1956–57 Colorado College Tigers men's ice hockey season

The 1956–57 Colorado College Tigers men's ice hockey team represented Colorado College in college ice hockey. In its 2nd year under head coach Tom Bedecki, the team compiled a 25–5–0 record, outscored opponents 205 to 106, and won the 1957 NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament. The Tigers defeated Michigan 13–6 in the championship game at the Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs, Colorado. CC tied the record for the most goals scored in a championship game (1950) and combined with the Wolverines for the most total goals in a title game (19). As of 2018 this is the last time Colorado College has won the national title in ice hockey.
==Season==
After appearing in the first five national tournaments Colorado College had made the championship once in the next four years. CC's fortunes turned the year before when Bill Hay, a standout junior player from Saskatchewan hitchhiked down to Colorado Springs and was able to talk both himself and his fried Bob McCusker into athletic scholarships. Both players made their varsity debut in 1956–57, as did much of the team, and the Tigers quickly jumped to the top of the standings. After opening the regular season against two junior teams from Canada, CC welcomed four different collegiate opponents into their building and won every single game. 
With the Tigers sporting a 12-0 record they hit the road for the first time but didn't have to leave the state when they travelled to Denver to face the Pioneers. Colorado College's perfect record was spoiled with a 3–6 defeat but the returned the favor the next night at home, beating their in-state rival 8–7 in overtime. The Tigers hosted another pair of Canadian junior teams before heading north to face an improving Fighting Sioux team and lost both matches. Two days later CC finally won its first road game of the season, beating Minnesota twice before returning to Colorado to take the second home-and-home series against Denver. After redeeming themselves against North Dakota in two home wins the Tigers split a road series with Michigan Tech to close out their season.
Despite CC's struggles on the road the team was able to win the WIHL title handily and, with a superb 19–1 home record, post the best season in team history (As of 2018). Colorado College was led back to the NCAA tournament by Hay and McCusker who finished first (tied) and third in scoring in the nation. Both players earned their way onto one of the two All-American Teams as did team captain Don Wishart and all three players were first-team All-WIHL.
Befitting the western champion, Colorado College was selected as the #1 seed in the west and opened the tournament against Clarkson who had compiled an undefeated season the year before and followed that up with a stellar 18–2 mark. Despite the two teams' success the Golden Knights were completely outmatched by older and larger CC team. While the final score was relatively close, 5–3 with a hat-trick from Bob McCusker, the Tigers nearly tripled the number of shots from Clarkson (60–21) and the Green and Gold couldn't score enough to reward the valiant effort from the goaltender Eddie MacDonald.
In the title tilt CC found itself pitted against two-time defending champion Michigan who had won five of the six national titles since CC earned its first championship in 1950. The Wolverines had utterly dominated the series between the two teams over the previous decade and won all three games the pair played in the NCAA Tournament despite every game being played at the Broadmoor World Arena. None of those losses, however, had come with Hay and McCusker on the team and the two sophomores combined to score the first three goals of the contest. Showing the championship mettle, Michigan responded with three of their own before the first period was over and erased the CC advantage. CC goalie Bob Southwood settled down in the second period and when the Tigers scored three more times the Wolverines could only muster one in response. Even with a two-goal lead the Tigers didn't pull back in the third and after McCusker opened the scoring with his third of the game the rest of the team followed suit and score five more times before Michigan got its fifth but by then it was far too late and the Tigers eventually cruised to a 13–6 victory, winning their second National Title.
Bob McCusker tied the NCAA records for goals (4) and points (6) in a championship game and was the logical choice for Most Outstanding Player. McCusker was accompanied by Bill Hay and Don Wishart on the All-Tournament First Team while Dick McGhee and John Andrews made the Second Team.
==Standings==
==Schedule==
Conference games against Michigan State, Michigan Tech and Minnesota were only worth 1 point in the standings.
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!colspan=12 style=";" | Regular Season
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==Roster and scoring statistics==
No. 	Name	Year 	Position	Hometown 	S/P/C	Games	Goals	Assists	Pts	
 	 	Sophomore	C 	Saskatoon, SK 	 	30 	28 	45 	73 	–
 	 	Sophomore	F 	Saskatoon, SK 	 	– 	47 	24 	71 	–
 	 	Sophomore	RW 	Gravenhurst, ON 	 	– 	25 	21 	46 	–
 	 	Sophomore	C 	Yorkton, SK 	 	– 	21 	17 	38 	–
 	 	Senior 	D/F 	Rosetown, SK 	 	– 	10 	27 	37 	–
 	 	Sophomore	LW 	Fort William, ON 	 	– 	6 	29 	35 	–
 	 	Senior 	F 	Grandview, MB 	 	– 	21 	9 	30 	–
 	 	Senior 	LW 	Westlock, AB 	 	– 	12 	14 	26 	–
 	 	Sophomore	LW 	Hythe, AB 	 	– 	16 	6 	22 	–
 	 	Sophomore	C 	Drumheller, AB 	 	– 	6 	16 	22 	–
 	 	Sophomore	RW 	Edmonton, AB 	 	– 	6 	12 	18 	–
 	 	Senior 	D 	Red Deer, AB 	 	– 	5 	13 	18 	–
 	 	Sophomore	D/C 	Ottawa, ON 	 	– 	4 	13 	17 	–
 	 	Sophomore	D 	Cornwall, ON 	 	– 	2 	7 	9 	–
 	 	Sophomore	D 	Calgary, AB 	 	– 	2 	7 	9 	–
 	 	Sophomore	RW 	Trail, BC 	 	– 	1 	4 	5 	–
 	 	Sophomore	D 	South Porcupine, ON	 	– 	– 	– 	– 	–
Total	 	 	 	 	 	 	212 	264 	476	
*Colorado College players are reported to have collectively scored 212 goals over the course of the season but the team only scored 199 times (during the regular season).
