Men's Hockey
Season Preview The ECAC will be a much different league this year. The top teams are all losing key players, other teams are ready to take those slots, and Vermont must be factored into the equation once again. While it might be impossible to predict the final standings, it is certain that this will be a very exciting season, and teams will be battling for position all the way to the end of the season. Colgate is following up on it's most successful season in ten years. The Red Raiders went 24-9-2 to finish second place in the ECAC during the regular season and to earn the number 5 seed in the NCAA tournament, East Regionals. Colgate also overcame it's second half of the season slump, losing just twice between the start of Christmas break, and thier trip to Lake Placid. After a quick, and perhaps unfair, early exit from the NCAA tournament, Colgate will be looking to keep the positive momentum going and have another great year. The memories of that game and Pepsi Arena served as an excellent motivation to the 17 returning players, who are said to all be in great shape coming into the season. These 17 players are going to have to work together. Hockey is a game of team chemistry. If a line can work together, they can beat any group of individuals, no matter how good they are. If this team works together, and gives 100% at each and every game, then they can win big. Here's how we fare position by position Foward Defensemen Goalies What will make this season a sucess or not? We will need Jason to be solid in net. Our defense will need to live up to thier expectations, they just might be the teams strong point. Our experienced players will need to work together and take even more of a leadership role at practices and at games. Murphy and Nolan will be leading the special teams this year. Power plays and penalty killing will make or break us this season. We have some established goal scorers returning, and some that are just starting to realize thier full potential. There are also those players who are capable of stepping up to fill the slots left by McDonald and Campbell. I know we have the players who are capable of it, lets see which ones will fill those roles as they compete for ice time. This is going to be an exciting season, with absolutly every game counting. We are in three regular season tournaments this year, each one requires a strong showing. Colgate can make the NCAA tournament again, but the competition is getting stronger, and some people might call this a rebuilding year for us. We are going to be fighting just to gain home ice for the first round of the playoffs this year. It's time to find out if this seasons 9 seniors can lead the team back to Lake Placid and beyond. October 6th - Vs Michigan
How will Colgate fare after the loss of a dominating senior class including Andy McDonald and Shep Harder? With 17 players returning, including 9 seniors, the question becomes even more difficult. Preseason ECAC polls ranked us 6th in the league accordning to the coaches, 3rd according to the media. Remember, the coaches also picked Clarkson to finish first a year ago. The national poll has Colgate drop from number 10 at the end of last year, down to the number 16 slot. We are also the third ECAC team according to that poll, narrowly edging out Harvard.
Dan Stay is returning for his senior season. He saw some action last year, and showed good improvment. He's a team player, and this year the team will be depending on him to make things happen.
Paul Kelley is a speedster freshman we recruited from British Columbia. In his final year in the minors, he earned the fan favorite, and most dedicated awards. We will need his speed to help break up opponents defenses.
Sean Nolan is our leading returning point scorer. Last season he scored 19, including 8 on the power play, and 7 game winners. He is a natural finisher as well as being quite good on defense when the team needs it. He is the workhorse of the team, and will continue to just get better and better.
Kyle Doyle is new on the team this year. He was the assistant captain of his minor juniors team for three years and this past season was 4th in the league in goals. Now this all-star looks to bring his speed and scoring touch to the Red Raiders.
P.J. Yedon showed good promise as a freshman last year. He got to play in 22 games before injuries kept him out of action. He still managed 5 goals and 6 assists. This should be a good year for him, he could one day be wearing a letter on the ice.
Etienne Morin hopes to have a breakout year as a junior. Last season he showed great potential, scoring 7 times with 10 assists. He's one of the players people are expecting to fill the holes left by last years senior class.
Kevin Johns made his mark last season, he was 4th on the team in total points and will most likely move even higher in this, his final season as a Red Raider, he has been given the "A" to wear to signify his leadership in the locker room, and his desire to improve. And if he improves as much this year as he did last, he will have one of the highest point totals in the league.
Pat Varecka might have gone unnoticed in the past, but he will be looking to produce even more his senior year. Last season, his goals proved to be the game winners against Harvard and Brown. Look for him to be making a differnce on the ice even more this year.
Scooter Smith also impressed a lot of people last year with his work ethic, now, as a sophomore, he will be seeing a lot more ice time, and will most likely take advantage of any opportunities given to him. He has a good head for the game, and is very good at setting up plays. He's one of the players who stood out the most in the preseason maroon-white game, he will make an impact this year.
Bob Vandersluis saw action in just 17 games as a sophomore last year. This year his size will be used to counter balance a lot of the smaller guys on the team. If he can step up and have a breakout year, the team will be that much better off.
Brad D'Arco will be looking to get some more playing time this year, he played in 19 games last season and had 3 assists and 1 goal.
Mike O'Malley is ready to step into the spotlight his senior year. With just 2 goals, 12 assists in 28 games last year, he might have been one of the most under rated players on the team. Mike has an amazing amount of potential. He is a natural hockey player, and if he stays healthy, it would not be any strech for him to be one of our top 5 point scorers.
Sam Sturgis is another senior who is ready to step up and help the team. His numbers from last year might not be the most impressive, perhaps his best accomplishment was the game winning goal against Clarkson last year in an intense game at Starr rink.
Chad MacDonald led the team in penalty minutes last season, but his 9 goals and 13 assists made a differnce as well. He scored 3 power play goals, two game winners, and 1 goal shorthanded against SLU to help Colgate secure a 4-3 win early in the season. There's no need to sugar coat any of his stats though, he makes his presence known on the ice in any number of ways. He is going to be a player to contend with.
Tucker Veenis joins us as a freshman this season. He served as his teams assistant captain senior year in high school, and was also on the leagues all star team. He's a big guy, let's see what he can add to Colgate's top ranked defense.
Rob Brown is also a freshman defensemen. He had 10 division 1 schools looking at him when he was in the minors in Canada, but thought Colgate was the best fit for him and could guarantee him playing time. He is a determined athlete who was all league second team last season.
Steve Silversides impressed a lot of people with his efforts in his first year at Colgate. He's one of the biggest defensemen on the team, and showed nothing but potential last season. I would not be surprised to see him start this year.
Ben Bryce served in 29 games for us last year. He's got good technical abilities, and will be very useful to us on defense and in getting the puck to the goal scorers.
Bryan Long is ready for his senior season. He was one of the teams top defensemen last year and is also a team leader.
Matt Nicholson joins us as another freshman that will be looking for ice time. If we recruited him, then he must be a hard worker and will add some size to our lineup.
