McCulloch's hat trick sparks victory over SCSU

CC Athletics
With Mike Testwuide and Scott McCulloch continuing their torrid pace, Colorado College now is one victory away from clinching home ice for the WCHA playoffs. Testwuide got the Tigers rolling early with his sixth goal in five outings, and McCulloch recorded his third career hat trick on Saturday, powering CC to a 5-3 triumph over St. Cloud State University in the opener of their two-game series at the World Arena. The league-leading and fourth-ranked Tigers, who improved to 21-7-1 overall, now have 33 points (16-4-1) in the conference standings, four more than second-place North Dakota and eight ahead of third-place Denver. By winning Saturday’s rematch, despite six games yet to play, they can ensure themselves of finishing no lower than a tie for fourth. Senior left wing McCulloch scored once in each period, striking for the game winner on a shorthanded breakaway set up sophomore defenseman Nate Prosser’s clearing pass off the boards just 24 seconds into the middle frame. Freshman goaltender Richard Bachman, who finished with 18 saves for the night, also assisted on the red lighter. The goal gave Colorado College, which got tallies from Testwuide at 3:49, McCulloch at 9:00 and sophomore blue-liner Kris Fredheim at 12:18 of the opening stanza, a comfortable 4-1 lead. But the visiting Huskies crept back on goals by Ryan Lasch and Andreas Nodl less than a minute apart late in the second period. The score remained 4-3 until McCulloch, who has collected 11 points (8g,3a) in his last six games, picked up an errant SCSU pass in the neutral zone and slapped the puck into an empty net with 31 seconds left in the contest