Colorado College slipped out of the USCHO.com poll Monday, and it’s still not included in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll, coming off a season-ending sweep at the hands of Michigan Tech in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs.

Boston College remained the unanimous No. 1 in both rankings, with Minnesota-Duluth up to second, Michigan third, Minnesota fourth, Boston University fifth and Union sixth. Both polls still have Denver at ninth and North Dakota at 12th. Air Force rose two spots to 17th in the USCHO.com poll, and it again received votes in the USA Today poll.

The Tigers (18-16-2) lose six seniors in Ted Behrend, Arthur Bidwill, David Civitarese, Nick Dineen, Gabe Guentzel and Tim Hall, and they lose their top point producer, Jaden Schwartz, a sophomore who signed a contract Monday with the St. Louis Blues. Jaden’s older brother, Rylan, might wait until the summer to decide whether he’s returning for his senior season, while Scott Winkler (above) is expected to stick around for his senior year at CC.

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Two goals by Andrew Hamburg brought Colorado College back from a 2-0 deficit, then the Tigers blew a 3-2 lead in a season-ending 4-3 overtime loss against Michigan Tech in the WCHA playoffs Saturday at World Arena.

Contact Brian Gomez: 719-636-0256 or brian.gomez@gazette.com. Facebook: Brian Gomez. Twitter: @gazettehockey. Google+: Brian Gomez. YouTube: Colorado College Hockey, Covered by The Gazette. For the CC homepage, visit www.gazette.com/sections/sports/cchockey. For the CC blog, visit http://cchockey.freedomblogging.com.

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Colorado College has returned its line combinations to normal for Game 2 of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs Saturday against Michigan Tech at World Arena. Right wing William Rapuzzi (above) is back with Jaden and Rylan Schwartz on the top line, and center Nick Dineen is again joined on the second line by Alexander Krushelnyski at left wing and Scott Winkler at right wing. With left wing Jeff Collett sidelined with an upper-body injury that he suffered Friday in a 3-1 loss in Game 1, right wing Andrew Hamburg moves up to the third line, while left wing Scott Wamsganz plays on the fourth line, now featuring right wing Charlie Taft in place of center Jordan DiGiando. Aaron Harstad has recovered from the flu, so he replaces Peter Stoykewych in the second defensive pairing.

FORWARDS

1. LW Jaden Schwartz, C Rylan Schwartz, RW William Rapuzzi

2. LW Alexander Krushelnyski, C Nick Dineen, RW Scott Winkler

3. LW Archie Skalbeck, C David Civitarese, RW Andrew Hamburg

4. LW Scott Wamsganz, C Tim Hall, RW Charlie Taft

DEFENSEMEN

1. LD Gabe Guentzel, RD Joe Marciano

2. LD Aaron Harstad, RD Eamonn McDermott

3. LD Mike Boivin, RD Arthur Bidwill

GOALTENDERS

1. Josh Thorimbert

2. Joe Howe

3. Courtney Lockwood

INJURED

LW Jeff Collett (upper body)

RW Dakota Eveland (upper body)

LW Michael Morin (right ankle)

HEALTHY SCRATCHES

D Ted Behrend

C Jordan DiGiando

D Peter Stoykewych

D Ian Young

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Rylan Schwartz tied the game with a 5-on-3 goal in the third period, then Josh Thorimbert allowed two goals, as Colorado College lost to Michigan Tech 3-1 in Game 1 of the WCHA playoffs Friday at World Arena.

WCHA PLAYOFFS, FIRST ROUND

No. 8 Michigan Tech at No. 5 Colorado College

Game 1: Michigan Tech 3, Colorado College 1

Game 2: Saturday, 7:07 p.m.

Game 3: Sunday, 7:07 p.m. (if necessary)

Contact Brian Gomez: 719-636-0256 or brian.gomez@gazette.com. Facebook: Brian Gomez. Twitter: @gazettehockey. Google+: Brian Gomez. YouTube: Colorado College Hockey, Covered by The Gazette. For the CC homepage, visit www.gazette.com/sections/sports/cchockey. For the CC blog, visit http://cchockey.freedomblogging.com.

CLICK HERE FOR LIVE UPDATES AND A FAN CHAT.

