Colorado College’s bad defensive habits caught up to the team on Saturday.  The Tigers took a first-period lead over visiting No. 4 North Dakota, but the Hawks rallied in the second and third to secure a 5-2 win and a series split at Ed Robson Arena. North Dakota took four of six available poi nts toward conference standings since CC (9-10-3, 3-6-3) won in overtime on Friday.  CC coach Kris Mayotte lamented his team’s defensive effort after the game.  “We just couldn’t end plays. We couldn’t end possessions. We couldn’t win our one-on-ones down low,” he said. “Defensively, this weekend, we just weren’t where we needed to be. Fortunately, last night, Kaidan (Mbereko) saved us, and tonight we weren’t good enough.” Mbereko, the Tigers’ senior goaltender and captain, made a season-high 37 saves on Friday and CC shut down the Hawks’ No. 1 power play in the country. On Saturday, it was North Dakota’s power play that ignited the team.  Down a goal entering the second period, the Hawks evened the game at the beginning of the second period on a carryover penalty from the first. Left wing Dylan James beat Tigers senior goalie Kaidan Mbereko at the crease at the 31-second mark.  From there, North Dakota took control of the game, extending offensive-zone possession and forcing Mbereko to make saves on consecutive quality chances. Eventually, the dam broke as Hawks defenseman Bennett Zmolek beat Mbereko at the 4:58 mark, for his first goal since 2022.  The Tigers began putting several shots on North Dakota goalie Jan Spunar in the waning minutes of the middle frame, but they didn’t earn an equalizer.  The Hawks regained the momentum at the beginning of the third when forward Tyler Young ripped a shot past Mbereko at 3:26. Young’s tally would be the first of three in the period for North Dakota as defenseman Abram Wiebe scored at 6:25 and forward Cole Reschny rounded out the team’s total at 11:22.  To add injury to insult for CC, Mbereko came off the ice after Wiebe’s goal. He was stretching and appeared to be in some discomfort during a media timeout. Mayotte said he put freshman backup Jackson Unger in after Mbereko skated off and did not have an update on the senior captain’s condition after the game.  Mbereko finished with 20 saves on the evening, while Unger saved five. North Dakota outshot CC 30 to 21.  Despite the box score, Saturday was a great night individually for new defenseman Mats Lindgren who joined the Tigers over the holiday break. Lindgren netted both goals for CC and gave the Tigers the lead to begin the game.  North Dakota goalie Jan Spunar lost his stick in the first period, and the Tigers pounced on the opportunity. CC pinned the visitors in their own zone. The Tigers finally took advantage of the stickless netminder as Lindgren put it in from the right circle at 9:30. Lindgren beat Spunar again from the opposite circle at 16:13 of the third period. The goals are the first two of Lindgren’s CC career. The freshman blueliner with professional experience has four points in four games for the Tigers.  “He’s just going to keep getting better,” Mayotte said of Lindgren. “He hadn’t played hockey for seven months in terms of competitive game for when we got him here. … You see him getting more and more comfortable out there and that’s what he’s always been. He knows how to generate offense, he’s an elite skater, he has a great shot and he has really good timing and brain and instinct.” CC plays one game, an exhibition, against Simon Fraser next week. The Tigers could use a lighter week with sophomore center and assistant captain Owen Beckner, freshman defenseman Colton Roberts, freshman forward Brandon Lisowsky, and possibly Mbereko all dealing with injuries. Mayotte insists, it won’t be all rest for CC however.  “We’re not going to use it as rest though. If we’ve learned anything with this team, it’s when we let our thumb off of it, we get loose, so we gotta get to work just like we’re in the middle of the (conference) schedule. We have to get better,” he said. ...read more read less