Cory Murphy was simply outstanding last year. He was voted all league last season, and is this years captain. He had 29 points last year to lead all defensemen. He played and started in every game for the Red Raiders and was simply brutal to anyone who tried to beat him to the net. That doesn't mean he was a physical player, his technical skills far outweight his ability to throw a good check. He is simply a very smart player who knows how to get the puck and send it up ice, and by tying for 4th on the team last year in goals, he proved he can pack an offensive punch as well.
Jason Lefevre is the man this year. He played in just ten games last year, but had a very impressive freshman season. With the fate of the team resting on his shoulders, he will rise to the occassion if he can stay healthy and prove himself worthy of being on of the best goalies in the ECAC this year. He has himself in great shape and has been working very hard to prepare himself for this season. Look for him to see the majority of the action this year.
David Cann will serve as backup this year, as a freshman, he will rely on gaining experience at practice to prepare him for the day he gets to enter the spotlight. Just 1 week into practice, he has already shown noticable improvments, and will only get better.
@ Ice Breaker Tournament
Game Preview and Pre Game
The Time for waiting is over, it's time to kick off the 2000- 2001 hockey season with all the eyes of the college hockey community on the Ice Breaker Tournament. This year, representing the ECAC, your Colgate Red Raiders! Michigan is ranked second in the nation after last years advancement to the NCAA second round, following a tainted victory over Colgate last year. The preseason NCAA poll has dropped us to 16th in the nation. Michigan returns 21 letterwinners this season, having lost 5, including their top goal scorer. They are returning a solid squad. Colgate will be motivated by the desire to even the score, while Michigan will be pushed on by thier hometown fans. This will be a tough game, and on paper, we should lose. But I know how badly the team wants this win. The 17 returning players knew this would be the first game of the season less than a week after Albany. They have been preparing for this game since then, I doubt there are many teams in the NCAA that are as ready to begin the season as we are, both physically and mentally.
Prediction: That doesn't mean Michigan doesn't have the talent. They will score first. But Colgate has great endurance and some good defense that will keep the game close and allow Colgate to catch up and send it to overtime. The result? A 3-2 Colgate win.
Results
Against all adversity, Colgate put together a great game. There's a new superman in town, his name is Jason Lefevre! How much is Michigan kicking themselves now that they lost the recruiting battle over him? Jason was absolutly amazing in net. He let in two goals, both on weird bounces, and held up to incredible pressure. Sean Nolan scored twice for Colgate. The Red Raider's were playing in thier arena. They were playing against a coach that has a lot more pull on the refs, who seemed not to be calling the same thing for both teams. Colgate fended off 11 out of 12 powerplays to keep the game even, we spent over 20 minutes killing penalties, and into overtime they went!! Since this ws just a regular season game, it was just a 5 minutes over time. After some more questionable calls, Colgate had two men down at one point. But Jason would not give, and the game ends in a 2-2 tie. But, someone still has to advance to the finals. A 5 on 5 shootout was held, with the unlikely heroes PJ Yedon and Sam Sturgis scored on the first two tries. Lefevre was unbeatable in net. And Colgate avances to the finals!
October 7th - Vs University of New Hampshire or University of North Dakota
@ Ice Breaker Tournament
Game Preview and Pre game
The opponents for this game is UNH, after they advanced in a shootout last night. Last season the key to success for UNH was defense, goal production dropped a lot for them, but so did goals allowed. UNH came on strong last year, but was worn out by NCAA tournament time from relying on their defense and goalie too much. They return 18 while losing 8 of last years letter winners. The preseason poll put them at number 9. If Colgate can put up another game like last nights, this should be a great championship game and should propel Colgate back into the top 10.
Results
It wasn't a terrible game for Colgate, we stuck with them for almost two periods, and were even up 2-0 on them. It was the underclassmen Scooter Smith and Paul Kelley to net Colgate's goals. Lefevre was amazing again in net, but the team finally gave out. The defense broke down to allow goal number 1, then number two, next thing you know it's goal number 7, and no, I'm not joking. David Cann showed promise, getting some playing time and saving 12 of 14 shots after the game was on cruise control. Chad MacDonald was able to tally a powerplay goal in the final minute. Despite the score, Colgate showed a lot against a top 10 team. They played a lot of good hockey, and I'm sure more than one ECAC coach is rethinking our #6 ranking. We do need to straighten out our penalties. We allowed 7 UNH powerplays. Not only does that put us on the defensive, but it's also time we are not on offense, spending a quarter of the game on the penalty kill will be something we absolutly need to avoid in the future. Colgate leaves the Ice Breaker, with a loss, a tie, and the promise of a great season.
October 14th - Sacred Heart
Game Preview and Pre game
Last season, Sacred Heart was 16-15-3 and 14-10-3 in the MAAC. Thier season included more than one loss to Air Force and Mercyhurst, and other schools at that level. The MAAC has picked them to finish tied for 5th according to thier preseason poll. This did not sit terribly well with the team. They have only lost 3 letterwinners and think they might be a little underrated. All of thier best players are returning, they had a young team last year. They would love to catch Colgate napping and pull off what would be an upset win. This is not too likely to happen, especially on Colgate's home turf. Add that to the fact that Colgate has had two games already to iron out any final details.
Prediction: Colgate is just too much for them. The game will be closer than the final score of 5-1 indicates though.
Results
Sacred Heart gets a rude awakening for their season opener. Chad MacDonald, Scooter Smith, and Sean Nolan each scored two, O'Malley and Murphy added one a piece as well. 3 of the goals were on the power play. Colgate only took 7 penalties, and some of them were matching minors not leading to a power play. Jason Lefevre took the first two periods, stopping 9 of 11 shots on net. Colgate fired a total of 48 shots and won by a final score of 8-2
October 21st - At UMass-Amherst
Game Preview
Last year, Coach Cahoon led Princeton in two games against the Red Raiders, they were the only ECAC team we didn't beat last season. Well, UMass has a new coach, and it's the man they call "Toots". UMass took Colgate to the edge last year, losing to Colgate 3-2 at Starr rink. Now the game is on the road, and UMass only lost 4 letter winners. They finished 8th in Hockey East.
Pre game
UMass lost it's first two games against nationally ranked Wisconsin. The first game 9-6. the second game 3-0. Colgate has dropped to number 12 in the nation, and is the highest ranked ECAC team.