Contact Brian Gomez: 719-636-0256 or brian.gomez@gazette.com. Facebook: Brian Gomez. Twitter: @gazettehockey. Google+: Brian Gomez. YouTube: Colorado College Hockey, Covered by The Gazette. For the CC homepage, visit www.gazette.com/sections/sports/cchockey. For the CC blog, visit http://cchockey.freedomblogging.com.

Colorado College has made wholesale changes to its line combinations for Game 1 of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs Friday against Michigan Tech at World Arena. Right wing Alexander Krushelnyski is now on the top line alongside center Rylan Schwartz and left wing Jaden Schwartz, with right wing William Rapuzzi on the second line, featuring Nick Dineen at center and Tim Hall at left wing. Right wing Scott Winkler slipped to the third line, which has David Civitarese at center and Jeff Collett at left wing. Jordan DiGiando centers the fourth line, with Archie Skalbeck at left wing and Andrew Hamburg at right wing. Peter Stoykewych takes over for Aaron Harstad, out with the flu, in the second defensive pairing. And Josh Thorimbert (above) starts again over Joe Howe in goal.

FORWARDS

1. LW Jaden Schwartz, C Rylan Schwartz, RW Alexander Krushelnyski

2. LW Tim Hall, C Nick Dineen, RW William Rapuzzi

3. LW Jeff Collett, C David Civitarese, RW Scott Winkler

4. LW Archie Skalbeck, C Jordan DiGiando, RW Andrew Hamburg

DEFENSEMEN

1. LD Gabe Guentzel, RD Joe Marciano

2. LD Peter Stoykewych, RD Eamonn McDermott

3. LD Mike Boivin, RD Arthur Bidwill

GOALTENDERS

1. Josh Thorimbert

2. Joe Howe

3. Courtney Lockwood

INJURED

RW Dakota Eveland (upper body)

D Aaron Harstad (flu)

LW Michael Morin (right ankle)

HEALTHY SCRATCHES

D Ted Behrend

RW Charlie Taft

D Ian Young

LW Scott Wamsganz

Contact Brian Gomez: 719-636-0256 or brian.gomez@gazette.com. Facebook: Brian Gomez. Twitter: @gazettehockey. Google+: Brian Gomez. YouTube: Colorado College Hockey, Covered by The Gazette. For the CC homepage, visit www.gazette.com/sections/sports/cchockey. For the CC blog, visit http://cchockey.freedomblogging.com.

Defenseman Aaron Harstad (above) missed practice Thursday because he’s feeling sick, but left wing Jaden Schwartz is back from the flu, and he should play this weekend as Colorado College hosts Michigan Tech in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs.

Chances are Harstad won’t dress in Friday’s opener of the best-of-three, first-round series – creating an opening for Peter Stoykewych or Ian Young, both of whom were scratched for both games last weekend, when CC (18-14-2, 15-12-1 WCHA) swept Michigan Tech (14-18-4, 11-13-4) to close the regular season. Jaden Schwartz hadn’t practiced all week, however, he participated Thursday in all drills. Also cleared are centers Nick Dineen and Rylan Schwartz, who were limited in practice early in the week due to lingering soreness.

Jaden Schwartz was named to the All-WCHA second team, along with defenseman Gabe Guentzel, and goaltender Josh Thorimbert was selected to the third team. Rylan Schwartz was considered a lock, and defenseman Mike Boivin pitched a strong case, yet they were bypassed in voting by WCHA players, coaches, sports information directors and media. Eleven Tigers were picked for the All-WCHA academic squad, with Guentzel joined by Ted Behrend, Arthur Bidwill, David Civitarese, Tim Hall, Andrew Hamburg, Joe Howe, Alexander Krushelnyski, Eamonn McDermott, Archie Skalbeck and Scott Winkler.

