Weekend Update: Close Calls
ALBANY, N.Y. -- For the second consecutive season the first
night of quarterfinals action in the ECAC Men’s Hockey
Championship produced three one-goal games. Tight finishes, have
been a trademark for the league’s teams, as each team nearly
had 13 outcomes on their schedule which were decided by one goal or
resulted in a tie.
At No. 1 Union 4, No. 12 Colgate 1: In the
first-ever playoff meeting between Union and Colgate, a packed
house at Messa Rink saw sophomore forward Wayne Simpson score
twice, and forwards Adam Presizniuk and Kelly Zajac each record
three assists to lead the top-seeded Dutchmen to a 4-1 win over
Colgate Friday evening. With the win, the Dutchmen took a 1-0 lead
in their best-of-three ECAC Hockey Quarterfinal series against the
Raiders improving their home record to 16-1-2 on the season. Union
got off to a blistering start in the opening period, outshooting
Colgate 22-4, and outscoring the Raiders 2-0 after the first
stanza. The nation’s top-tanked power-play unit netted two
goals with the extra attacker against the Raiders. The Raiders
(9-26-3) got their lone goal from rookie Chris Wagner, while Austin
Mayer tallied the assist. Freshmen netminder Eric Mihalik posted 38
saves in net, including 20 in the first 20 minutes. Dutchmen
netminder Keith Kinkaid made 18 saves for his 25th win of the
season.
At No. 4 Cornell 2, Quinnipiac 1: Senior
forward Joe Devin scored a pair of goals and junior Mike Garman
made 36 saves as the Big Red opened post-season play with a 2-1
victory over Quinnipiac in game one of the ECAC Hockey
Quarterfinals Friday night at Lynah Rink. Cornell finished the game
1-for-5 on the power-play. Quinnipiac got a goal from Scott
Zurevinski with an assist to Russell Goodman, while netminder Dan
Clarke made 25 saves in the loss for the Bobcats. Quinnipiac
finished the night scoreless on seven power-play chances. The
Bobcats outshot the host Big Red by a count of 37-27 on the
evening.
No. 10 Harvard 3 at No. 3 Dartmouth 2:
Senior netminder Ryan Carroll made 27 saves in helping the Crimson
earn a 3-2 victory over rival Dartmouth in the first game of ECAC
Hockey Championship Quarterfinal series Friday night at Thompson
Arena. The victory was Carroll’s eighth straight win and
Harvard’s sixth straight. Alex Killorn, Alex Fallstrom and
Michael Del Mauro scored for Harvard, while Michael Biega had two
assists. The Crimson held a 31-29 edge in shots, was 1-for-2 on the
power-play and killed all three of Dartmouth's advantages. Adam
Estoclet and Scott Fleming found the back of the net on the evening
for the Big Green. Junior netminder James Mello (14-8-3) finished
with 28 saves in taking the loss.
No. 12 St. Lawrence 4 at No. 2 Yale 3, (ot)
: Playing for the 13th time in a playoff meeting,
St. Lawrence upset nationally third-ranked Yale 4-3 at Ingalls Rink
in game one of a best-of-three playoff series. Freshman forward
Greg Carey scored the game winner at 16:28 of overtime, his second
goal of the goal. Winning their third straight playoff game, the
Saints became the first team to down the Bulldogs at Ingalls Rink
this season. Yale came into the game with a 16-0-1 record on its
home ice. Defender Pat Raley and Aaron Bogosian also netted goals
for the winners. Jimmy Martin scored twice and Denny Kearney also
hit the net as Yale came from behind with three straight tallies
and enjoyed a two-goal lead for most of the second period. Yale
finished 3-for-5 on the power-play, while St. Lawrence netted one
goal on four chances with the extra attacker. Matt Weninger
finished with 31 saves for his third straight post-season win and
Ryan Rondeau made 25 saves for Yale.
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