Prediction: UMass is a tough team, thier confidence may be a bit low after last weekend, but make no mistake about it, they want to win thier home opener. This game will indicate a lot about the rest of the season, since we have traditionally had a problem playing against teams we should beat on the road. 4-2 Colgate Results
As someone pointed out to me on USCHO, 3 times 20 does not equal 58: 30, unfortunatly, that seemed to be the problem tonight. Colgate played well early in the game, Sean Nolan got an early powerplay goal. UMass answered with two of thier own, when Colgate pounded home 3 in a row during the 2nd and third periods. UMass would pull thier goalie bieng down by two and time running out, when the Colgate defense gave up. UMass scored twice in the final minute and a half to tie the game up. Neither of the goals were Lefevre's fault, the mistake goes to an inexpereinced defense and could not be avoided. UMass pushed hard in overtime, but the game ended in a tie. It was still dissapointing for Colgate, but we should learn to expect these things when we are playing Princeton, I mean Cahoon, make that UMass...
November 3rd and 4th - At Ferris State
Game Preview
Without thier top Foward and Defenseman, people might expect Ferris State to drop in the rankings, but they are returning a very solid team and excellent goalie. Last years games at Starr rink were both classics, and Ferris State was the only team to beat Colgate at home. Preseason polls place them at number 7 in the CCHA, after last years 6th place finish.
Pre Game
The Red Raiders find themselves in a battle for rankings moving into the start of the ECAC season, but Ferris state is just looking to get some votes. They lost their last two games to University of Nebraska. Vince Owen was in goal both nights, and allowed 7 goals on both occassions. Over the two nights, Ferris State was flagged for 22 penalties. On the season they are 0-4-2, with 3 overtime games. They scored 15, while allowing 25 goals in. They are unranked, while the teams they played are currently ranked between 11th and 17th.
Prediction: Colgate might have trouble winning two on the road. Ferris State, despite it's record, is still a comprable team. Colgate has had a week off, that can be a good thing or a bad thing. Colgate wins game 1, 3-1, game two goes to overtime, where Colgate wins 4-3.
Results
In game 1, Colgate mistakes ended up costing them the game. 4 of the 5 Ferris State goals were scored on the power play. The team just looked a little sloppy out there. PJ Yedon went down with a knee injury, and Sean Nolan would injure his hip at some point in the weekend and only play one shift on Saturday. Morin scored two goals on Friday, helping to spark a Red Raider comeback. O'Malley scored a big shorthanded goal to tie things up halfway through the third, but 5 miutes later Ferris State scored the final goal to make the score 5-4. The second game wasn't that much better. Ferris State scored twice in the first when a puck rebounded of Jason, and was put right in the net, and the second goal was on the power play. The Red Raider's scored once in 19 shots on net. Colgate was unable to convert on 4 power plays. In thier third period, the Red Raiders tried to pull thier goalie, but it ended up backfiring. The 3-1 loss and two loss weekend was enough to push Colgate way down in the nationwide poll. It was a very dissapointing weekend, and Colgate now needs to reprove themselves to the college hockey community.
November 10th - At RPI
Game Preview
RPI has lost a lot from last years team, including thier top two goalies, and some of thier best goal scorers. RPI lost twice to Colgate in the regular season, and then played flawlessly to beat Colgate at Lake Placid. RPI always seemed to me like they were on the verge of either greatness, or a complete meltdown. Most teams have thier good and bad moments, but RPI's always seemed more extreme. Last year they took third in the regular season, preseason polls put them at anywhere between 4th and 5th in the ECAC.
Pre Game
RPI has also had a tricky start to predict any trends with. They have allowed 4 goals each game, with the exception of against Army. The upset Boston University, lost to Union and UMass Lowell. They are currently at 19th in the nation. Colgate could really use a good start to the ECAC season, but they will have to do it without Yedon and Nolan most likely. Hopefully the memories of last years game at Lake Placid will be able to motivate the Red Raiders on the road. br> Results
Colgate played a very bad first period. The ice was just tilted in RPI's favor, they took 18 shots on goal, but were only able to beat Jason once. The second period was more evenly played, but RPI took a 2-0 lead after another power play goal. Just before the end of the period, Colgate gained some momentum by scoring on a power play. The third period was even more in Colgate's favor. RPI scored first, but the Red Raider's started getting some pressure on net. We were taking decent shots, just not enough, and it just looked like we weren't aggresive enough. Colgate scored again on the power play, to get within 1 as time winded down. There would not be enough time for a comeback. Time ran out in Colgate's first ECAC game, 3-2 RPI.
November 11th - At Union
Game Preview
Union has a well above average goalie returning, and returns most of thier team, which finished 10th in the ECAC last year. Both games against Colgate were high scoring last year, with the teams each winning thier home game. Union hopes to focus on defense this year, and the teams goal is a trip to Lake Placid. They were ranked right about where they left off last year, at 10th or 11th place. They just might be the most under rated team in the ECAC.
Pre Game
Union has proved they are not a team to be taken lightly. They scored 4 goals in 3 out of 4 games, and 0 in the other, a crushing loss to Providence. Army, Merrimack and RPI have all been early victims. Snee is the goalie, and he's damn good. Union will play a tough defense at ther home rink, crowding the puck and not giving anyone a lot of room to work with on one of the smallest rinks in the ECAC. Last year, Union won a high scoring, physical game at Achilles Rink, while Colgate dominated the game at home.
Results
It was another tough game for Colgate on the road. Johns and Yedon were both out with injuries. Nolan was playing, but was only 70%, the guy doesn't have a quitting bone in his body. Coach Vaughan decided to give Jason Lefevre the night off and sent in freshman netminder David Cann. Cann would prove to be excellent in his first full game. If he continues to develope, there's nothing to worry about after Jason graduates in two years. Cory Murphy scored the first goal in the second period on a power play. The Red Raiders held out well, but Union would tie things up on a power play, then go ahead just 45 seconds later. Horrible reffing tonight, and I'm not saying we got screwed by the officials, if anything we were helped a lot by them in the second period, but it was still awful. The game remained tied until there were just 29 seconds left, when Union put the game away. They would add an empty netter. Colgate took 9 penalties, including a 5 minute major by Chad MacDonald. David Cann stopped three breakaway's on the night. Offense continues to be a problem, players are slowly stepping up to fill these scorers roles, and we need them filled if we want to be seriously competitive. Colgate gets no points on the weekend after a 4-2 loss to Union.
November 17th - Brown
Game Preview
The Bears went 6-19-3 last season, and finished last in the ECAC. They lost 8 of thier players to graduation, and gained 10 freshman. USCHO predicted them to finish last in the league again. So did the media and coaches. Last season, both games were pretty close, so you can never overlook the Bears.
Pre Game
As usual, Brown proves tough to predict, they won solidly over Providence, but lost to Harvard, Dartmouth and Vermont so far. We are tied with them for last place in the league. Colgate is not in the best position heading into Silver Puck weekend at Starr rink. They really need to pick up 3 or 4 points this weekend, but have a lot of injuries to overcome. Chad MacDonald will be missing the game due to a game DQ. Right now Brown is averaging 2.25 goals per game while allowing 3.5 goals against. They are 5th in the league on special teams. Depth is a problem for them, if we can shut down thier first line, we should be in ok shape. So far, the second period is far and away the strongest for Brown. Colgate has a lot working against it, but will need to rise to the occasion here.