WCHA AWARD WINNERS

Player of the Year and Scoring Champion: Jack Connolly, Minnesota-Duluth

Goaltending Champion: Kent Patterson, Minnesota

Defensive Player of the Year: Justin Schultz, Wisconsin

Rookie of the Year: Joey LaLeggia, Denver

Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year: Brad Eidsness, North Dakota

Coach of the Year: Mel Pearson, Michigan Tech

ALL-WCHA FIRST TEAM

F Jack Connolly, Minnesota-Duluth

F Nick Bjugstad, Minnesota

F J.T. Brown, Minnesota-Duluth

D Justin Schultz, Wisconsin

D Joey LaLeggia, Denver

G Kent Patterson, Minnesota

ALL-WCHA SECOND TEAM

F Jaden Schwartz, Colorado College

F Drew Shore, Denver

F Jason Zucker, Denver

D Gabe Guentzel, Colorado College

D Nate Schmidt, Minnesota

G Kenny Reiter, Minnesota-Duluth

ALL-WCHA THIRD TEAM

F Mark Zengerle, Wisconsin

F Brock Nelson, North Dakota

F Travis Oleksuk, Minnesota-Duluth

D Nick Jensen, St. Cloud State

D Ben Blood, North Dakota

G Josh Thorimbert, Colorado College

ALL-WCHA ROOKIE TEAM

F Kyle Rau, Minnesota

F Jean-Paul Lafontaine, Minnesota State-Mankato

F Jayson Megna, Nebraska-Omaha

D Joey LaLeggia, Denver

D Andrew Prochno, St. Cloud State

G Juho Olkinuora, Denver

Contact Brian Gomez: 719-636-0256 or brian.gomez@gazette.com. Facebook: Brian Gomez. Twitter: @gazettehockey. Google+: Brian Gomez. YouTube: Colorado College Hockey, Covered by The Gazette. For the CC homepage, visit www.gazette.com/sections/sports/cchockey. For the CC blog, visit http://cchockey.freedomblogging.com.

Centers Nick Dineen and Rylan Schwartz returned from soreness to practice Wednesday for Colorado College, and even though left wing Jaden Schwartz was still sidelined since he’s battling the flu, he should play this weekend when the Tigers host Michigan Tech in the best-of-three first round of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs.

Dineen and Jaden Schwartz missed practice Tuesday – Dineen nursing a tender ankle and Jaden Schwartz feeling under the weather – while Rylan Schwartz wasn’t near full speed, having been dinged up the second half of the season. Neither Dineen nor Rylan Schwartz looked hampered Wednesday at World Arena, as both were full participants in all drills.

The focus for No. 18 CC (18-14-2, 15-12-1 WCHA) has been on refining details in hopes of sustaining momentum from night to night, as the Tigers were dominant Friday in a 5-2 victory, then outplayed by Michigan Tech (14-18-4, 11-13-4) in a 2-0 win Saturday. “We can play better than we did Saturday,” said CC coach Scott Owens, in search of his 300th career win, with his team owning the second-best home record in the WCHA at 10-3-1.

“Most of our issues didn’t have anything to do with Xs and Os or systems,” Owens said. “They had to do with moving our feet and pursuing the puck.” On Friday, CC “came out, and we got after it, and we pursued the puck well. We moved. We put pressure on them,” Owens said. Then on Saturday, “we were easy to play against,” Owens said. “We didn’t move very well. We looked heavy-legged at times. We thought things would take care of themselves. And we didn’t have enough of an urgency” in facing a 34-22 deficit in shots.

Even though CC kept Michigan Tech’s top three scorers – center Brett Olson, right wing Jordan Baker and left wing David Johnstone – off the scorecard, “some of those guys had real good chances,” Owens said. Odds are Michigan Tech won’t go scoreless again on the power play, motivated on the heels of an 0-for-6 performance, and the Huskies “moved better collectively,” Owens said. “They’re more mobile than they’ve been in the past.”

Staying in Colorado Springs was a blessing for CC, which finished the season with losses in its final four road games, swept by Bemidji State and No. 3 Minnesota-Duluth. “We do like playing at World Arena. I like the fact we don’t have to travel,” Owens said, adding that “there’s a certain amount of rest being here. But you’ve still got to play the games.”

WCHA PLAYOFFS, FIRST ROUND

No. 8 Michigan Tech at No. 5 Colorado College

Game 1: Friday, 7:37 p.m.

Game 2: Saturday, 7:07 p.m.

Game 3: Sunday, 7:07 p.m. (if necessary)

Contact Brian Gomez: 719-636-0256 or brian.gomez@gazette.com. Facebook: Brian Gomez. Twitter: @gazettehockey. Google+: Brian Gomez. YouTube: Colorado College Hockey, Covered by The Gazette. For the CC homepage, visit www.gazette.com/sections/sports/cchockey. For the CC blog, visit http://cchockey.freedomblogging.com.

