Rensselaer Loses at Colgate

Photo by J.S. Carras — The Record

HAMILTON, N.Y. - Colgate scored three power play goals and the Raiders killed off a late RPI power play to hold off the Engineers, 3-2.  With the win, coupled with a loss by St. Lawrence, the Raiders clinch fourth place in the ECAC Hockey standings and earn a bye through the first round of the playoffs.  Rensselaer sits in fifth place and hosts a best-of-three first round series next weekend at the Houston Field House. 

With the game knotted at 2-2 and Colgate on the power play, Brian Day entered the offensive zone and fed Nick Prockow who skated in from the right side boards. The sophomore fired a backhand by Allen York's right skate for his seventh goal of the year. Kevin McNamara was credited with an assist for getting the puck to Day.

The Raiders had two more hurdles left.  With 3:47 remaining, the Engineers went on the power play. RPI got two shots off, including one hitting the crossbar. After the Raiders successfully killed off the man-advantage, Rensselaer pulled York for the final 55 seconds, but couldn't muster a quality shot in the closing seconds on net. Chase Polacek fired a shot on net from the red line in the closing seconds, but Alex Evin came up with the save as the horn sounded.

Colgate, now 14-13-7, 11-8-6 in league play, took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission courtesy of Austin Smith. The sophomore cashed in on his first of two goals as he deflected in a slap shot from center point by Wade Poplawski at 9:02.

The Engineers, who fell to 17-15-3, 10-9-2 in league play, got on the board at 6:25 of the second with a power play goal. Colgate had just killed off a five on three and returned one player as Marty O'Grady ripped a shot from close range top shelf to beat Evin for his ninth of the year. Brandon Pirri and Paul Kerins each tallied assists on the goal.

Less than a minute later, RPI claimed its first lead of the contest at 7:21 as Kerins fired a shot home from the inside part of the face-off circle after gathering in the puck off a slap shot from Jeff Foss that bounced off the boards from behind the net. It was the senior's 12th goal of the year.

The Raiders knotted the score a little over three minutes later. Jeremy Price got the puck to McIntyre, who charged into the offensive zone from the left wing and sent the puck toward the cage from a low angle. The puck hit the skate of Smith and then a skate of an Engineer before winding up in the net at 10:38. It was Smith's 15th of the season.

Evin stopped 27 of 29 shots in the victory. The sophomore made some crucial saves in the third including a kick save at 5:48 as Jerry D'Amigo was left all alone out front of the cage. Evin saved 10 in the second and 11 more in the third to collect his ninth win of the campaign. York stopped 22 in defeat.

The Raiders connected on three of six opportunities. Rensselaer went one of four on the man advantage.

The victory stretched Colgate's home-unbeaten streak against Rensselaer to 10 straight. During this stretch, the Raiders are 9-0-1 versus the Engineers with the last loss coming in 2001 at Starr Rink.