Results
Colgate got off to a very rocky start. 10 minutes in, we were down 2-0 after giving up two power play goals within 30 seconds of each other. Sean Nolan would cut that in half with a power play goal of his own later in the period. Scooter Smith tied it on a second power play goal in the second, this was teh first of 4 Colgate goals in the period, and the first goal of Scooter Smith's first collegiate hat trick! Scooter would score 3 times, and assist on two other goals! After pulling ahead in the second, Colgate hung on to get the 6-4 win. Brown scored twice in the third to make things interesting. Jason looked good in net, 3 of the Brown goals were on the powerplay, 1 of those a 2 man advantage. Goaltending continues to be a strength for Colgate. What won this game for us was offensive pressure. We weren't afraid to go after the puck in thier zone and try to force something to happen. Of course, it helped that Brown put in one of their backup goalies. Most of the goals for Colgate were scored at very close range. Hey, if that's what it takes, Colgate gets its first two ECAC points.
November 18th - Harvard
Game Preview
Harvard is always one of the most highly touted teams heading into a season, then they usually don't live up to those expectations. Last season was no exception, they finished 11-17-2 and tied for 6th in the ECAC. With 9 starters graduated, Harvard might seem at an immediate disadvantage, but they brought in another good crop of freshman. 9 new freshman enter the program and will need to start to fill the gaps left by thier top goalie graduating, and they will need to fill some of the defensive positions. You never know what to expect from a Harvard season until it is halfway over. This year will be no excpetion. The coaches predicted they would finish 3rd in the ECAC this year, the media placed them at number 5.
Pre Game
Harvard scored 11 goals in its first 3 games while allowing just 7. They also have yet to allow a power play goal. But thier power play has just scored two. They are 2-1, beating Brown and Dartmouth, but losing to Vermont. A third period meltdown cost them in that game. This could be a very tough game. Harvard will be fresh out of Lynah rink though, where you know they will get the full treatment by the Lynah losers. Will they be worn out and tired, or pissed off and intense when they skate into Starr rink for an early game wrapping up Silver Puck weekend. It's going to be a tough 2 points to pick up, but they are two points we need very badly. Results
Harvard controled most of the pace tonight, and was led by absolutly great defense. Harvard took an early 1 goal lead two minutes in, and held on to that lead for the rest of the game. Colgate played tough on offense, but could not get much working. Early in the third, we fell down to 2-0. The Colgate fans were cheering for a comeback, Colgate has not lost a home ECAC game since two years ago. Cory Murphy gave Colgate a new hope when he rocketed a slapshot to the back of the net from just inside the blueline. Harvard put the game away shortly after that, Colgate played very well in the third period, but could only get one more goal to make the final score 3-2 in favor of Harvard. David Cann started in goal for the Red Raider's he had a very solid performance. You can't expect him to stop all the breakaways. Colgate drops to 9th place in the ECAC.
November 25th - Vs Niagara
@ Syracuse Invintational Tournament
Game Preview
Niagara is coming off a amazing season where they stole an at large bid to the NCAA tournament, everyone said they had no business being there, and then the beat UNH! These aren't the same Purple Eagles we beat last year at the S.I.T. though. They lost 14 players since last season. They have brought in 17 rookies for this seasons campain, including both the teams goalies. Last season was a special one, and could be tough to duplicate.
Results
First the good news, we only took 3 penalties. We also recorded 73 shot attempts, the bad news is, most of them were awful. Colgate wasn't able to find a way to beat the goalie. Chad MacDonald scored on an early deflection, and Mike O'Malley recored an assist on that goal and scored an unassisted goal of his own. The game was very close, until Niagara took the lead for good early in the third. Colgate tried to even the score, but once again could not get the puck in the net. Niagara would score on the empty net to win 4-2.
November 25th - Vs Cornell or Clarkson
@ Syracuse Invintaional Tournament
Results
Clarkson would be the opponent after they lost to Cornell the night before. David Cann would start in net, but he would be pulled just shy of ten minutes into the first period after allowing 2 goals. Colgate seemed to be workign hard, but they still isn't playing a full 60 minutes or playing as a team. Colgate tied things at 3 in the second period, but Clarkson scored within the next minute. Last year was Colgate's fisrt SIT title in 15 years, this was the first time we finished last in 23. Colgate losses 5-3 and falls to 2-8-2 on the season.
December 1st - Princeton
Game Preview
Princeton is in the record books as the only ECAC team that we did not beat at least once last season. We lost 1-5 on the road, and fought to a 2-2 tie at Starr rink. They lost 5 letterwinners, and thier head coach. But several of the team leaders are going to be back, including one of the better goalies in the ECAC. The returning players show potential, and they are going to need to realize that potential if they want to improve upon last seasons 6th place finish. Both the media and coaches poll has them dropping to number 10. Pre Game
Princeton has a physical team this year, and they are currently 2-2-2 in the league and has a non confrence win and tie with Niagara. Lamb, Corrinet and Parsons are all experienced players, and thier top three point scorers. We really need to keep an eye on them and find a way to grind the puck into the net. Easier said than done, Princeton has the number 2 defense in the league, and a top goalie who will be tough to beat. Colgate will need to concentrate on playing a full 60 minutes at home, not force anything, but try to get the puck at the net.
Results
This was a very physical game by both teams. Bob Vandersluis and Rob Brown scored thier firt collegiate goals, congrats to both of them as they light the lamp for the first time. Sean Nolan scored the first two Colgate goals. Colgate looked pretty good, but we weren't always there on defense. Princeton just worked the puck in, there was a scramble in front of the net, no one could clear it, Princeton goal, that happened too much. The goaltending was average, some really good saves, but he wasn't making all the ones he should be making, he was pulled after 6. Princeton scored the last 5 goals to win 7-4.
December 2nd - Yale
Game Preview
I have a lot of respect for the Yale program, Colgate won 3 of 4 games over the Eli's last year, including two playoff games at the end of the season. Yale still fought hard to prove they are better than their final place in the ECAC (9th) indicated. They lost a lot to graduation, and the only position that looks really solid is Goalie. Dan Lombard will be the primary starter, and he keeps Yale in games. They are going to need to replace a lot of offensive players, and probally will only have one, or at most two lines that are a major threat. Depth at defense is also going to be a problem Yale will need to overcome quickly. Aside from their top defensive pair, they are still unproven on defense. Preseason polls place them at 8th or 9th, with a lot of weight being placed on Jeff Hamilton's shulders as he returns from injury this year.