Center Nick Dineen (above) missed practice Tuesday due to soreness, and so did left wing Jaden Schwartz because he’s feeling sick, while center Rylan Schwartz was limited, also due to soreness, however, all three should play this weekend for Colorado College, which hosts Michigan Tech in the first round of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs.

Dineen blocked several shots off an ankle last weekend in a sweep of Michigan Tech, and Jaden Schwartz is “feeling a little bit under the weather,” Tigers coach Scott Owens said, adding that Rylan Schwartz has been dinged up most of the second half of the season. It’s simply safer to be cautious with Dineen and the Schwartz brothers, as Owens wants “to make sure we’re as fresh as we can be and as complete as we can be by Friday,” he said.

Michigan Tech (14-18-4, 11-13-4 WCHA) anticipates that goaltender Josh Robinson (13-13-4) will start Friday’s opener of the best-of-three series, despite an injured rotator cuff that prevented him from playing Saturday in a 2-0 loss. Robinson was hurt in the third period Friday in a 5-2 loss when CC right wing Jeff Collett hammered him in a collision, yet he remained in the game. If Robinson can’t play, Michigan Tech will turn to backup Kevin Genoe (1-5) as the Huskies did Saturday – their only other candidate is Cheyenne Mountain High School graduate Corson Cramer, who has played nine minutes all season.

Owens said Robinson “has had a great season, and he’s a big part of the reason for their success. But Genoe came in and did a really nice job Saturday. This time of the year, we kind of focus on ourselves, making sure we’re where we need to be. It doesn’t matter too much what we go against, although Genoe did play the puck pretty well.”

Because Michigan Tech is on spring break, first-year coach Mel Pearson kept his team in Colorado Springs instead of returning to Houghton, then coming back to the Springs – an estimated $1,200 per person. Michigan Tech switched hotels, from the DoubleTree to the Embassy Suites, and the Huskies might change hotels again simply to maintain freshness – all of their costs for hotels and buses are covered by the WCHA since it’s the playoffs.

Pearson took his players Monday to Garden of the Gods, and they were at Pepsi Center on Tuesday for a game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Minnesota Wild. Other planned activities for later in the week include bowling and movies. “There’s less wear and tear” on Michigan Tech by staying in the Springs, Owens said. “They get acclimated to the altitude. And they’re practicing on an Olympic sheet. It helps them a little bit. … It would be more advantageous for us if they had to travel back to Houghton, practice on a small sheet and get back on the plane and come out. That just isn’t the way it works out.”

CC has allowed Michigan Tech to set up shop in the World Arena visitors’ locker room, and CC equipment manager Spud Hamilton is handling their laundry all week. Michigan Tech won’t be permitted to practice on the main sheet at World Arena until Thursday, the protocol for a visiting team – no different than when Alaska-Anchorage has arrived in the Springs a few days early. Michigan Tech has daily access to the Olympic sheet in the Ice Hall at World Arena, so “they have to walk 20 feet farther to practice,” Owens cracked.

“They’ve asked for ice, and they’re getting ice,” Owens said. Owens wasn’t in favor of Michigan Tech practicing on the main sheet at World Arena, like No. 18 CC (18-14-2, 15-12-1) does, he said, because “it kind of defeats the purpose of earning home-ice advantage. … Why would you play 28 league games to get home ice and then make it a shared venue?”

Etc.

CC goaltender Josh Thorimbert (13-6-1) was picked as the WCHA Defensive Player of the Week after stopping 60 of 62 shots last weekend. … Click HERE to enter a drawing to win a pair of tickets for Friday or Saturday, courtesy of www.coloradosprings.com.

WCHA PLAYOFFS, FIRST ROUND

No. 8 Michigan Tech at No. 5 Colorado College

Game 1: Friday, 7:37 p.m.

Game 2: Saturday, 7:07 p.m.

Game 3: Sunday, 7:07 p.m. (if necessary)

Contact Brian Gomez: 719-636-0256 or brian.gomez@gazette.com. Facebook: Brian Gomez. Twitter: @gazettehockey. Google+: Brian Gomez. YouTube: Colorado College Hockey, Covered by The Gazette. For the CC homepage, visit www.gazette.com/sections/sports/cchockey. For the CC blog, visit http://cchockey.freedomblogging.com.