at least one point, and most averaging about three points.

While the Bears have ample scoring capability, their goaltending is rather susceptible to opposing offenses. Quinton Reynolds and Sean Cuscaden have both minded the net for UNC, with less than stellar stats betwee them. Reynolds holds the edge with a 3.00 GAA and .848 SV% while Cuscaden has posted a 5.25 GAA and .815 SV%,

The Rams feature a slightly more balanced and moderate offense, with more points distributed across more players. Currently, forwards Liam Burns (8 points), David Lapointe (7), and Max Legere (7) pace CSU’s offensive production. All three netminders for the Rams have seen playing time, with Dylan Bak standing out with a 3.27 GAA and .872 SV%. Meanwhile, Ted Bunton currently sports a 4.41 GAA and .833 SV%.

The Bears and Rams will face off this evening at 8:30pm MT at the Greeley Ice Haus.

On Saturday, Colorado State welcomes the Metro State-Denver Roadrunners to EPIC in Fort Collins for a home game against the BMHC’s #2 team. MSU-Denver is undefeated so far in BMHC play, and are 6-1-0 overall.

The Roadrunners have decent offensive production across the board, but are led by forwards Austin Shea (21 points), Daniel Dvorak (19), and Dylan Van Leuwen Halle (11) as well as defenseman Ben Novy (12). MSU-Denver has also benefited from excellent goaltending from Jake Larson and Eric Fedorco. Larson has shoulder the majority of starts, posting a 2.96 GAA and .916 SV%. Not to be outdone, Fedorco has been perfect with two shutouts in two starts.

The Rams will need to be relentless on offense if they hope to penetrate the Roadrunners’ brick wall. CSU and MSU-Denver face off at 3:30pm MT on Saturday afternoon. This weekend will be a tough test for the Rams, but head coach Nate Morris feels confident about the direction his team is heading this season.

Go Rams!