Pre Game
This should be another good game. Yale is 3-3 in the ECAC, and has non league wins at the beginning of the season over Boston College and UNH. Most recently, they split thier series with Princeton. Jeff Hamilton is thier top offensive threat. And if you remember the playoff series last year, you know how tough Lombard can be in net. His mumbers have dropped a little though this season, and he has played every minute of action so far. They seem to be very average in all the catergories of points per game and against, as well as on special teams. This game might be a bit higher scoring, and should be pretty good.
Results
Always a good game between these two, it was very even at first, Colgate was pulling ahead on the scoreboard, but they didn't really start dominating till later in the second and third. Kyle Doyle scored his first 2 collegiate goals, he's been playing solidly this year, and was in the right spot when Colgate was applying good offensive pressure. Nolan and Stay had three helpers each. We killed off a 5 minute major in the first period, with almost 2 of those minutes being 5 on 3! I really thought I was watching last years team for a while. Well done by everyone. Yale spoiled the shutout late in the third when Colgate let their guard down. But the Red Raiders rallied to a 6-2 win.
December 9th - At UMass- Lowell
Game Preview
The last time these teams met was in the 97-98 season, with Lowell pounding Colgate 7-1. Lowell finished 9th in Hockey East last season, and has been predicted to finish about there again. 7 seniors have graduated, but the coach feels that the younger players have been developing well. If they do not find people to step up on offense and defense, they could have a rough season.
Pre Game
Results
It's a good thing break is upon us, only it looks like the team got off to an early start. On break, not the game. Lowell scored the first 2 goals, playing a very good physical game, whenever Colgate tried to match it, they took a penalty. Lefevre had a bad night, letting in a few soft goals, he played just half the game, and let in 5. Sean Nolan pulled us within 1 halfway through the first, but UMass got a shorthanded and power play goal after that to strech thier lead. With Cann in net, Lowell was shut out in the third, he allowed 2 goals in the seconds though. Both teams were brought to life with about 5 minutes left, when Dan Stay flattened a Lowell player mid shot. People are arguing whether or not it was an illeagal hit or cheap shot, the refs said it was a good clean, hard hit though, and no penalty was accessed. It took a while to help the injured player off the ice, and Lowell did not agree with the refs decision. Following that hit, the refs could not control order, and the UMass coach couldn't control, his players took 4 ten minute misconducts in the final 5 minutes. Colgate didn't mind getting physical at this point, they added to thier share of penalties, which reached nearly 140 for both teams. Break could not come fast enough, Colgate loses 7-2.-
December 28th - Vs Western Michigan
@ Silverado Shootout
Game Preview
-Western Michigan placed 9th last year in the CCHA, they return 17 players, including thier top 2 scorers, and all thier goalies, but goaltending was thier biggest weakness last year. Last year they lost two at Cornell, and split with Dartmouth in thier ECAC games. They were still chosen to be last in the CCHA this year. Defense killed them last year, and they need to turn that around, and they can be pretty good.
Pre Game
-Western Michigan is 12-3-2 and 7th in the Nation right now. Both teams are coming off long breaks, but Colgate has really been taking some time off, to get players refreshed and to give this a real second season feel. The broncos have swept Ferris State, Dartmouth and Niagara this year, so theres your games against common opponents. December was not great to them, they went 2-2, losing to Miami and Ohio state. They are averaging 3.3 goals against a game and 4.7 goals per game, thats really big. We're going to need good goaltending and defense to get through this. This will be a very tough game, and a good introduction to the rest of the season.
Results
-It was a solid team effort that Colgate fans saw today. Which is what we needed more than anything else. Still, and early Pat Vareka penalty, led to a perfect set up and goal on freshman goalie David Cann. Sturgis and O'Malley were back in the lineup, while Kevin Johns is day to day, and did not dress today so he will be fresh for the ECAC games early next year. Colgate continued at a 1-0 deficit, putting on good pressure at the end of the first, coming out slow in the second period, then picking things up again. We outshot the Broncos by a wide margin, but we still could not beat the goalie. If anything, our passing game was not clicking after the long layoff, that might have affected the quality of our shots. We were anle to slow down thier offense though, limiting thier shot count, and keeping them out of our zone. We never beat thier goalie though, and WM added a second goal late in the third, to win with a final score of 2-0.
December 29th - Vs Minnesota - Duluth
@ Silverado Shootout
Game Preview
- The Bulldogs are not in a great position, they went 15-22 last year, finishing 8th in the WCHA. They have lost thier top two scorers, and thier top goalie, thier defense was left more or less intact, but they weren't that good last year, the team allowed nearly 4 goals a game. They are still picked to finish 8th in the league again. Last season they did not play any ECAC teams for comparision.
Pre Game
-Minnesota Duluth lost to Merrimack in the first night of the tournament
Results
- Jason Lefevre was back in net for the Red Raiders, as we took on the tournament host. The hosts scored on a deflection halfway through the first, then pulled ahead to 2-0 after beating Lefevre with a one timer seconds after the faceoff. Colgate came out in the second and third periods hungry for a comeback, and it paid off, Colgate took control of the game from that point on. Colgate's offensive pressure paid off in the second when Chad MacDonald took a shot that went wide, hit the backboard, then found it's way right to a waiting Sean Nolan, who smoked the goalie. More time passed, and Colgate was still down one, more offensive pressure and this time it was Sam Sturgis who found a bouncing puck in fron of the net and fired it in. It was only his third collegiate goal, and in front of some family members from his home state of Minnesota. That did it for the scoring though, both teams hd chances to pull ahead, but neither team did. After a 5 minute overtime, we had the first tie in the history of the Silverado shootout. Unfortunatly, due to the rules of the tournament, we finished last, but Cory Murphy was named to the all shootout team. This one ends in a 2-2 tie.
January 6th- Mercyhurst 7 pm
Game Preview
- Mercyhurst surprised people by finishing second in the MAAC last year, and they have been predicted to repeat that ranking. Last season, they thrived in close games, but Colgate got a 3-0 victory over them in a pretty good game. This year, defense will be the key unknown for them. They return thier top goalie, as well as a large chunk of the offense.
Pre Game
- Mercyhurst is allready at a bit of a disadvantage coming into this game. First, Colgate is great on thier home ice. Secondly, they have to travel up from Army, who they play the night before, while Colgate is fresh. They lost 2-1 to Clarkson early this year, then tied Union, and lost 5-0 to RPI. Anythign could happen, and I expect a good game, but it's time for Colgate to show everyone that they are ready to kick some butt in the second half of the season.
