Battle for the Gold Pan

Battle for the Gold Pan
CC-DU Rivalry
Colorado College Tigers University of Denver Pioneers
Ice Hockey
First Meeting CC 11 vs. 8 DU (January 6, 1950) at CC
Last Meeting DU 6-4 CC (February 20, 2015) at CC
Next Weekend Series February 20-21st, 2015
Games Played 297
All-time series DU leads 164-116-17
Gold Pan series
CC (12) DU (10)
1993–1994
1997–1998
1998–1999
1999–2000
2000–2001
2001–2002
2002–2003
2006–2007
2007–2008
2008–2009
2011–2012
2013–2014		 1994–1995
1995–1996
1996–1997
2003–2004
2004–2005
2005–2006
2009–2010
2010–2011
2012–2013
2014–2015

The Battle for the Gold Pan (also called The CC/DU Rivalry, or known locally as The Gold Pan) is a series that is played between the Colorado College Tigers and the University of Denver Pioneers. It is one of the most played College Ice Hockey rivalries, next to the Michigan vs. Michigan State rivalry. The Gold Pan is widely considered to be one of the most intense rivalries in college hockey, equaling the intensity of the Green Line Rivalry, a rivalry between the Boston University Terriers and the Boston College Eagles.

Background

The two teams played against one another the first season after the University of Denver created a men's hockey team, back in the 1949-50 season. The two schools are charter members of the WCHA which was founded back in 1951. Both schools are also charter members of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) which was founded in 2011, and started in the 2013-14 season. Both colleges are private schools with small student populations. Colorado College (enrollment near 2,000 students) is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado and has had its hockey program since 1938, while the University of Denver (undergraduate enrollment near 6,000 students) is located in Denver, Colorado, the two campuses are only 65 miles from each other, right off of I-25. The home ice for the Colorado College Tigers is the World Arena (which is a larger Olympic size rink, sits at 6,250 ft. above sea level), while the home ice for the Denver Pioneers is Magness Arena (which is a smaller NHL size rink, sits at 5,370 ft.). Nearly 300 NHL and other professional hockey players have passed through either schools hockey program.

Both schools have produced Hobey Baker Award winners. Colorado College has two Hobey Baker winners, Peter Sejna (2003), and Marty Sertich (2005). The University of Denver has one winner, Matt Carle (2006). Colorado College has 8 other players who were finalists for the Hobey Baker Award since its inception in 1981, the University of Denver has had six finalists.

The Gold Pan History

The two schools first met in January 1950 and have faced off against one another at least four times every year since then, as well as multiple playoff matches. Up until the 1990s, there was no formal series trophy for the season series, as the CC/DU games were merely for "bragging rights". In the early 1990s, then-DU coach Frank Serratore and CC coach Don Lucia decided to create a travelling trophy for the season series winner between the schools. That first Gold Pan trophy was an rusty old gold pan from Cripple Creek, Colorado that had actually been used for prospecting.[1] That first trophy was lost in Denver after the 2003-2004 season. The current trophy was created by Colorado sculptor Mike Halterman and donated by the Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mine in 2005.[2]

In 2011 with the NCAA realignment of college hockey conferences, Colorado College and the University of Denver joined together to create the NCHC, bringing the rivalry with them. The first season in the NCHC (2013/14 season) led to the conference rule of a shootout if a game is tied after overtime. On November 8, 2013, CC and DU played the first ever regular season shootout in college hockey in Colorado Springs. CC and DU played to a 1-1 tie after overtime, DU would win in the shootout 2-0.

Set up

Four games are played every regular season between Colorado College and the University of Denver, two home games and two away games. It is played on two separate weekends, one near the beginning of the regular season and one near the end of the regular season. It is played in a Home/Home series where both teams play on their home ice once per series (unlike most college weekends series, which play at only one team's home ice). The team with the better record out of the four games receives or is able to hold on to the Gold Pan for another year. If a season series is tied then the winner from last year keeps the gold pan for that year. With the NCHC ruling for a shootout if the overtime period is tied, though a team will win in the shootout, the game is still counted as a draw to the overall record and Gold Pan record. Post-season matches are not counted for the Gold Pan, but are counted overall in the rivalry.

Other Tallies

•as of the end of the 2014/15 Season

External links

References

  1. ↑ Klee, Paul. http://gazette.com/klee-anyone-seen-the-gold-pan-the-du-cc-hockey-mystery-continues/article/1515101. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. ↑ "High stakes for CC in Gold Pan rivalry game".

See also