Anyone who thought Colorado College was ready to throw in the towel, think again.

The Tigers roared back for a 5-3 victory at the University of Minnesota Duluth on Saturday, tying their best-of-three playoff series and forcing a Game 3 showdown on Sunday that will determine which team advances to the WCHA Final Five.

Freshman winger Scott Winkler snapped a 3-3 deadlock with the first goal of his collegiate career at 5:17 of the third period, providing the game winner in another nail-biter that saw freshman net minder Joe Howe finish with 37 saves.

Sophomore center Nick Dineen, who earlier assisted on a red lighter by linemate Addison DeBoer, iced the triumph with an empty-net goal with 15.1 seconds showing on the clock.
   
Howe stopped all 19 shots he faced in the third period, including point-blank gems on UMD's Keegan Flaherty and Jack Connolly.

CC takes a 19-17-3 overall record into Sunday's decisive encounter despite allowing the Bulldogs to score on their first three power plays.

Down 1-0 before the contest was three minutes old, the Tigers rallied early in the second period on goals by Tyler Johnson and DeBoer just 57 seconds apart. Johnson's unassisted effort tied things up at 1:26 before DeBoer put Colorado College ahead at 2:23 on a rebound of Dineen's attempt.

The lead lasted less than five minutes as Jordan Fulton cashed in on UMD's second power play at 7:19. Then, at 10:56 of a wild second stanza, Travis Oleksuk put Duluth back on top with the visitors skating two men short.

But CC finally converted during a man-advantage of its own to pull even again with 4:08 left in the period. Mike Testwuide got credit for the goal, his 21st of the season, after pouncing on a loose puck in front after Bulldogs goalie Kenny Reiter got a piece of a shot by Bill Sweatt. 

Sweatt later set up Dineen's empty netter.

Winkler, who picked up an assist in Friday's 3-2 overtime loss, scored during a scramble in front of the UMD cage after Reiter, who finished with 26 saves, made a couple sprawling stops. DeBoer and junior defenseman Ryan Lowery earned assists on the goal.