With standing room only in Magness Arena, the No. 3 Pioneers drew 4-4 with the Colorado College Tigers, earning an extra NCHC point, in the Battle for the Gold Pan. This game will be recorded as a tie in the NCAA records but the Pioneers won the extra NCHC point from freshman Brett Stapley (Campbell River, B.C.).

The Pioneers dashed into the first minutes of the game as they placed immense pressure onto the Tigers’ goal. Stapley tallied the first goal of the night for the Pioneers off a rebounded shot from fellow freshman Tyler Ward (Kamloops, B.C.). Junior Liam Finlay (Kelowna, B.C.) would also record an assist. The Tigers found the net and shifted momentum on a power play at 8:43 in the first. Moments later, senior Les Lancaster (Ypsilanti, Mich.) received a major penalty and game misconduct for contact to the head. The Tigers would capitalize on the man advantage and take over the lead.

In the second period, the Pioneers tied the game at two apiece in just 33 seconds off of a cross-crease pass from Finlay to Ward. Stapley would go down with an assist. The Tigers scored on goal at 13:41, while also drawing a foul. On the ensuing power play, the Tigers struck again making the score 2-4 going into the second intermission.

Senior Jarid Lukosevicius (Squamish, B.C.) began the comeback for the Pioneers as he redirected a shot from freshman Emilio Pettersen (Mangerud, Norway) at 9:43. Junior Erich Fear (Winnetka, Ill.) was also credited with the assist. After winning the faceoff, Stapley crashed into the net and tapped in the puck after it slipped under Tigers keeper’s legs, tying the game at 4-4. Finley and sophomore Kohen Olischefski (Abbotsford, B.C.) recorded the assists.

The Pioneers and Tigers ended tied at four in the overtime periods sending the game into a NCHC shootout. Stapley went left to right and lifted the puck over the goalkeepers left arm into the top shelf of the net. Freshman Filip Larsson (Stockholm, Sweden) denied the Tigers shot winning the point for the Pioneers. Larsson ended the night with a total of 24 saves.

The Pioneers travel to Western Michigan next weekend and face the Mustangs in a weekend double-header on Jan. 25 and Jan. 26. The Pioneers took both games earlier in the season