Results
- It took just 25 seconds for Kyle Doyle to beat the Mercyhurst goalie to give Colgate a 1-0 lead. A delay of game penalty against Mercyhurst at the start of the second period hurt them greatly, as they allready had a player in the box, and Sean Nolan found the back of the net 24 seconds into the period during the 2 man advantage. Morin scored his 5th of the season about a minute later. We let our guard down in the middle of the third though, taking bad penalties, and giving up two goals that way. The game went on, Colgate was playing well, but the MU goalie was top notch. Then, with the goalie pulled, the man who started it, ended it, and Kyle Doyle scored on the empty net. The final, 4-2 in favor of the Red Raiders, this is the 4th win this season, and the first since December 2nd. The team looks like it's back on track, unfortunatly, Rob Brown went down with an injury, but Kevin Johns was back in the lineup, tallying an assist.
January 12th - At Dartmouth
Game Preview
- Dartmouth took a pair of losses to Colgate last year as they finished 8th in the ECAC. They were predicted to finish 7th this year, but many people expect them to finish even higher, as they return a very experienced team. They have one of the leagues best returning goalies in Nick Boucher, with a .907 save percentage last year. The team had a lot of potential last year, but never quite realized it. That means they still have potential. Look for a solid team, but nothing flashy.
Pre Game
- Dartmouth is 5-7-1 right now, with wins over teams like Maine, UNH, Vermont and yes, even Brown. They have still lost to Western Michigan, like us, Yale, Princeton, Harvard. Boucher hasn't come through yet, in fact, him and Jason Lefevre are running neck and neck in many of the statistical catergories. They have the 10th ranked offense, and 8th defense. Lucky for us, they have the least effective power play in the league, with Vermont right in front of them.
Results
- The Red Raider's played hard, but the first period, it was all Dartmouth. The Red Raider's were struggling for offense, while working thier butts off in thier own end. The score was tied at 0 after one. Colgate scored just moments after the start of the second, when Bryan Long caught a lucky bounce off the boards, and fired it past Boucher, who was out of position. Dartmouth came back with the next three goals, some good, others soft, including 2 within a minute of each other. Jason would be pulled, and David Cann would serve for the rest of the second. However, as the period came to an end, a seemingly simple shot, was not stopped cleanly, and trickled past the goaline, fortunatly it was slowed down enough to not pass the line, until a moment after time expired. Either way, it was scary enough to bring Jason back for the third. 5 minutes in, Kyle Doyle hit a high velocity slap shot from the outside that found a home in the back of the net. Colgate was now only down by one, but they could not get that all importnant tying goal. It was a solid effort for Colgate, but a great game by Dartmouth, and Colgate losses 3-2
January 13th - At Vermont
Game Preview
- UVM return to the ice after a hazing incident and cover up ended thier season early last year. The Catamounts were 5-9-3 at the time the plug was pulled. 6 players left the team, some to graduation, a few leaving because of the scandal. They also were only able to get three recruits for this year. They do return thier entire defense though, as well as a senior goalie. Tey were predicted to finish 8th or 9th, with thier coach claiming they can get a home playoff seed. The team is eager to get back on the ice.
Pre Game
- After losing to UNH and BU, the Catamounts surprised many by going on a 6 game winning streak, and they won thier first 5 ECAC games. Thier fans are just as with them as ever. They are currently second in the league and 13th in the USCHO poll. Allen has worked out well in net for them, they are second in the league in defense, and first in offense. The "Gut" is one of the toughest places for a road team to play, so Colgate has a lot going against them. But there would be no better way to get the attention of the ECAC then by knocking off one of the top teams.
Results
- Colgate came out playing hard, and they found a UVM squad that was also fighting hard for a win. After teh first minute or two, the momentum was all Colgate's for the first period. The pressure Colgate supplied led to results, as Sean Nolan redirected a Rob Brown shot, and Colgate was up 1-0. Later in the period, Chad MacDonald worked hard to get the puck to the side of the net, he tried a pass, but it was defelcted back to him, the goalie was out of position when MacDonald got off a second great pass to Mike O'Malley, all alone on the back doorstep, 2-0 Colgate. UVM started the third period on fire once again, and this time it paid off. After what looked to be a goal was waived off, UVM scored it's first goal of the game. A few minutes later, UVM continued to apply the pressure, when they were rewarded with a juicy rebound and wide open net, the game was now tied at two. And thats where we were going into overtime. Also, Colgate got a penalty close to the end of the third, which carried over into the OT, giving UVM early momentum once again. Colgate worked hard to get the pressure on the UVM goalie, who was forced to cover the puck after a simple Colgate shot. PJ Yedon cleanly won the face off, Cory Murphy found Sean Nolan in the high slot, who fired a quick shot that won the game for Colgate!! Three minutes into the overtime period, Colgate gets it's first road win, the final 3-2 Red Raiders!
January 18th - At Cornell
Game Preview
- And here we go, its rivalry time!! Colgate beat Cornell, not once, not twice, but three times last year, scoring 4 goals each game and shutting out the Big Red twice. They took 4th in the league last year, and lost 6 seniors. They still return a very complete team, and the preseason polls put them at 2nd. They have 3 returning goalies, and a very good defense. They have been known as a somewhat low scoring team. But they have a very agressive physical style, that can disrupt an opponent at any part of thier game. No matter where these two teams are at this point of the season, this is always a good series.
Pre Game
- Cornell is third in the league right now, but with a lot fewer games than the leaders, Colgate is tied for last, but with the same situation appliying. In the league, they are first in defense, last in offense, while thier number 1 goalie, Matt Underhill, has the best numbers in the league. Colgate's power play is now 4th in the league, but Cornell has a kill percentage of 97%. The Big Red are 7-5-3 coming into this weekend. They have yet to get a win over a big opponent, but tied and lost to Maine, and lost to Sacred Heart in thier season opener. They split with UVM and Dartmouth last weekend as well, even beating UVM 3-2 in overtime just like we did. This is a huge series for both teams, Colgate is trying to jump start the second half of thier season, Cornell is trying to prove they deserve to be in the top three this year.
