By Matt Faulkner

COLGATE C-GATE(Potsdam, NY – Feb. 1, 2013) In a wild game that featured three lead changes and four ties, the Colgate men’s hockey team was able to grab one league point in a 4-4 tie at Clarkson on Friday night.

Colgate (13-9-3, 5-6-2 ECAC) had an all-around effort on the scoresheet tonight with four different goal scorers and 10 skaters earning points. Mike Borkowski was the big highlight for the Raiders with his first collegiate goal, which tied the game at 3-3. Spencer Finney increased his unbeaten streak to three games with 23 saves, including 10 in the final frame.

Clarkson (5-13-7, 4-6-3 ECAC) also had multiple players step up as four different skaters scored for the Golden Knights. Rookie Greg Lewis got the start in net and made 19 stops in the battle between rookie goaltenders.

“It was a good learning experience for us with eight rookies out there on the ice,” head coach Don Vaughan said. “We did lose a lot of puck battles tonight and we have to win those in a game like this.”

The Raiders wasted no time getting on the board with a power play goal coming 2:47 into the game on a nice redirection in front by Kyle Baun. Jeremy Price was able to keep the puck in the offensive zone and chipped it down the boards to Tylor Spink. The rookie connected with his classmate as Baun tipped home the pass for the 1-0 lead. With the power play goal, the Raiders had scored with the man advantage for the 11-straight game.

The first period did feature a lot of penalty time, including a five-minute major for the Raiders that resulted in three minutes of power play time for the Golden Knights. Colgate did an excellent job killing it off, allowing just one shot on net, which Finney easily trapped.

The game opened up in the second period with a combined three goals after just one in the first. Clarkson was able to jump on the Raiders early in the second frame with Joe Zarbo getting in the zone on a breakaway. Zarbo went to the backhand to lift the puck over the outstretched pad of Finney to tie the game at 1-1.

The Golden Knights then took its first lead of the game with Allan McPherson scoring a power play goal from the point. Jarrett Burton slid the puck back to McPherson at the point and he fired a wrister that had eyes through traffic and hit the net for the 2-1 advantage. The goal stopped a streak of 21-sraight kills for the Raiders.

Clarkson took a tough penalty in the final minute with a boarding call and Colgate took advantage with its second goal of the night while a man up. Joe Wilson was able to knot the game up at 2-2 with 17 seconds left in the frame. Robbie Bourdon fired a quick wrister that Wilson tipped home with his stick at waste level. The puck redirected and tucked under the bar to tie game.

Bessette regained the lead for the Golden Knights just 2:18 into the final period. Finney was able to stop the initial shot from Clarkson, but with a scrum in front, he could not find the puck and while down on his back, Bessette swooped in and jammed it home for the 3-2 lead.

Colgate was able to kill off almost four minutes of power play time after going down 3-2 and it paid off with Borkowski scoring his first of his career with six minutes left in the game. Darcy Murphy was able to get a bouncing puck to Borkowski and he swatted a backhander past Lewis to tie the game at 3-3. The shot came on Colgate’s second shot of the period as Clarkson controlled most of the action.

Mike McCann then gave the Raiders its first lead since 1-0 with his second of the year to make it 4-3 with less than three minutes remaining. Kevin Lough pushed the puck up the ice and found Daniel Gentzler at the offensive blueline. The forward waited to make his decision and then threw an easy shot on net that Lewis kicked aside, but McCann was there for the rebound and the score.

“It was great to see others contribute tonight,” said Vaughan. “Borkowski got his first on a backhander and the fourth goal was something we always work on in practice, where you throw it at the net looking for a rebound and McCann did a good job driving to the net.”

The lead didn’t last long as Clarkson evened the score at 4-4 with 1:06 remaining in the game. James Howden circled the entire defense and fired a wrister while there was confusion for the Raiders. The shot made it through traffic and into the net to send the game into overtime.

Neither team had a quality scoring chance in overtime with both squads earning just one shot on net. The teams settled for a 4-4 tie.

“It was disappointing to give up a goal in the final two minutes,” said Vaughan. “We have been good in that situation this season.”

Each team earned four power play opportunities and Colgate was able to score on two of them, while the Golden Knights tallied one goal with the extra man. Clarkson won the shot battle by a 27-23 margin.

The Raiders will travel across town to St. Lawrence for a 7 p.m. start tomorrow night.

NOTES: Colgate has 18 power play goals in the last 11 games after eight goals in the first 14 games… Baun scored his fourth power play goal of the season and 11th overall, which leads the team …  Colgate has now scored a power play goal in 16 games … the Raiders have scored multiple power play goals in seven games … 6-of-7 rookies have now tallied goals for the Raiders after Borkowski’s tally … six of the eight goals scored tonight came in the first or last three minutes of a period … this was the 16th tie in the history of the series against Clarkson.

 

By martha

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