Tigers keep on winning

Paul Kariya is the only freshman ever to win the Hobey Baker Memorial Award.

Jaden Schwartz was on his way to joining the race this season, racking up more points per game than any Western Collegiate Hockey Association player (26 in 17 games).

But the Colorado College star freshman left for the World Junior Championship in December and hasn’t returned to the lineup since.

He suffered an ankle fracture while playing for Team Canada and won’t play against UND this weekend (9:07 tonight, 8:07 p.m. Saturday).

That’s not to say that the Tigers (14-11-1) will be any easier of an opponent for the fourth-ranked Sioux (18-7-2). Strangely enough, Colorado College has averaged more goals per game in the nine games since Schwartz has been out (3.67) than it did in the 17 games with the Saskatchewan native (3.29).

“It actually doesn’t surprise me,” Colorado College Scott Owens said. “Some of it is the schedule. Some of it is other people picking up the slack. Some of it is that we’re just playing better.

“Trust me. We wish we had Jaden Schwartz.”

Schwartz may not be back for another month, so the Tigers will continue to lean on seniors Stephen Schultz and Tyler Johnson, who starred at Cloquet (Minn.) High School.

r Cichy earns spot back

Sensing that some players had become comfortable with their spots in the lineup, UND coach Dave Hakstol changed it up last Saturday against Nebraska-Omaha.

One of the changes — bringing Mike Cichy back and putting him at center — will stick for this weekend.

“We didn’t get a chance to get a ton of minutes out of that line,” Hakstol said. “But every shift that Mike and his linemates had was productive. We liked it enough that he’s staying at center.”

Cichy has seven points in 20 games this season playing both center and wing.

r Briefly

— With both Denver and Minnesota-Duluth idle this weekend, UND can reclaim first place with two points this weekend (or a tie for first with one point).

— Tonight’s game is being televised on CBS College Sports. On Thursday, members of the team filmed an episode of Brad Miller Time to broadcast during the first intermission.

— UND swept Colorado College in World Arena last year. It was UND’s first sweep in Colorado Springs since January 1999.

— According to the latest KRACH rankings, UND has played the most difficult schedule in the country.

— Chay Genoway, listed as one of 20 candidates for the Lowe’s Senior Class Award, was featured on the website this week. Finalists are expected to be announced soon.

— Players say they are not worried about the altitude. “If you want to talk science, I guess it makes it tougher,” UND junior Brett Hextall said. “But I don’t think we have any guys majoring in science. So we try not to worry about that too much.”

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Tags: colorado college, sports, hockey, wcha, sioux, und, tigers