Results
- Cornell controled most of the first, but it was Jsaon Lefevre who came up big with the shutout first period. Then, late in the first, Bob Vandersluis found a loose puck, and scored his second collegiate goal. Cornell goalie, Matt Underhill would have a 50% save percentage in the first period. Colgate played thier best in the second period, but a costly mistake hurt Colgate early. Chad MacDonald just punched a player sitting on the Cornell bench, they would tie things up on the ensuing powerplay. Sean Nolan got a power play goal later in the period when he beat the goalie 1 on 1. Cornell knotted things at 2 when they got one past Lefevre. The third period was also very exciting, with Cornell slowly regaining the advantage. Colgate just was not forechecking very much. We gave up on our offense very quickly, and seemed to show a little too much respect to the Big Red offense, which was ranked last in the league. Meanwhile, Cornell was constantly moving towards our net, whether they had the puck or not. Lefevre made several key, and very good saves to keep us in the game. The game went to overtime, where each team had a few good chances, all thwarted by the oppositions goalie, and Colgate gets 1 poitn on the road with a 2-2 tie.
January 20th - Cornell 7pm
Pre Game
- This is the second game of the home and home series, Mike O'Malley is still out with a shulder injury.
Results
- There was a packed house at Starr rink to see Colgate take on their travel partner rivals. Unfortunatly, the crowd was silcenced early, when Lefevre botched a clearing attempt on Colgate power play when he was out of the net and Cornell scored. All in all, I think Colgate played better than on Thursday, but we couldn't beat the goalie, then Cornell would score two more power play goals in the period, and Colgate was once again taking bad penalties. Sean Nolan scored a powerplay goal early in the second to give Colgate some new life. But Cornell got another powerplay, and another power play goal. Nolan capitalized again later in the period, whena shot trickled through Underhills pads, and stopped just inches shy of the goal line. Nolan beat everyone to the puck on a good heads up play. Colgate continued to play strong at even strength, but they could not overcome a two goal deficit. Scooter Smith returned to his scoring ways with Lefevre pulled late in the game, but that was all the offense we would mount. It appeared Cornell had scored on an empty net with 1 second left, but in fact the play had been whistled dead after coincidental minors with two seconds left. The final was still Cornell 4, Colgate 3.
January 26th - St. Lawrence 7 pm
Game Preview
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Pre Game
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Results
-The Red Raiders played well, in the first period alone, they pelted SLU with 17 shots. But none of those went in, "oh well" I thought, we were outplaying them so well I was convinced we were going to win, even after SLU made it 1-0 with a nice deflection. SLU scored early in the second on a powerplay goal that probally should have been avoided, "not a problem" thought I, we are still outplaying them. Then they scored again on us 13 minutes into the period off another defelction, that was it for Jason Lefevre. We still outshot SLU for the rest of the game, with many shots coming very close, but either just missing, or being saved. Cann would let in one, and Colgate would lose 4-0. It was the first time we were shutout at home since 97-98, and the fact that we outplayed them all game made it even worse.
January 27th - Clarkson 7 pm
Game Preview
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Pre Game
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Results
- David Cann got the start, and why not? Well, he let in a very weak goal 2 and a half minutes in. Clarkson scored again 10 minutes later, but then about a minute later, Morin went hard to the net, fired a shot, got his own rebound, and stuffed it in to give Colgate some momentum after all that shutout. The second period was very defensive, with neither team taking a lot of shots. A Clarkson goal halfway into the third, put Colgate in desparation mode, and Kyle Doyle responded with a nice goal to give Colgate new life. The crowd was into it, would Colgate pull off the comeback? No. Empty net goal, and thats the game. I've never seen the team that pissed off or dissapointed after a game. We end the weekend with 0 points at home with this 4-2 loss.
February 2nd - At Harvard
Pre Game
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Results
- Another dominating game for the Red Raider's. We contained Harvards potent fowards. And held them to just 1 goal in the first two periods. Our offense kept the pressure on, and the goaltending was as good as could be expected. Cann is now our steady starter. Down 1-0, Harvard took a 5 minute major in the second, not just that, but they allready had a guy in the box, and took another minor during the penalty kill. That means we had like 4 minutes of 5-3. But did we score? No. Colgate took 16 shots on that power play, but could not beat Jonas, who was far and away the top star of the game. Colgate did tie things early in the 3rd. Scooter Smith scored a hard fought goal. Then we got another powerplay, shorthanded goal for Harvard, and that was the difference right there. We gave up a breakaway and Cann was easily beaten. A empty net goal made the final 4-1. We took about 50 shots, but just 1 goal to show for it. Nothing has gone our way this season.
February 3rd - At Brown
Pre Game
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Results
- This game was must win for Colgate, as both teams were currently out of the playoffs. Brown scored a fairly weak goal in the first 5 minutes. Kelley tied things up after a nice assist by Bryan Long. The teams battled back and forth but the turning point was a 5 minute major by Brown with 6 minutes left. Brown had us scouted, and was pushing for a shorthanded goal. But we responded by scoring twice during the duration of the power play. We also ahd a nice goal by Kevin Johns earlier in the period, who capitalized on a nice opportunity. Not a bad showing at all, Colgate wins 4-1 to revitalize thier post season hopes.
February 9th - At Yale
Pre Game
- This is a game that Colgate needs to capitalize on. Yale got shutout in both games in the North Country last weekend. And thier coach is one win away from a coaching milestone. Colgate needs to take the momentum from the Brown game, and keep Yale in it's slump for at least another game. The Colgate band is heading to Yale to help get the Colgate fans and team going. This is a key weekend. We're currently in 11th place, Union is up in the North Country, Brown sucks, and if Cornell has a 4 point weekend, both Yale and Princeton are within striking distance if we win.
Results
- We got caught 17 minutes in the first when Yale scored the first goal, a powerplay goal. Sean Nolan would not allow the game to continue playing from behind, he scored about a minute later, to make the score 1-1 at the end of the first. Both teams played well through the second, but the game was changed for good when Bob Vandersluis was hit from behind into the boards. After a few minutes of not moving much, he was helped off the ice and Colgate had a 5 minute major. That's when our offense took over. We did not wait on any shots once they opened up. Murphy slapped one into the net to put us ahead, just seconds later O'Malley added some insurance, a minute later, Long found the net, and Colgate was up 4-1. The second period was over. After the penalty expired early in the third, Yale tried to come from behind, but Colgate shifted over to defense, stopping the attacks. Yale scored 3 minutes in, but that's as close as they would come. There was a great Colgate group at the Whale, and the Red Raider's skated off with a 4-2 win.
February 10th - At Princeton
Pre Game
- Princeton split last weekend. Thier backup lost 6-1 to Clarkson, and despite 3 powerplay goals against them. Thier starting goalie pulled off a 6-4 win over SLU. Colgate hasn't won at Princeton since 93, but with a large Colgate group there, and Princeton facing Cornell the night before, maybe we can pull it off. Princeton has had a lot of high scoring games, so this could be a shootout. They are also averaging over 20 minutes of penalties a game. Will the power play be able to capitalize, this would be a big win at this point in the season.
