Team Notes: Colgate Travels to Dartmouth/Harvard

The following article appeared February 18 on the Colgate Web site.

Following its 6-2 loss to 10th ranked Cornell Tuesday evening at Starr Rink, Colgate (12-13-5, 9-8-1 in ECAC Hockey) embarks on its final regular-season ECAC Hockey road trip as it travels to face Dartmouth and Harvard. With four games remaining on the schedule, the Raiders head to New England still in contention for one of the top four spots, which would not only give Colgate a trip to the second round of the tournament, but a best of three home series. There is little margin of error for the Raiders, who stand in sixth place in the league standings, in their pursuit of a top four finish. Colgate sits in sixth place, only one point behind St. Lawrence and Rensselaer which are tied for fourth. However, the Raiders are also only one point a head of Quinnipiac and two points in front of Harvard, which is in eighth. Colgate loses any tiebreakers with St. Lawrence and Quinnipiac. Depending on the outcomes this weekend, it is possible the Raiders can clinch at least a first round best of three series to be played at Starr Rink by end of play Saturday evening. Colgate is looking to complete regular-season sweeps of Dartmouth and Harvard with a pair of victories. Should a weekend sweep happen, this Raider team will etch itself into Colgate lore of sorts. Only one other team in the history of the program has posted a weekend sweep on this particular road trip. The 1989-90 squad travelled north and downed Dartmouth 5-3 on February 9, 1990 and then blasted Harvard 6-1 the following evening in Cambridge.

MEET THE HEAD COACH
Don Vaughan is in his 17th year at the helm of the Colgate Raiders. The 1984 graduate of St. Lawrence enters the campaign as the program’s all-time winningest coach with a 281-266-64 mark. On February 16, 2008, he became the all-time winningest coach with his 252nd victory as Colgate blanked Union 8-0. On November 11, 2007, former Colgate President, Rebecca S. Chopp, announced the creation of the Donald F. Vaughan Endowed Coaching Chair for Men’s Hockey.

THESE DATES IN COLGATE HISTORY
Colgate is a combined 18-15-3 on these dates (11-7-0 on February 19 and 7-8-3 on February 20). The Raiders have won their last three clashes on the 19th, outscoring Harvard, Union and Rensselaer by a combined 16-5. Colgate has a three-game unbeaten streak on the 20th, which includes a 2-2 draw with Union last year at Starr Rink. When the Raiders step on the ice at Thompson Arena in Hanover, they will be celebrating a birthday. Back in 1916, the Raiders downed RPI 6-1 in the first game on record to be played by Colgate. Since no official box score can be found within the space at Room 107 at Huntington Gym, we will pick another game to highlight.

Complete article can be accessed via the Colgate Web site by clicking here.