December 3, 2011

Raiders Roll Past Saints


HAMILTON, N.Y. (12/3/11) – Linemates Chris Wagner and Austin Smith
each tallied four points to send the No. 14/15 Colgate men’s hockey
team to a 6-2 win over St. Lawrence on Saturday night to extend its
win streak to five games.

The Raiders (11-4-1, 6-2-0 ECAC) got two goals and two assists from
Wagner to set a new career-high, while Smith scored his fifth
shorthanded goal of the season and added three helpers. Austin Mayer
had a career day with two goals and Jeremy Price added a goal an
assist for two points. Nick Prockow also had two points with a couple
of assists. Alex Evin was solid in net with 28 saves to earn his
fourth win of the year and his third-straight.

The Saints (5-9-0, 4-4-0 ECAC) got two goals from Jacob Dewiske and
assists from Chris Martin, Greg Carey and Justin Baker. Matt Weninger
got the start and gave up all six goals to take the loss. He made 18
saves in the game. He was relieved by Robby Moss in the third period
and Moss pushed aside nine shots in his nine-plus minutes of action.

Colgate came out on fire in the first and Mayer got things started
with his fifth of the year coming 3:52 into the game. Prockow and Matt
Firman cycled the puck behind the net, then Firman took a chance on a
wrap around and the puck came to Mayer at the far post and he buried
it home for the 1-0 lead. The Raiders then scored on their first power
play opportunity of the night to make it 2-0. Smith passed the puck
down to Wagner at the endline. He then found Price at the top of the
slot for his second of the year.

Wagner then gave Colgate a 3-0 lead with just over four minutes
remaining in the opening period. The goal came two seconds after a
power play had expired. Wagner was once again on the endline and was
trying to slip a pass through the crease to an open Robbie Bourdon.
Fortunately for the Raiders the puck deflected off a Saint defender
and into the net.

St. Lawrence was able to cut into the lead with a power play goal from
Drewiske, coming 1:18 into the second frame. The goal came during a
scrum in front of the net and Drewiske was able to find some open
space to beat Evin. Martin was given an assist on the play.

Colgate went back up by two with its nation’s leading sixth
shorthanded goal of the season. Smith and Wagner were able to find
some open ice and it turned into a 2-on-1 break. Smith got a return
pass from Wagner at the far post after Weninger had committed to a
possible shot from Wagner. Smith touched the puck into the net to push
the lead back up to three goals at 4-1. The Saints made it a two-goal
game again with their second power play goal of the night. The score
came at 6:25 left in the second period. Dewiske scored his second goal
of the night on a rebound. Carey took a shot from the point on a
5-on-3 chance and Evin kicked it away, but Dewiske was there for the
clean up.

Mayer netted his second of the night to start the third period on the
right foot as he gave Colgate a 5-2 lead 3:50 into the final period.
Prockow stole the puck on a breakout try by St. Lawrence in the
Colgate zone. He then found Mayer on a cross-ice pass and he didn’t
miss the net. Wagner closed out the scoring with his second of the
night coming with 9:19 left in the game. Smith and Wagner hooked up
for the third time to make it 6-2 and Spiro Goulakos was also given an
assist on the play for his third of the weekend.

Each team earned six power play chances and the Saints were able to
score on two of their opportunities, while the Raiders scored only
once. There were 63 shots on goal with Colgate holding a 33-30
advantage at the final buzzer.

The Raiders will play their final game before the Christmas holiday
next Saturday night against this week’s top-ranked team in the nation
in Merrimack. However, the Warriors most likely will not be No. 1 next
week after dropping two games to Providence this weekend. That game
will also feature the annual toy drive for the Interfaith Council of
Hamilton. Fans are encouraged to bring unwrapped toys to a
triple-header on Dec. 10 with men’s and women’s basketball and men’s
hockey. For each unwrapped toy given, fans will receive one free
general admission ticket to their choice of event.

NOTES: Smith has 130 career points in 130 career games to average a
point a game … at the conclusion of the game, he was leading the
nation in points (27) and goals (18) … his 1.69 points per game this
season is also tops in the nation … Colgate is now 9-0-0 when leading
after two periods … the Raiders last had a five-game winning streak
was in 2005-06, when they had two during that season … the 11 wins
equals all of the wins in 2010-11 … the win stopped an eight-game
winning streak for the Saints … this win was the most lopsided for the
Raiders against the Saints since a 6-2 win in 2007 … Wagner eclipsed
his point total from last season with the final goal as he has 20
points on the year … Mayer has six goals and six assists this season
for 12 points, all of which are Colgate career-highs for him … Smith
scored in his seventh-straight game and has at least one point in all
but one game this year and has goals in 11 games … Goulakos is tied
with Smith for second on the team in assists with nine … Colgate has
scored four or more goals in four-straight games and is 8-0-0 when is
nets four or more.