==Goaltending statistics==
No. 	Name	Games	Minutes	Wins	Losses	Ties	Goals Against	Saves	Shut Outs	 	
 	 	17 	– 	– 	– 	– 	– 	– 	– 	–	–
 	 	14 	– 	– 	– 	– 	– 	– 	– 	–	–
Total	 	30 	– 	– 	– 	– 	– 	– 	– 	–	–
==1957 Championship Game==
===(W1) Colorado College vs. (W2) Michigan===
Scoring summary	Scoring summary	Scoring summary 	Scoring summary 	Scoring summary	Scoring summary
Period 	Team 	Goal 	Assist(s) 	Time 	Score
1st 	CC 	Bob McCusker 	Scott and McGhee 	3:15 	1–0 CC
1st 	CC 	Bill Hay 	McCusker 	8:04 	2–0 CC
1st 	CC 	Bob McCusker 	Hay and Capello 	11:39 	3–0 CC
1st 	UM 	Dick Dunnigan 	unassisted 	13:14 	3–1 CC
1st 	UM 	Neil McDonald 	unassisted 	17:30 	3–2 CC
1st 	UM 	John Hutton 	McDonald 	17:57 	3–3
2nd 	CC 	Murray Dea 	Laughlin 	24:52 	4–3 CC
2nd 	CC 	John Andrews 	Hubchik 	26:18 	5–3 CC
2nd 	UM 	Ed Switzer 	Dunnigan 	30:18 	5–4 CC
2nd 	CC 	Bill Hay 	McCusker and McGhee	34:05 	6–4 CC
3rd 	CC 	Bob McCusker – GW	Dea 	41:23 	7–4 CC
3rd 	CC 	Harley Patterson 	Harasyn 	46:20 	8–4 CC
3rd 	CC 	Don Hersack 	Hubchik and Andrews	49:10 	9–4 CC
3rd 	CC 	Harry Harasyn 	Patterson 	52:59 	10–4 CC
3rd 	CC 	Bob McCusker 	Hay 	53:47 	11–4 CC
3rd 	CC 	Don Hersack 	Hubchik 	54:53 	12–4 CC
3rd 	UM 	Tom Rendall 	Starr 	55:15 	12–5 CC
3rd 	CC 	Don Wishart 	deRappard 	56:11 	13–5 CC
3rd 	UM 	Neil McDonald 	Switzer 	56:36 	13–6 CC
Penalty summary	Penalty summary	Penalty summary 	Penalty summary 	Penalty summary	Penalty summary
Period 	Team 	Player 	Penalty 	Time 	PIM
1st 	CC 	Bob Southwood 	 	 	2:00
1st 	CC 	Bunt Hubchik 	 	 	2:00
2nd 	UM 	Bob Schiller 	 	 	2:00
2nd 	UM 	Bob Schiller 	 	 	2:00
2nd 	CC 	Gary Hughes 	 	 	2:00
3rd 	UM 	Dick Dunnigan 	 	 	2:00
3rd 	UM 	Tom Rendall 	 	 	2:00
3rd 	CC 	Bob McCusker 	 	 	2:00
3rd 	CC 	Gerry Capello 	 	 	2:00
Shots by period 	Shots by period	Shots by period	Shots by period	Shots by period
Team 	1 	2 	3 	T
Michigan 	9 	7 	11 	27
Colorado College	10 	14 	17 	41
Goaltenders	Goaltenders 	Goaltenders	Goaltenders 	Goaltenders
Team 	Name 	Saves 	Goals against	Time on ice
UM 	Ross Childs 	28 	13 	
CC 	Bob Southwood	21 	6 	
==See also==
*1957 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament
*List of NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament champions
==References==
Category:Colorado College Tigers men's ice hockey seasons
Category:NCAA men's ice hockey Frozen Four seasons
Category:NCAA men's ice hockey championship seasons
Colorado College 
Colorado College