Results
- Another nice Colgate crowd, this coupled with a small Princeton crowd, let us take over the rink. I'd say Princeton had the advantage early on, they were moving the puck better. Princeton went up 1-0 with a powerplay goal, then Long tallied on the powerplay 2 minutes later. This pattern would be repeated later in the first, Princeton scored, Sean Nolan responded 2 minutes later. Colgate had taken the momentum by the end of the period, but Zamboni problems would delay the start of the second. No matter, Colgate scored 30 seconds in, and we started to take the momentum some more. We were beating them in the neutral zone. We we beating them with our phyisical game. Colgate began to take over, this game turned into a rout! Dan Stay battled all game long, and scored his first ccollegiate goal in his 60th game as a Red Raider! Princeton scored in the final second on the power play, but the Red Raiders won for the first time at Hobey Baker rink since 93, the final score was 7-3.
February 16th - Vermont 7 pm
Pre Game
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Results
- Colgate looked a little flat, but found some unlikely goal scorers to pick up their 4th straight. David Cann continued to start in the Red Raider net, and he was a difference maker this time, making 23 saves. Maybe it was the non existant Colgate crowd that caused a slow first period, but going into the locker room, it was 0-0. Early in the second, Bryan Long fired a shot from the point that deflected of Pat Vareka's stick and into the net. Just a minute or two later, Vermont got some good offensive pressure deep in the Red Raider zone, and a rebound was able to take away a rare early Colgate lead. Just 4 minutes after scoring Colgate's first goal, we would score our last, the game winner. Sean Nolan threw a shot at the net from the face off circle, that rebounded right to Dan Stay in front of the net. Stay picked up his second goal in as many games. Neither goal was very pretty, and you almost didn't see them coming. But it is a sign that despite the lack of intensity tonight, the team is still doing something right if they are getting pressure on the net, and outshooting the Cats by a nice margin. Colgate claws it's way up the standings a little more with this 2-1 win.
February 17th - Dartmouth 7 pm
Pre Game
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Results
- Colgate played with the same flatness that hurt them last night, but against a much better team. The first period was fairly even, but Dartmouth could not be held back, and scored with about a minute left in the first. Colgate tried to mount a comeback in the second, but two Dartmouth goals within the first 5 minutes of period 2 ruined any Colgate hopes for this game. Colgate did buckle down, making the last part of the game a lot more even, but despite a Ben Bryce goal, we were not catching up to the Big Green. A third period goal chased David Cann from the net, and Lefevre stopped 2 shots in 15 minutes to stop the bleeding. Colgate was getting pressure, but could not beat Nick Boucher, who must have figured out how to use his massive ego to help him block shots. Colgate went 0-7 on the power play tonight and 1-11 on the weekend. Thats really as far as you need to look to see what went wrong this weekend. We're not capitalizing on our chances, and our traditional goal scores were shut out this weekend. 4-1 was the final, and Colgate now needs to go beg for scraps in the north country to keep playoff hopes alive.
February 23rd - At Clarkson
Pre Game
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Results
- Sometimes, it just doesn't pay to be wearing maroon. Colgate played Clarkson the way they needed to, but could not make it work for them. 2 minutes into the game, a Clarkson player dumps a puck into the Red Raider zone. But, itsead of slapping it at the boards, he lifts it at the goal. David Cann cannot even see it as it goes high up into the lights, and it somehow comes in right over his shoulder and into the net! So, just like that, we are playing from behind. Colgate would have none of it though. And Cory Murphy stepped up minutes later. On the powerplay, he snapped a wrist shot through traffic, and stopped Clarkson from reaching 30 straight penalty kills. Intense play continued, and Clarkson scored their only normal goal of the game early in the second. Colgate kicked it up another notch, and went after teh game tying goal. It was a great game, and the refs let the players play. But then, Clarkson coach Mark Morris gave a little pep talk to the ref midway through the third period. Moments later, Colgate is called for a ridiculous penalty. It wasn't much to begin with, and coupled with the fact that stuff much worse was being let go by the officials, Coach Vaughan was pissed! Or at least Skip was so pissed he made Coach sound it. Either way, this was probally the most upset Coach Vaughan was with any call this season. It didn't help that Clarkson scored the game winner on this power play. Colgate would not give up yet though, and continued to play strong, Etienne Morin bringing us back within 1, minutes later. It just would not happen though and Colgate falls 3-2.
February 24th - At St. Lawrence
Pre Game
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Results
- I think Skip said it best when he said this of the SLU netminder. "Sean Coakley would have great career stats if he only had to play the Red Raiders" This is the senior who earned his first career shutout in Hamilton earlier in the season, despite an explosive offensive attack, and he was up to his old tricks. Chad MacDonald had a nice goal, beating the net minder from point blank range, but it was a period after SLU took an early lead when a defensive miscue left one of the most dangerous players in the league wide open on Cann blindside. We outshot SLU 3-2 but couldn't make it count. Colgate finished up the no point weekend with a 3-1 loss. We are now 1 point out of the playoffs, with the last weekend upon us. Scooter Smith did not make this trip, and is finished for the season as a family member is sick, and Scooter went home to be with them. We wish his family the best of luck.
March 2nd- Union 7 pm
Pre Game
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Results
- Colgate knew what it needed to do, and then did it. After 22 minutes of scoreless hockey, Morin once again scored a key goal, putting the Raiders up. PJ Yedon and Paul Kelley scored 3rd period goals, Pauls goal scored with about 5 minutes left, putting Union in desparation mode. 3 minutes of empty net action paid off, and Union stopped David Cann from getting his first career shutout with just 2 minutes to go. PJ Yedon scored his second of the night on the empty net to preserve the margin of victory. Colgate wins 4-1 over a very game Union College.
March 3rd- RPI 7pm
Pre Game
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Results
- Just 1 point gets us into the playoffs over Vermont, or Vermont could just lose. Colgate would not take that chance, and would go after RPI hard! Colgate outshot the Engineers 38-18. Colgate pressure did not manifest itself in goals though, and a controvertial goal was the game winner for RPI. Colgate was on the penalty kill, and a shot seemed to hit the crossbar and bounce out. The goal light came on, and go figure, John Murphy calls it a goal, sending the Colgate crowd into a frenzy. This was the night the ECAC officials observer was in attendance as well... Video tape review later on would help confirm that this was a non goal. 2 more powerplay goals by the visitors would spell and end to this Red Raider's season, it's all over, as we finish 1 point out of the playoffs, with this 3-0 loss.
March 9th, 10th and 11th - ECAC Playoffs, opening round, at the higher seed, best of three.
Pre Game
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Results
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March 15th, 16th and 17th - ECAC playoffs at Lake Placid
Pre Game
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Results
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