Burton Boosts Colgate Past Harvard

Boxscore

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.  -- Colgate senior Tyler Burton (Langley, B.C.) scored twice, including a 4-on-3 power-play goal with 35 seconds left in regulation, to lift his Raiders to a 2-1 win at Harvard on Saturday, Nov. 17. The win snapped a six-game winless streak for Colgate (4-6-2, 1-3-2 ECAC Hockey), and gave the team its first ECAC Hockey victory of the season, while Harvard drops to 4-2-0 both overall and in league play.

With 2:34 left in the third period and the teams tied at 1-1, off-setting penalties were called to put the teams skating 4-on-4. The Raiders used the more open ice to look for the go-ahead goal, but it didn't come. Instead, Harvard's Brian McCafferty went into the box on a cross-checking call to give Colgate a 4-on-3 power play. Forty-seven seconds into the man advantage, freshman Wade Poplawski (Winnipeg, Man.) took the puck between the circles and passed it to senior captain Jesse Winchester (Long Sault, Ont.) on the left side of the net. He found Burton waiting at the backdoor, where he pushed it past Harvard sophomore goaltender Kyle Richter for what stood up as the game-winner.

Senior goalkeeper Mark Dekanich (North Vancouver, B.C.) and the Raider defense weathered a late Crimson flurry, including a shot that was stopped by senior Matt Torti (Oxford, Mass.) on the goal line. Dekanich finished the game with 26 saves to earn the victory.

Down 1-0 midway through the second period, Colgate earned several quality scoring chances, but was stopped each time by Richter. The Raiders' tenacity finally paid off 9:36 into the third period. With a mass of bodies in front of the net, Burton shoveled the puck over the goal line to tie the game at 1-1. Linemates Winchester and junior Peter Bogdanich (Burnaby, B.C.) assisted on the play.

After a scoreless first period, Harvard got the first goal of the game at the 7:22 mark of the second. Freshman Michael Biega carried the puck into the zone, then dumped it into the left corner. Junior Steve Rolecek dug it out and got it to senior Paul Dufault in front of the net. Dufault found a seam through traffic for his third goal of the year.

The Raiders were looking to answer quickly, but they went on the penalty kill less than a minute later. However, Winchester won the ensuing faceoff and created a shorthanded breakaway opportunity for himself. He skated into the zone on the right side, and put a shot on goal from the hash marks, but Richter made a glove save to preserve the Crimson lead.

Colgate earned another quality scoring chance during a power play late in the second period. After maintaining sustained pressure on the Harvard goal, the Raiders worked the puck down to freshman Brian Day (Danvers, Mass.) at the bottom of the left circle. He sent a cross-crease pass to Burton at the opposite post. Burton jammed the puck toward the net, but Richter seemed to stop the puck with his toe to stymie Colgate yet again. Richter turned away all 15 shots that the Raiders sent his way as the visitors outshot the Crimson 15-4 during the second period.

Richter finished the game with 32 saves as his Harvard squad went 0-for-3 on the power play. Colgate was 1-for-3 on the man advantage, and recorded seven shots on power plays. For the game, the Raiders outshot the Crimson 34-27.

Colgate returns home to host Connecticut in a two-game set, Nov. 23-24, at Starr Rink. Game time both nights is 7:30 p.m. The Raiders will be collecting non-perishable food items at each game, which they will donate to the Hamilton Food Cupboard. For every fan item a fan donates, he or she will receive a raffle ticket and be entered into a drawing to win a team-signed stick on Friday, or a team-signed jersey on Saturday.