Fast starts, fast hockey, fast results for Colorado College

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)--Colorado College hockey is 2-0 to start the season beating a ranked University of Massachusetts team to get the team rolling to a fast start.

For Head Coach Kris Mayotte and the Colorado College hockey program, speed isn't simply about having the fastest skaters on the ice. It's about how quickly the Tigers play as a unit.

"What it means to play Tiger hockey, I think it allows you to start fast," Mayotte said.

That brand of speed looks different than it does in other sports. Mayotte compared it to football, where a receiver can create instant separation and turn a play into a long touchdown.

"It's not like Dante Culpepper to Randy Moss type of thing, where two steps and he puts his hand up and it's 80 yards later," Mayotte said. "Speed in hockey is different."

Instead, the Tigers' pace is defined by how rapidly they get to loose pucks, transition between offense and defense, and keep pressure on opponents throughout an entire game. It's a style that can wear teams down over 60 minutes.

"A 60-minute game, it just wears on," Mayotte said. "Teams have to stay in their D-zone for 20 or 30 seconds. It just wears on them."

That speed, however, is not something that develops overnight. According to senior forward Riley Stuart, it comes from experience and chemistry within the system.

"Just the overall speed of the team, I would say it's how well every guy knows the system and plays within the structure," Stuart said. "I feel like we all know where each other is going to be on the ice, so it makes the puck travel quicker and we can get up and down the sheet better."

That familiarity has helped the Tigers hit the ground running this season. Colorado College returned 81 percent of its scoring production from last year and brought back its entire defensive corps, creating continuity that has translated into success on the ice.

Now ranked among the top 15 teams in the nation, the Tigers believe their depth and offensive talent can keep the momentum going.

"We've got a lot of great players that can score goals," Stuart said. "Hopefully we continue to grow on that and succeed in that area."

With an experienced roster and a system built on relentless pace, the Tigers' speed is doing more than creating chances. It's helping drive a fast start in the standings.