DU men’s hockey played their last game of the regular season on Saturday night, in a classic senior night battle against rival and No. 10 Colorado College. DU won the tight matchup with a 4-3 score and honored three seniors on the night, including captain forward McKade Webster.

The game came the day after DU lost to CC in Colorado Springs in heartbreaking fashion, scoring two goals in the final five minutes, still falling short 3-4.

Saturday’s game seemed to take right where they left off on Friday’s affair, both teams fighting hard off the puck drop. CC opened the scoring on the night with a breakaway goal off a DU turnover in transition.

Freshman forward Sam Harris put DU on the board seven minutes later to tie the game. Harris was drafted by the Montreal Canadians in the fifth round of the 2023 NHL draft. The 19-year-old is the 129th DU player to be drafted to the NHL, and continues the program’s streak of having at least one drafted NHL player on the roster for 22 years straight.

The Crimson and Gold started the scoring period, on a goal from sophomore forward Rieger Lorenz assisted by sophomore forward Jared Wright. CC took advantage of a power-play and tied the game 2-2 seven minutes into the period.

Harris scored his second goal of the night off a rebound from a junior forward Jack Devine one-timer, making the game 3-2. CC snuck in another goal with 20 seconds remaining in the second frame to go into the third with a 3-3 tie.

The third period was competitive off the drop and the recording-breaking attendance in Magness Arena reverberated chants throughout the stadium. DU pounded the CC net, right in front of the student section, and at the eleven minute mark Jared Wright found a rebound and an empty net, scoring the game-winning goal. DU held off the CC attack to win 4-3.

Wright now has four game winning goals on the season, a team high. Wright spoke of his game-winner post-game. 

“Really excited to get that goal, really happy to get the win at home for the fans,” he said. 

The Crimson and Gold are ranked as the No. 3 team in the nation and move on to play the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs at home in game one of the NCHC quarterfinals on Friday. They will play a best of three series to advance to the semifinals which will be held at Xcel Energy Center in Minnesota. 

Head Coach David Carle spoke post-game on the squad as they enter the playoffs again as one of the top-three teams in the country.

“We’ve been playing play-off hockey for eight weeks it feels like, so we’re battle tested as ever. We’re excited for the best time of year,” Carle said.